Documents & Links

This page will provide access to a range of useful information, publications, support materials and links.  Please  send us any information that you feel would be useful to other visitors to the ILN pages.  

25.2.08 Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods: a National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society

The long awaiting strategy for housing in an ageing society Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods is a critical step towards creating services, future homes and neighbourhoods and which will meet the needs and importantly the changing lifestyles of older people. The strategy is based around three themes - a better deal for older people today, building homes for the future and reconnecting housing health and care.

25.01.08 Physical Activity and Environment 

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has issued the first ever national, evidence-based recommendations on how to improve the physical environment to encourage physical activity.  It demonstrates the importance of such improvements and the need to evaluate how they impact on the public's health.  The guidance is targeted at all who have a role in, or responsibility for, a built or natural environment including planners, transport authorities, building managers, designers and architects.

16.01.08 Research into the Financial Benefits of the Supporting People Programme

This CLG research paper demonstrates the net financial benefit of the Supporting People programme and calculates it to be £2.77bn (against an overall investment of £1.55bn).  The paper highlights the client groups for whom Supporting People achieves the highest net benefits compared to cost and warns that the removal of Supporting People funding would lead to increased costs in residential care packages, homelessness, tenancy failure and crime.  The paper also highlights other benefits including improvements in physical and mental health and quality of life.  

20.12.07 Delivering health and well-being in partnership: The crucial role of the new local performance framework

This narrative provides information to colleagues working in primary care trusts, NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts, local authorities and the third and independent sectors about how the new local performance framework for local authorities working alone or in partnership will operate to drive improved outcomes in health and social care for local areas.

19.12.07 Tackling Health Inequalities - progress on 2010 target 

This Dept of Health monitoring report shows progress in meeting the national target of a 10% reduction in health inequalities by 2010 (measured by life exp at birth and infant mortality). The report shows progress being made in some of the 70 spearhead LA areas but worryingly the gap in inequalities is increasing in 44 LA's (66% of these are in the north).

13.12.07 Supporting People Grant Funding Allocations

CLG announced a 3 year funding settlement in December.  The current Supporting People budget is £1.696. Supporting People funding will be £1.686bn in 2008-09, £1.666bn in 2009-10 and £1.636bn in 2010-11. The distribution formula means that no authority loses more than 5% year on year and no authority will gain more than 7.5%.  This table illustrates the distribution across the north. Commissioners will need to ensure that savings are made in light of appropriate service reviews.

13.12.07 Joint Strategic Needs Assessment - giudance

JSNA is defined as "joint analysis of predicted health and well-being outcomes, what the community wants and a view of future needs" and will provide the evidence base to inform the commissioning and delivery of appropriate services. The role of JSNA is outlined in this Dept of Health guidance Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

10.12.07 Putting People First

Putting People First marks the first stage of the radical transformation of adult social care aimed at driving forward the personalisation agenda.  Putting People First sets out the shared aims and values which will guide this transformational change:-

• A new relationship between Government, local authorities, the NHS, independent sector providers and the regulator;
• A major shift of resources and practice to prevention, early intervention and re-enablement;
• High quality accessible information and advice available to all irrespective of financial means;
• A commitment to treating carers as partners; and
• Maximum power, control and choice in the hands of the people who use these services and their carers.

This NHC briefing outlines the key themes of and provides analysis of the likely implications for commisisoners and providers.

19.11.07  Towards Lifetime Neighbourhoods 

A CLG/International Longevity Centre discussion paper Towards Lifetime Neighbourhoods: Designing sustainable communities for all looks at what constitutes a 'lifetime' neighbourhood and provides a useful context to the forthcoming National Strategy. The Northern Housing Consortium is planning an event on the strategy on 12th March 2008; further details will be available soon.

22.10.07 Health Profile of England 2007

The Health Profile of England provides a wide ranging snapshot of public health and well-being in England and provides a baseline against which people can compare data from their own Local Health Profile (LHP).  The regional data provides comparisons and trends which demonstrate the significant north/south divide in terms of health inequalities. 

11.10.07 National Evaluation of POPP's: Interim report of progress and briefing paper

Recent publications from the DH  provide very early findings, lessons learnt and key messages from the experience of the POPP pilots to date.  A briefing paper  provides more detail on the cost-effectiveness information presented within the interim report. 

11.10.07 Single Set of National Indicators

The new national indicator set for local authorities and local authority partnerships was announced as part of the Chancellor's Comprehensive Spending Review announcement on Tuesday 9 October.  Local partnersips must chose up to 35 indicators to reflect local priorities.  The housing sector contributes to delivery of around 75% of the indicators. 

4.10.07 North East Health and Well-being Strategy: Better Health, Fairer Health

The North East's first ever health and well-being strategy has been launched for consultation.  The long-term aim is to make the NE the healthiest region in the country within a generation.  The strategy calls for action across a range of areas beyond the scope of health services, includng housing.  Better Health, Fairer Health is a bold attempt to make joined-up action a reality instead of just rhetoric. A definitive strategy will be produced following a wide-ranging three-month consultation.

1.9.07 Connecting Housing to the Health and Social Care Agenda - a person centred approach

This practical CSIP guide highlights how housing and neighbourhood services are involved in the planning and delivery of health and social care priorities and services.  Using a series of case studies the guide illustrates how obstacles to the involvement of housing and other neighbourhood services can be overcome. 

22.8.07 Housing with Support and the Efficiency Agenda - a toolkit

This toolkit, published by the Housing Corporation, is primarily aimed at assisting housing associations involved in care and support provision to address the current efficiency agenda, whether it be the Housing Corporation's expectations for annual efficiencies to be achieved or Supporting People commissioners' desire to contract with cost-efficient services that demonstrate value for money. However, much of its content is likely to be useful to other types of organisation that provide care and support services too.  The toolkit covers a number of issues including effective methods of procurement and ways of improving outcomes.

15.8.07 The Impact of the SP programme on housing and support for adults with learning disabilities

This study, by the Jospeph Rowntree Foundation, explores how the Government's Supporting People programme is affecting housing and support for people with learning disabilities in England.  The findings show that whilst the number of supported living services has increased since SP was introduced, many tenants still lack control over fundamental aspects of their lives, such as where they want to live.  

8.8.07  Commissioning Services for People with Long Term Neurological Conditions

This publication was commissioning through CSIP on behalf of DH and followed a Think Tank in Leeds in the summer of 2006. It considers a number of issues in following pathways for people to enhance the commissioning of services in a complex area and seeks to improve the experience of people using services as a result.  Useful links from the ILN event on Commissioning Services for Long Term Neurological Conditions can be accessed here.  This  event brought the NHS together with the supported housing sector and Telecare to raise awareness and improve understanding of how individuals with neurological conditions can access housing that supports rehabilitation, and services that support their independence.  

2.8.07 Investing in Independence: Housing for Vulnerable People Strategy

The Housing Corporation set out today how it intends to engage with housing providers and support them in responding to the needs of vulnerable people.  This strategy, alongside the strategies for Supporting People an ageing society aims to set clear direction for the future of housing for the most vulnerable and excluded in our society over the next few years, complimenting the bold ambitions set out in last week's Housing Green Paper, Homes for the future. 

1.8.07 Primary Care Trusts: Tailoring Commissioning

A report by the New Local Government Network, argues that the strength of local authorities' financial and commissioning performance should be used to make health services more locally focussed and efficient.  The think tank finds that many PCTs are hampered by overly-centralised structures and frequent restructuring and that a lack of expect financial management and inefficient commissioning of services has hindered the delivery of community healthcare. It advocates using the financial expertise of local authorities to improve the performance of under-performing PCTs.

30.7.07 Sheltered Housing Has Changed 

This ERoSH and CSIP publication encourages joint working between housing, health and social care and includes examples of good practice between primary care trusts, councils and Supporting People teams in Rotherham and Westminster, highlighting the development of programmes on falls prevention, alcohol awareness, dementia training and malnutrition screening.  The leaflet also encourages health staff to value the contribution of sheltered housing staff and to capitalise on the often under utilised potential of the communal lounges. In addition, quotes are included from the Our health, our care, our say white paper and the National Service Framework, referring to sheltered housing schemes as part of the infrastructure for the delivery of health living service. 

27.7.07 Building Health: Creating and enhancing places for healthy, active lives: What needs to be done?

With three million new homes being built by 2020, planning and design decisions made now will affect the shape of communities and public health for decades to come.  Building Health is a collection of papers by leading experts and campaigners which examine how the design of towns, cities and buildings might encourage physical activity.  The report provides a blueprint for action, including changing transport policies in which 'the car is king', and locating housing, shops and services to encourage walking and cycling.

9.7.07 Seizing the day on person-centred thinking and planning with older people

A speech given by Dame Denise Platt DBE and Chair of Commission for Social Care Inpsection

5.7.07 Research and Development Work Relating to Assistive Technology

This Dept of Health report describes the range of government funded projects supporting the development, introduction and evaluation of assistive technology.  Read more. 

22.06.07 Community Health Profiles

Local Authority Health Profiles are designed to show the health of people in local authorities across England.  They are produced by Public Health Observatories and will be updated every year.  The 2007 Health Profiles, published today, can be used by local authorities and the health service to highlight the health issues for their local authority area and to compare them with other areas. The profiles are designed to show where there are important problems with health or health inequalities, and can be used with other local information, such as the Audit Commission's Area Profiles, to target action to improve the health of local people.

20.6.07 Supporting People Strategy

The new Supporting People Strategy, Independence and Opportunity, sets out the Governments vision for the delivery for housing related support.  Read more. 

17.06.07 Individual Budgets: Report on Individual Budget Integration

This report looks at the value and scope of individual budgets and considers what streams of funding may be integrated with it, particularly around housing.  Read more. 

13.6.07 Housing Provision for an Ageing Society

A speech given by Baroness Andrews to the Fabian Society outlining the vision and principles of the forthcoming strategy for housing an ageing society.  Read more.

11.06.07 Contracting Arrangements for Extra Care Housing

This factsheet looks at contracting arrangements for housing management, care and support provision within extra care housing.  Read more.   

31.5.07 Healthy Homes, Healthier Lives

The CSIP Housing LIN has developed a DVD and CD ROM which illustrates how housing conditions can contribute to poor health, particularly amongst older and vulnerable people.  The LIN has also developed a range of other useful materials for the dissemination of new approaches to housing and services for older and vulnerable people.  Read more. 

21.5.07 Independence, choice and risk: a guide to best practice in supported decision making

This best practice guide is for the use of everyone involved in supporting adults (18 and over) using health and social care within any setting, whether community or residential, in the public, independent or voluntary sectors. This includes all NHS staff working in multi-disciplinary or joint teams.  Read more.

21.5.07 New DH guidance - Implementing care closer to home: convenient quality care for patients

Our health, our care, our say - a new direction for community services reinforced the importance of services provided by healthcare professionals working in community settings.  Both Practitioners with Special Interests (PwSIs) and NHS specialist staff have a key role in the delivery of such services.  This updated national guidance aims to provide practical support to commissioners for the provision of more specialised services closer to home.  Read more. 

10.5.07 The Costs and Benefits of Independent Living and Better Outcomes, Lower Costs

Two research reports published by the Office for Disability Issues, and commissioned under the Independent Living Review, show that investment in independent living and housing adaptations have clear benefits for older people, people with disabilities and wider society.  Read more.

17.4.07 High Impact Changes for Health and Social Care

The DH have launched a project to develop a set of High Impact Changes that will transform health and social care communities.  The set of changes will be those that have the biggest positive impact in health and social care communities on achieving the 7 outcomes of adult social care.They are evidence gathering between April and September and asking for examples of good practice.  There is a template that anyone responding should complete. The outcome will be published and launched in January 2008 and will provide a framework for service improvement.   Read more.

6.3.07 Commissioning Framework for Health and Well-being

The Commissioning framework for health and well-being is published for consultation. It is aimed at commissioners and providers of services in health, social care and local authorities. It is part of the White Paper Our health our care our say implementation and we are consulting as part of the development of a final document to be published in Summer 2007.  Read more.

19.2.07 Evidence of savings, improved outcomes, and good practice attributed to local area agreements

Research carried out on behalf of CLG by the LGA provides evidence of savings, improved outcomes and good practice that could be attributed to Local Area Agreements (LAAs) at the end of the pilot LAAs first year of operation.  The research report also highlighted some areas for improvement.  Read more.