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People with learning disabilities are living longer. Older people with learning disabilities should be included in policies and plans that are for all older people. National plans and policies for older people often do not say anything about older people with learning disabilities, and it is hard to know whether older people with learning disabilities are benefiting. People who plan services locally often do not have good information on older people with learning disabilities. Using the Equalities Act 2010 could help people who plan services and write policy to think about older people with learning disabilities but this is not happening at the moment. People who work with older people with learning disabilities should be aware of policy for all older people, so that older people with learning disabilities do not miss out. This paper seeks to explore the opportunities and challenges generated by current policy, guidance and legislation in England relating to older people, in terms of the practical implications for older people with learning disabilities. Using the broad themes housing, employment, social inclusion and isolation, care and support, and promoting better health and well-being, this paper discusses potential practical opportunities and concerns for older people with learning disabilities arising from policy and legislation such as current initiatives regarding integration, personalisation and the dementia policy. Consideration is given to the implications of changing policy and practice for both current and future generations of people with a learning disability as they reach older age. This discussion paper concludes that whilst there is potential for older people with a learning disability to benefit from policy and practice aimed at improving the lives of older people generally, the tendency for policy to be targeted at specific groups without adequately considering the diversity of those groups often leaves those with a learning disability at the margins of being able to make the most of changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the impact of the 'hostile environment' on racialised migrant women's experiences of pregnancy and childbirth in England, arguing that the 'hostile environment' functions as a technology of 'stratified reproduction.' First coined by Shellee Colen, the concept of stratified reproduction describes the dynamic by which some individuals and groups may be supported in their reproductive activities, while others are disempowered and discouraged. This paper locates the stratified reproduction produced by the 'hostile environment' as intertwined with wider gendered and racialised discourses around British citizenship which have been 'designed to fail' racialised residents of the UK. Drawing on interviews with racialised migrant mothers in the north of England, this paper analyses how the proliferation and intensification of immigration controls interacts with gender, race, class, and other social regimes to differentially allocate the resources necessary for a safe and healthy pregnancy and childbirth, and how this is experienced materially by pregnant migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing older population worldwide means there is a need to ensure there are sufficient housing options to meet a broad spectrum of need and aspiration. There is little understanding of the relative importance of the "pull factors" that might attract older people to relocate to a new environment. Older people's views of the relative level of attractiveness of potential features of a specialist housing development offering care and support were investigated using Q methodology. Forty-one participants aged 53-89 living in a locality in Northern England rank-ordered 70 statements from April to August 2016. The analysis revealed four viewpoints: adaptation and care seekers, comprising prioritisation of care provision, specialist accommodation and accessibility; care-indifferent luxurians, which encompasses attraction to some "luxury" features and less emphasis on care provision; connected separatists, emphasising a distinct environment with good public transport connections; and independent engagers, comprising attraction towards social opportunities and remaining independent. Broad agreement was found on some topics, such as the generally high prioritisation of safety and security. The research provides a deeper understanding of differences in views towards housing options among older people which developers, planners and funders will need to recognise. While providing high-quality care may be a key objective for some organisations, this may not be the most important concern for some older people contemplating relocation, with many other features considered more attractive., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose – During 2011, the Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) coalition supported three pilots to better coordinate existing local services for people facing multiple needs and exclusions. These individuals experience a combination of problems such as homelessness, substance misuse, mental health problems and offending. Many face difficulties consistent with dual diagnosis in its broadest sense. The purpose of this paper is to summarise the evaluation of the pilots, undertaken by FTI Consulting/Compass Lexecon in partnership with Pro Bono Economics. Design/methodology/approach – The evaluation examined the three pilots, which took place in Cambridgeshire, Derby and Somerset in England. The study looked at two main effects as individuals engaged with better coordinated services: changes in wellbeing and, changes in the use and cost of wider local services. Primary wellbeing data were collected from clients and primary service use data were collected directly from relevant local agencies (police, health, housing etc). The study followed 39 individuals across the pilot sites. The average period between initial and final measurements was nine months.Findings – The findings show significant improvements in wellbeing for nearly all clients across three quantitative measures. The evaluation also recorded changes in the use and cost of local services. Some costs decreased in the first year of the pilot, for example, criminal justice costs in the Cambridgeshire and Somerset pilot areas. Other costs increased in the first year as people accessed the help they needed. In Cambridgeshire, the reduction in crime costs (£100,000 or 31 percent) was large enough to lead to an overall cost reduction. The total cost of service use in the first year increased in the other two areas. Originality/value – Collecting primary data on clients' actual service use directly from local agencies provides a strong methodological base. The evaluation will continue for a further year to examine the longitudinal impact of the pilots. The evaluation findings are of relevance to service providers, commissioners and policy makers interested in improving services for people facing multiple needs and exclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The housing market in England is in crisis, in terms of both availability and costs of housing. Although it is not a solution for everyone, many advocates of the tiny house movement promote developing small houses that are financially affordable and environmentally sustainable. There is limited research on tiny houses, and the hidden costs of developing this type of housing have not been investigated. This paper addresses this gap through exploring the perceived transaction costs associated with developing tiny houses in England, and how these costs can be reduced. It was found that there are considerable transaction costs in different stages of the development process, including searching for information, finding suitable land, obtaining planning permission, and constructing the house. The paper concludes that tiny houses require enabling legislation in planning policy so that planning permission is easier to obtain. Also, awareness of tiny houses needs to be raised so that local planning authorities and the public understand the concept better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most significant episode in the assetisation of housing (underpinning its financialisation) is often understood to be the economic restructuring that took place during the 1980s – particularly deregulation of the banking sector and credit liberalisation. Research has reported on the housing 'investor subject' that emerged during this time, as an integral part of the transition towards financialised economies. This article provides new evidence about the housing consumer subject, and its place in this transition, by drilling into UK housing policy history and its discourses around the consumer relationship with housing. Using archive data from the Parliamentary and National Archives alongside interviews with key informers, we illustrate three cases of housing policy development in which the consumer demand for, and relationship with, housing is discursively reconditioned. We conclude that the housing investor subject was pursued in housing policy reform and its discourses well before the 1980s and the economic reforms commonly identified as the causes of financialisation. In addition, these discourses are found to have been reconditioned in order to align with broader macroeconomic policy concerns of the time. The article therefore provides a rare view of assetisation from within the state apparatus, revealing how housing policy and its discourses around consumption became functionally integrated within wider macroeconomic goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The planning system in England is regarded as a key mechanism for the delivery of housing but is also seen by some as a brake on its supply. In this context, the introduction of neighbourhood planning in 2011 has been promoted as a mechanism to reduce opposition to new housing and aid housing growth. This paper focuses on how this policy tool has been implemented with a view to mobilising communities to assist in the allocation of housing sites. The paper draws on empirical data to illustrate the role, motivations, and response to neighbourhood planning and its impact on the delivery of housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since at least 2012, UK housing providers (and policy makers) have introduced policies aimed at developing autonomy and independence among service users, through an agenda sometimes referred to as 'responsibilisation'. This paper considers the role that technologies play in this agenda, through an analysis of how wellbeing and independence are facilitated amongst older social housing tenants. Based on case studies of four supported housing schemes in England, the research considers the capacity to exercise agency amongst older persons, through their willingness and ability to accept technological interventions, and the role of support networks to facilitate independent living. Using the concept of modalities of agency, the research examines the impact of implementing 'low-level' assistive technologies in the home, based on the perspectives of residents and staff. The interventions studied were designed to improve social relationships, promote self-sufficiency and support self-managed care (based on the principle that the most effective projects facilitate individual agency). The research findings identified that residents responded differentially to technology, based on their levels of capability, motivation, reluctance and resistance. Whilst the study demonstrated that small technological innovations could have disproportionately positive impacts in improving wellbeing, the research demonstrates the complex nature of agency and limits of responsibility. The paper argues that responsibilisation is part of a wider neoliberal project, where choice and agency are manufactured to create an idealised notion of the autonomous actor (in this case through technology-enabled care). The article argues that a collaborative approach to service provision in which responsibility is shared, via co-managed care, is a more effective means of enhancing agency, than one which advocates a withdrawal of support (in the guise of autonomy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Housing shortages and construction delays characterize the current UK housing crisis, and housing need is not met. Modern methods of construction (MMC) are put forward as a solution to ensure quicker, safer, and greener delivery of new homes and are supported by the government, especially in the social housing sector. The paper explores the post-occupancy evaluation mechanisms used by housing associations delivering homes with traditional and MMC approaches. It argues that, alongside the digital and offsite transformation of housebuilding, the industry needs to reconsider the way customer feedback is collected and what purposes it serves. The paper argues that UK housebuilding in the social housing sector can benefit from re-purposing post-occupancy evaluation (POE) from only measuring customer satisfaction and detecting defects, which is currently the case, to using it to improve housing design and construction quality. This could be done by developing a systematic learning loop from residents of previous projects to the design, development, and construction teams across the housebuilding supply chain. It could particularly benefit housing associations pioneering MMC that, as long-term asset holders of developed houses, have a vested interest in improving the quality of homes and creating a better residential experience. The accumulated knowledge of such customer-centred approaches could also inform MMC technology development and help increase its uptake. However, as the paper further discusses, there are many challenges on the way to effective POE in social housing provision, including the nature of the MMC-based housebuilding supply chain and the industry's structural factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a history of critique, concentrated discussion and improved assessment processes, neglect continues to be a major challenge for child protection services. This paper draws on findings from a government‐commissioned analysis of 'serious case reviews' (SCRs) in England, arising from incidents of serious child abuse in 2017–2019. There were 235 cases, for which 166 final reports were available. Alongside a quantitative analysis of the whole cohort, we undertook an in‐depth qualitative analysis of 12 cases involving neglect. A key challenge in responding to neglect in its different forms is that it can be so widespread amongst families that practitioners no longer notice its severity or chronicity – it becomes normalised. In this paper we explore two dimensions of the 'paradox of neglect' where it seems to be everywhere and nowhere simultaneously. The first is that neglect is so closely bound up with the prevalence of poverty that little action is taken to address it. The second is that the overwhelming nature of neglect can blind practitioners to other forms of maltreatment that may also be present within a family. Practitioners, now more than ever, need to recognise the dimensions of this paradox to protect children from neglect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the state of affordable housing in England, with a focus on regional variations in space standards and standardized dwelling layouts widely used by volume housebuilders. Space standards are not statutory and therefore adopted inconsistently across development types or building typologies in England. The study draws on data obtained from planning applications, analysing 153 housing developments and 9876 newly constructed affordable housing units from different regions in England that were completed and marketed in 2021. Based on this, the study compares space standards and their effectiveness as well as the use of standardized unit types. The analysis reveals that apart from London, the most recent Nationally Described Space Standard (2015) is not yet widely used. Instead, Housing Quality Indicators that preceded the new national standards continue to be the norm for houses built outside of London. The findings demonstrate that there is a high level of standardization in affordable housing in terms of dwelling size and layout, with widely used standard house types often determining the design and size of dwellings more than space standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures imposed as a result affected the lives of people in all parts of society across the world. In 2020, during the first UK national lockdown, older adults (aged 70 years and over) were told to 'shield' within their homes, as they were regarded as being at higher risk of serious COVID-19 infection compared to other age groups. This paper explores older adults' experiences of COVID-19 lockdown measures whilst living in housing with care schemes for older people. The purpose is to examine the impact of the lockdown measures on scheme life including social connections amongst residents and their general everyday wellbeing during this time. We present qualitative findings based on interviews with 72 residents who took part in longitudinal and cross-sectional interviews across 26 housing with care schemes. Data were analysed using a thematic framework approach to examine specifically their experiences of living in housing with care schemes during the 2020 UK lockdown. The paper highlights that COVID-19 restrictions had a detrimental impact on the social connections and interactions of older residents living in housing with care schemes, as well as on their feelings of autonomy and independence. Despite this, residents adapted and coped with self-isolation restrictions and sought out positive ways to maintain social contact with others inside and outside to the scheme. We further highlight the tensions that providers of housing for older adults faced in promoting residents' autonomy and connectedness whilst also trying to provide a safe living environment and protect residents from risk of COVID-19 infection. Our findings apply not only to a pandemic situation but to the broader understanding of how housing with care for older adults must navigate between autonomy and support., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the process of commissioning adult social care services in England. It reflects the literature on commissioning at the strategic level followed by a section on operational or micro-commissioning. The rest of the paper focusses on the emergence of ideas about outcomes-based commissioning (OBC) in the field of adult social care and ends with critical consideration of the effectiveness of OBC in adult social care as applied to support and care provided in extra care housing.Design/methodology/approach The review of strategic and operational commissioning in adult social care in England (and Scotland in brief) is based on both policy documents and a review of the literature, as are the sources addressing OBC in adult social care particularly in extra care housing settings.Findings The core of this paper focusses on the challenges to the implementation of OBC in adult social care in the context of provision for residents in extra care housing. Of central importance are the impact of the squeeze on funding, increasing costs as a result of demographic change and the introduction of a national living wage plus the focus on the needs of service users through the idea of person-centred care and resistance to change on the part of adult social care staff and workers in other relevant settings.Originality/value Addressing the implementation of OBC in adult social care in England in the context of extra care housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to describe a literature review and online survey to explore the provisions and support for people living with dementia in housing with care (HwC) settings within England. Design/methodology/approach: An initial scoping literature review was conducted to synthesise the evidence relating to residents living with dementia in HwC settings and informed the development of an online survey distributed to HwC housing managers to explore the provisions, policies, procedures and support services relating to people living with dementia in HwC settings. Findings: The findings provided a picture of HwC settings in England and the residents, particularly those living with dementia, in terms of policies and procedures, reasons for moving into HwC, reasons for denying entry, reasons for leaving, positive outcomes, staff knowledge and training, environmental design, challenges and successes. Research limitations/implications: The survey responses were from a self-selected sample of HwC providers and scheme/village managers; thus, it may be the case that the settings involved were doing more to support residents living with dementia. It should also be appreciated that the responses were based on the perceptions of the individual staff members completing the survey, not those of the HwC residents. Originality/value: This study presented a picture of the current state of provisions and support for people with dementia within HwC settings in England, providing an essential platform from which to undertake targeted research to help shape future provision and enabling housing providers to assess their current schemes within the wider context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statutory regional spatial strategies were abolished in England, United Kingdom in 2010. There are, however, increasing calls in favour of a re-introduction of statutory comprehensive spatial strategies at the regional level to enhance integrated economic growth and address exacerbating spatial inequalities. Through a survey and in-depth interviews conducted with experts and policymakers of the North-West region of England, this paper explores whether the introduction of such statutory strategies could find justificative grounds through policy integration of transportation, housing, and employment policies. We conclude with a set of mechanisms that could foster this re-introduction serving regional geographies beyond the North-West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How far do current assessment methods allow the thorough evaluation of sustainable urban regeneration? Would it be useful, to approach the evaluation of the environmental and social impacts of housing regeneration schemes, by making both hidden pitfalls and potentials explicit, and budgeting costs and benefits in the stakeholders' perspective? The paper aims at answering these questions, by focusing on a case study located in the Manchester area, the City West Housing Trust, a nonprofit housing association. Drawing from extensive fieldwork and including several interviews with key experts from this housing association, the paper first attempts to monetize the environmental and social value of two extant projects - a high-rise housing estate and an environmentally- led program. It then discusses whether and how a stakeholder-oriented approach would allow more engagement of both current and potential funders in the projects at hand. Findings from both the literature and the empirical data that was gathered show how in current housing regeneration processes, room for significant improvements in terms of assessment methods still exist. Findings additionally show that the environmental and social spillovers are largely disregarded because of a gap in the evaluation tools. This may also hinder the potential contributions of further funders in the achievements of higher impacts in terms of sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As in many European states, a shortage of housing in England has resulted in some families who are 'waiting for' adequate and secure housing in England while also having the 'weight of' their children being placed outside their care hanging over them. This paper reports on the development of a practice guidance document that included an online survey with 38 children's social services practitioners in England regarding their practice experiences of responding to family homelessness. Findings suggest the complexity of the issue of family homelessness and implicitly highlight its neglect within contemporary research and policy in the UK. Homeless families are caught between the constraints of housing shortages and the complexity of the needs underpinning their homelessness. Despite these constraints, social work practice has an important role to play in providing, or facilitating families' pathway to, housing advocacy and advice. Most importantly of all, social work practice can maximise families' access to statutory family support provision so that families can be helped to remain together wherever this is safely possible. Suggestions for practice, policy, and research development are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although housing crises are rooted in both demand-side pressures and supply-side blockages, perceived regulatory impediments to building new homes are the softest target for policy reform. Critics argue that the English planning system's case-by-case consideration of development applications hands excessive power to existing homeowners, who regularly veto those applications, thereby generating uncertainty for the development sector, impeding supply, and amplifying wealth inequalities. Drawing on interviews with planning and development actors, this paper explores the potential of rules-based zoning, in which consultation is restricted to plan-making and compliant applications proceed 'automatically', to address the supply sub-component of the housing crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of this paper is to analyse statistical data to assess whether homelessness among people who have recently been granted refugee status in England is concentrated amongst particular groups of these refugees. The methodology was quantitative analysis using logistic regression of the Home Office's Survey of New Refugees (SNR), which they carried out in 2005-7. We tested the relative role played by pre-migration demographic factors, post-migration life experience factors, and government immigration policy in accounting for patterns found, and drew on literature to interpret the meaning of our statistical results. Our analysis clearly suggests that refugee and asylum policy contribute to homelessness among newly-recognised refugees. This interpretation is supported by the qualitative evidence from services providing assistance to refugees, and evidence put to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Refugees (2017). Action to address the housing problems of refugees moving on from accommodation provided for asylum seekers should be considered a high policy priority, albeit that associations between homelessness, household size, and age also present intervention opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Comment on the contribution that housing can make to delivering better health and wellbeing outcomes. More specifically, the purpose of this paper is threefold: summarise recent evidence that makes the case for housing in helping to address health and social care issues; comment on the challenges and opportunities of partnership working; and describe examples of interesting and innovative local joint provision.Design/methodology/approach Draws on the author's briefing papers on housing, health and social care for housing quality network, which is a national housing consultancy organisation as well as the author's role as Chairperson of East Midlands Housing Care and Support, which is a regional housing association.Findings Collaboration between housing, health and social care is making slow progress at the national level in England. This is despite an ever-increasing evidence base highlighting that good housing can help to address issues, such as delayed discharges. Nevertheless, there are an increasing number of interesting examples of successful local initiatives on housing, health and adult social care. The way forward is to facilitate joint working at a local level.Originality/value Focusses on the success of examples of local joint working between housing, health and social care to achieve better outcomes for vulnerable people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In England, think-tanks have played a crucial role in framing the causes of unaffordable housing. Yet the logics of think-tanks, the reasons why they intervene publicly in the way that they do, remain unclear. Drawing on the social field theory of Pierre Bourdieu, this paper seeks to understand the framing strategies of think-tanks. Based on quantitative and qualitative textual analysis of five years' worth of public interventions from three think-tanks, this paper demonstrates how the framing strategy adopted by a think-tank – that is the causal narrative and policy agenda it promotes, and the means it uses to promote it- can be partly explained by the amount and types of capital it possesses as an organisation, and its respective ties to the fields of science, politics and the media. In doing so, the paper illuminates some of the key structural logics which explain why some framings of the affordable housing crisis dominate others in the public and political domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Social impact bonds (SIBs) have become a favoured way to fund public services, including housing, prison and homelessness projects, in an era of austerity. In a growing critical literature on SIBs, a largely absent voice is that of the link worker. This paper aims to focus on the views of link workers in a SIB funded project which works with long-term entrenched rough sleepers in the East of England. Design/methodology/approach: Interviews with link workers were conducted with a thematic analysis echoing many of the views expressed in the critical literature not only about the problems but also some of the advantages that SIBs offer to this type of project. Findings: Three key themes were discomfort with the funding mechanism; flexible and innovative interventions that SIBs make possible; and problems with the outcome measures that trigger payments. This study concludes that if SIBs are to achieve their promise of providing funding which leads to effective solutions to deeply ingrained social problems, there needs to be more careful evaluation of their true benefits in comparison to publicly funded projects, adoption of more appropriate and project-specific outcome measures and a much clearer explanation and justification of the way in which SIB funding works. Originality/value: Few studies have specifically explored the perceptions of front-line link workers in the homelessness sector. This study highlights not only the concerns but also the benefits associated with the use of SIB as a funding mechanism within the homelessness sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to develop a better understanding of the evolution and structuration of contemporary civil society fields. It applies analytical elements from field theories and closely related network governance literature within a qualitative research design to explore collective action around community-led housing (CLH) in England, a label assigned to a range of alternative housing models. We argue that collective action needs to be understood as a loose coupling of earlier and younger social movements, based on their shared awareness of and willingness to address macro-level societal problems. We further identify a gradual evolution of field governance from loose covenanting between sub-fields, development of a common project, to network activation to manage significant external funding. This process has not yet led to a unified field with stable internal governance and wide external legitimacy on the national level. However, an embryonic field structure and permeable boundaries provide CLH actors multiple hybrid identities and strategic positioning opportunities in adjacent fields. We believe that our strategic field perspective can shed light on the nature of collective action in other parts of the civil society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Quality, accessible and appropriate housing is key to older people's ability to live independently. The purpose of this paper is to understand older people's housing aspirations and whether these are currently being met. Evidence suggests one in five households occupied by older people in England does not meet the standard of a decent home. The Building Research Establishment has calculated that poor housing costs the English National Health Service £1,4bn annually (Roys et al., 2016). Design/methodology/approach: This paper reports on the findings of a participatory theatre approach to engaging with those not often heard from – notably, those ageing without children and older people with primary responsibility for ageing relatives – about planning for housing decisions in later life. The project was led by an older people's forum, Elders Council, with Skimstone Arts organisation and Northumbria University, in the north east of England. Findings: Findings suggest there is an urgent need to listen to and engage with people about their later life housing aspirations. There is also a need to use this evidence to inform housing, health and social care policy makers, practitioners, service commissioners and providers and product and service designers, to encourage older people to become informed and plan ahead. Research limitations/implications: Use of a participatory theatre approach facilitated people to explore their own decision making and identify the types of information and support they need to make critical decisions about their housing in later life. Such insights can generate evidence for future housing, social care and health needs. Findings endorse the recent Communities and Local Government (2018) Select Committee Inquiry and report on Housing for Older People and the need for a national strategy for older people's housing. Originality/value: Although this call is evidenced through an English national case study, from within the context of global population ageing, it has international relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review examines the experiences of older social housing tenants who move home through rehousing schemes. These can be either elective, in the case of downsizing or rightsizing, or nonelective in the case of urban regeneration where, typically, houses are demolished and new ones built. Searches of both peer-reviewed and gray literature were carried out using appropriate databases. After screening, two peer-reviewed papers and eight gray literature reports were included in the review. Although limited, the evidence presented here provides some important guidance for providers of social housing. Organizations that provide social housing for older adults should involve older people in decision making in the conception, planning, and delivery of rehousing programs. Particular attention should be given to maintaining social connections in new homes and communities to avoid a serious loss of community involvement and the resulting increased levels of loneliness. The lack of published evidence highlighted by this review, particularly from academia, indicates that greater efforts from researchers and funders should be made to conduct studies that will give social housing providers the evidence they need to improve rehousing programs for older tenants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2010, local authorities in England have faced a dramatic cut in funding from central government, associated with a neoliberal super-austerity seen in many countries. At the same time, these authorities have also been increasingly concerned about the problems associated with private sector delivery of housing and the consequences of their increasing responsibilities for dealing with homelessness. The result has been a resurgence of local authority direct engagement in housing provision. Drawing on extensive survey data, this paper explores the extent of this housing delivery activity, the various means utilised and the motivations for this engagement, which includes activity on a spectrum from more entrepreneurial income generation to more socially focussed actions that align to the 'New Municipalism'. We conclude that this growing housing provision activity by local authorities has the potential to reduce dependence on central government and could help reinvigorate the local state, albeit with associated risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of housing with care schemes to act as community hubs. The analysis highlights a range of benefits, barriers and facilitators.Design/methodology/approach Data are presented from the Adult Social Services Environments and Settings project which used a mixed methods approach including a review of the literature, surveys and in-depth case study interviews.Findings Most housing with care schemes have a restaurant or café, communal lounge, garden, hairdresser, activity room and laundrette, while many also have a library, gym, computer access and a shop. Many of these facilities are open not just to residents but also to the wider community, reflecting a more integrated approach to community health and adult social care, by sharing access to primary health care and social services between people living in the scheme and those living nearby. Potential benefits of this approach include the integration of older people’s housing, reduced isolation and increased cost effectiveness of local services through economies of scale and by maximising preventative approaches to health and wellbeing. Successful implementation of the model depends on a range of criteria including being located within or close to a residential area and having on-site facilities that are accessible to the public.Originality/value This paper is part of a very new literature on community hub models of housing with care in the UK. In the light of new requirements under the Care Act to better coordinate community services, it provides insights into how this approach can work and offers an analysis of the benefits and challenges that will be of interest to commissioners and providers as well as planners. This was a small scale research project based on four case studies. Caution should be taken when considering the findings in different settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing associations (HAs) play a pivotal role in the delivery of affordable homes and, therefore, offsite construction could be beneficial in alleviating the crisis. Existing literature has focused on the perceptions of the housing sector at large towards offsite construction (OSC), particularly private housebuilders. This research addresses this gap in the literature. This paper explores the perceived barriers of using OSC through a survey of the largest HAs in England [n = 69], and how these compare with the perceptions within the wider housing sector. The evidence from this research indicates cost-related barriers are perceived to be the most significant barriers to OSC use for HAs, followed by the capacity of suppliers and end-user preferences for traditional construction. The perceived barriers of those with experience are aligned with the OSC literature, whilst the responses of those without direct experience suggested heightened concerns towards the key barriers. A conceptualised feedback model is proposed to monitor, capture knowledge and share best practice as HAs commit to accelerating project delivery through strategic partnerships with offsite manufacturing firms, local authorities at a local/regional level, that leverage the high-value, high-impact transformation of the housebuilding sector in tangible terms of efficiency, cost, and material savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the delivery of the first clinically led, inter-professional Pathway Homeless team in a mental health trust, within the King's Health Partners hospitals in South London. The Kings Health Partners Pathway Homeless teams have been operating since January 2014 at Guy's and St Thomas' (GStT) and Kings College Hospital and expanded to the South London and Maudsley in 2015 as a charitable pilot, now continuing with short-term funding.Design/methodology/approach This paper outlines how the team delivered its key aim of improving health and housing outcomes for inpatients. It details the service development and integration within a mental health trust incorporating the experience of its sister teams at Kings and GStT. It goes on to show how the service works across multiple hospital sites and is embedded within the Trust's management structures.Findings Innovations including the transitional arrangements for patients' post-discharge are described. In the first three years of operation the team saw 237 patients. Improved housing status was achieved in 74 per cent of patients with reduced use of unscheduled care after discharge. Early analysis suggests a statistically significant reduction in bed days and reduced use of unscheduled care.Originality/value The paper suggests that this model serves as an example of person centred, value-based health that is focused on improving care and outcomes for homeless inpatients in mental health settings, with the potential to be rolled-out nationally to other mental health Trusts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a forty-year history of housing modernisation in England and the unrivalled scale of the recent Decent Homes programme, very little is known about the views and experiences of residents as the immediate beneficiaries. This paper aims to address this absent perspective by drawing on data generated through qualitative research in two neighbourhoods in a Yorkshire city. The paper draws on 49 in-depth interviews with residents, conducted over a period of three years. The findings reveal that, following the completion of modernisation works, residents reported significant improvements in the appearance, functionality and manageability of their properties; they felt more proud of their homes and were more likely to make additional improvements to them. More generally, it was evident that many residents had experienced a step change in the way they felt about their properties and described a transition from 'house to home'. In conclusion, it is argued that, although the programme has delivered significant improvements in terms of the residential quality of life that residents experience, the overall impact of the programme is being diluted by several factors, most notably the emphasis placed on 'bricks and mortar' by the Decent Homes programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the strategic-local tensions, sometimes manifest as development conflicts, which remain a feature of the planning system in England. More particularly, it is concerned with the way local government and planning reforms brought forward over the last decade have affected these tensions and conflicts. It looks at three issues: why conflicts arise, focusing on the example of housing development, and how the reformed processes of local governance and planning respond to them; how a divergence in local government and planning reform may accentuate conflicts by creating two distinct, and sometimes contradictory, planning systems; and what actions might be taken to bridge these systems and ease local-strategic tensions, returning to the example of housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the current and future prospects for social housing. It looks at the key issues of choice and affordability that dominate housing policy, how this links social housing to the dominant tenure of owner-occupation and how government has sought to control social housing allowing for a managed decline of the sector. The final part of the paper proposes some reforms which will introduce real choice into rented housing and empower low-income households. This, however, will necessitate the end of social housing as a distinct tenure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper and part 1, which appeared in the last issue, set out the results of a housing field trial designed to evaluate the impact of an enhanced energy-performance standard for dwellings. The project was designed to inform the next review of part L of the Building Regulations for England and Wales, which, following the publication of the UK government's White Paper on energy policy, is expected in 2005. The project reported explores the implications of an enhanced standard in the context of timber frame construction. Although, for programming reasons, it was necessary to terminate the research project at the end of the design phase, the results suggest that the standard investigated is well within the capacity of the industry. It was clear, however, that the whole supply chain will need to take a positive approach to the development of new solutions. The secret to a smooth and cost-optimised transition is that the necessary development work begins immediately, not when regulation changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to formulate recommendations from international and local examples to aid the design and delivery affirmative housing and care options for older LGBT individuals in England. Design/methodology/approach – This paper combines a desk-top review conducted by the author with personal views and recommendations for practice by discussing the levers within both the Care Act and Equality Act for greater LGBT participation in the design, delivery and evaluation of housing with care services. Findings – The provision of LGBT affirmative housing and care options for individuals in England is currently limited. International and European evidence suggests that multi-faceted, person-centred approaches are central in delivering affirmative services to older LGBT individuals. Originality/value – This paper adds to a growing literature on minority housing and care services. The author draws on both a professional and personal interest in facilitating the development of LGBT affirmative services in England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of housing quality has a long history in England. As the state itself increasingly became a housing developer in the twentieth century, design standards were subject to self-regulation. Through this, the idea that housing quality includes minimum dwelling sizes – space standards – has entered public consciousness. The 2010–2015 coalition government introduced suggested space standards through planning control, but also extended the range of 'permitted development' – a form of deregulation – where space standards could not be applied. In this paper we explore the history of space standards in England and what these tell us about planning regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role of housing in adult safeguarding under the Care Act (2014) in England. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a summary of the implications for housing organisations and their staff of adult safeguarding under the Care Act. The implications, underpinned by the six safeguarding principles, are explained within a summary of the legal and practice framework for safeguarding in England. Findings – The paper draws upon research by Imogen Parry (2014). It argues that past failings in adult safeguarding in England have placed it high on the housing agenda and that housing has a key role to play in adult safeguarding. Practical implications – Housing organisations need to be proactive partners in local multi-agency arrangements for adult safeguarding. Staff and contractors need to receive training in line with their role to raise awareness of their safeguarding responsibilities. Originality/value – The value of the paper is to increase and maintain awareness of the need for housing engagement in the adult safeguarding agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With over two-thirds of people with dementia living in the community and one-third of those living alone, it is important to consider the future housing needs of this population, particularly as symptoms of cognitive impairment increase. Policy in England has focused on enabling people living with dementia to remain in their own homes for as long as possible, often with the support of a family carer. However, many people struggle to maintain an acceptable quality of life in their own homes as their dementia advances, often due to the design limitations of mainstream housing and the challenge of finding specialist domiciliary care that is affordable and of sufficient quality. Extra care housing offers a model that aims to support older people living in their own apartments, whilst also offering specialist person-centred care as and when it is needed. This paper reports on a longitudinal project that explored how extra care housing can respond to the changing social care needs of residents, including those living with dementia. Participants included residents and staff from four extra care housing schemes, one of which was a specialist dementia scheme, in two regions of England. Interviews were carried with 51 residents across 4 rounds at 5 month intervals between October 2015 and June 2017. Interviews were also carried out with 7 managers, 20 care staff and 2 local authority commissioners of housing for older people. Key factors included person-centred care and support, flexible commissioning and staffing, appropriate design of the environment and suitable location of the scheme within the wider community. The challenge of delivering services that addresses these issues during a period of reduced public spending is acknowledged. Further research is suggested to compare different approaches to supporting people with dementia, including integrated and separated accommodation, and different stages of dementia.

In the context of global population ageing, the reconciliation of employment and unpaid caring is becoming an important social issue. The estimation of the public expenditure costs of carers leaving employment is a valuable measure that is of considerable interest to policy makers. In 2012, the Personal Social Services Research Unit estimated that the public expenditure costs of unpaid carers leaving employment in England were approximately £1.3 billion a year, based on the costs of Carer's Allowance and lost tax revenues on forgone incomes. However, this figure was known to be an underestimate partly because it did not include other key benefits that carers who have given up work to care may receive. This paper presents a new estimate of the public expenditure costs of carers leaving employment. Key sources of information are the 2009/2010 Survey of Carers in Households, 2011 Census and 2015/2016 costs data. As well as Carer's Allowance, the estimate also now includes the costs of other benefits that carers leaving work may receive, namely, Income Support and Housing Benefit. The results show that the estimated numbers of carers who have left employment because of caring have increased from approximately 315,000 to 345,000. Due mainly to the inclusion of a wider range of benefits, the public expenditure costs of carers leaving employment in England are now estimated at £2.9 billion a year. The new estimate comprises £1.7 billion in social security benefits paid to people who have left their jobs because of unpaid caring, plus another £1.2 billion in taxes forgone on this group's lost earnings. The paper concludes that, if there was greater public investment in social care, such as 'replacement care' to support carers in employment, and fewer carers then left employment, public spending on benefits would be lower and revenues from taxation would be higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an exploration of a dilemma that is central to the place of day centres in tackling single homelessness and raises issues for social work more generally. On the one hand, day centres provide vital services to a vulnerable group in a safe, non-threatening and non-judgemental setting; on the other hand, in doing so, they are believed to impede opportunities for personal change. The paper draws on findings from a research study which compared and contrasted the priorities of single homeless people with multiple support needs with the priorities of support services, exploring the role of encounters between service users and agencies in either overcoming or reinforcing multiple exclusion homelessness. This paper focuses on evidence about the use of day centres. It seeks to draw on theological insights to explore day centres as ‘places of sanctuary’ whose largely unconditional accessibility enables them to serve as both a last refuge for the victims of multiple rejection and a safe place to confront the past. This paper will take the debate about conditionality in welfare provision beyond the field of homelessness to address one of the oldest dilemmas of social work: how to facilitate change while respecting people's free agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to positively confirm a new and different approach used to engage with entrenched rough sleepers, using the more personalised approach already adopted in social care. Design/methodology/approach – This is a first hand experience of the impact of the approach. Findings – That a personalised approach can achieve positive results with a hard to reach client group. Originality/value – This is the first published paper on this particular project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the role and potential contribution of Health and Well-being Boards from the perspective of an independent chair with senior experience in the housing sector. Design/methodology/approach – Personal reflections from chairing the Stoke Health and Well-being Board. Findings – Only a small number of Health and Well-being Boards are believed to have an independent chair, and it is rare to see a housing perspective represented so centrally in the composition of the Board. Against this background, this paper explores the scope for greater joint working between health, housing and social care which arises out of having senior housing representation on the Health and Well-being Board. Originality/value – This paper offers a first-hand account of the way in which the Stoke Health and Well-being Board has tried to develop its thinking around joint working between health, housing and social care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medieval peasant house has always featured strongly in vernacular architecture studies. This paper focuses on the buildings of those of lower social status, and their survival opens a window on a world of lifestyles that was at one time thought to be completely lost. A great deal of work has been done - on documentary sources, archaeological sites and standing buildings - which has shown that the life of the medieval peasant was lived in a degree of comfort and elegance, although many of its details still elude us. The VAG Winter Conference held in Leicester in January 2013 brought together scholars in cognate disciplines as well as a range of regional experts to focus on the current state of knowledge and to suggest whether the time had come to reconsider the standard model of the medieval house, its use and meaning. The purpose of this paper is to summarise our current understanding and to suggest future directions for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rundown neighbourhoods and social housing estates may not be visible to the majority of the population but they have an impact on society as a whole and not just those who live in them. This paper explains the concepts, processes and methods applied in the transformational change of public and communal open spaces in EC1, south Islington in London, and highlights the benefits of the change to their everyday users. The paper brings together a body of urban design theories and urban design collaborative approaches on open space transformational change. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: This paper asks how the introduction of "smart" digital technologies might affect the goals that can be attributed to telecare for older people, by those coordinating its provision. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 29 in-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with local authorities, housing associations and other organisations coordinating smart telecare provision, as well as telecare manufacturers and suppliers. Interviews were analysed by using qualitative thematic analysis. Findings: The analysis reveals discrepancies between the goals and outcomes of smart telecare provision, according to those coordinating service delivery. This study concludes that the goal for smart telecare to be preventative and cost-efficient may be complicated by various organisational and operational challenges associated with coordinating provision. Originality/value: New, "smart" telecare technology for older people stands apart from earlier, user-activated or automatic devices. It may have distinct and under-researched organisational and ethical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been much recent discussion concerning the conceptual and empirical viability and value of the distinction between social class and social status, and in particular as implemented in the work of Chan and Goldthorpe. The present paper addresses certain of the issues that arise on the basis of a historical case, that of class and status in interwar England, with reference to housing, sports club membership, and dress. It seeks to show that, contrary to what has been claimed by various authors, the distinction can be effectively made and is indeed necessary to an understanding of these features of the social history of the period; that it is differential association that has to be seen as constitutive of status stratification, rather than differences in lifestyle; and that increased status striving, anxieties, and segregation, with adverse psychological consequences, can result from a narrowing as well as from a widening of class inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the housing pathways of young adults following the breakdown of a first intimate relationship based on co-residence. In particular it explores the frequent recourse to shared housing and returns to the parental home, and how these options may be seen as steps backward, yet also offer opportunities for support. Findings are discussed in the context of the de-standardisation of transitions to adulthood characterised by uncertainties related to early years of employment and the shortage of affordable housing. Although often not as consequential as mid-life relationship breakdowns for future housing prospects, intimate relationship breakdowns linked to initial co-residence are nonetheless critical life events for young adults, leading to a re-evaluation of their existing relationships and of their plans in relation to housing and family formation. Our findings also indicate that the backwards and forwards movements associated with intermediary housing arrangements and in-between phases are deserving of greater attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to put the findings of the Secure, Accessible, Friendly and Equal (SAFE) Housing study, which explored older LGBT* people’s housing concerns, preferences and experiences, in a sociological context.Design/methodology/approach The SAFE Housing study was based on a mixed methods research design that included focus groups and an online survey conducted in two areas of England. The paper draws heavily on the theoretical concept of social capital to help to understand and explain the findings.Findings Findings are grouped into three broad themes: safety, comfort and trust; connections and community; and imagining the future.Originality/value This is the first time that an older LGBT housing study has used social capital theory to interpret its findings. This shows how a focus on issues of trust, social networks and connections is expedient to avoid reductive approaches in research, policy and practice to older LGBT* people’s housing choices, preferences and expectations that concentrate on the individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The perspectives of people with dementia and their care partners regarding “extra care” housing are currently unknown. The purpose of this paper is to report findings of a consultation study exploring the perceived barriers and facilitators of a relocation to extra care housing, from the perspective of people living with dementia, and their care partners.Design/methodology/approach Fieldwork consisted of paired or 1-1 interviews and small focus groups with potential users of an alternative model of extra care support for people living with dementia in the South of England. The consultation took place between June and August 2013. The interviews and focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were analysed thematically.Findings Benefits of extra care were identified as the opportunity for couples to remain living together for longer, creating a supportive, dementia-friendly community, and a reduction in the strain experienced by the care partners. Barriers centred on a sense of loss, stress and uncertainty. Living and caring at home was perceived as preferable to shared care.Research limitations/implications The findings presented here have limited generalisability for two reasons. First, the shared care approach consulted on was very specific. Second, the participants form a purposive sample and as such are not representative of a wider population. Despite best intentions, the voice of people with dementia, are underreported in this consultation. Only one person with early on-set dementia was interviewed and the remaining two people with dementia were interviewed alongside their care partner.Practical implications The findings cast doubt on the viability of extra care facilities, designed for couples living with dementia, if extra care continues to be conceptualised and marketed as a preventative lifestyle choice. The findings indicate the value of consulting with people with dementia, and their care partners, when designing new forms of housing with care specifically for people living with dementia.Social implications The findings of this consultation exemplify the wish of couples living with dementia to remain together, in what they perceive to be “home”, for as long as possible. Couples living with dementia are therefore unlikely to wish to move into an extra care facility as a lifestyle choice option, early into their journey with dementia. This raises questions about the suitability of extra care, as a form of housing with care, for couples living with dementia.Originality/value This paper contributes to the body of literature, exploring the feasibility of new and innovative alternative care and housing options, for people with dementia. This paper is one of the first to explore extra care as a housing and social care option for couples with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]