PRESS BRIEFING
READER; PLEASE RUN
THIS PAGE OFF AND DISTRIBUTE IT IN YOUR SHELTERED
SCHEME
Sheltered
Housing
can trace its origins back to yesteryear Almshouses
but it was between the 1960s to 1970s when it really
expanded . Amongst other things, it was felt that the
elderly could be better cared for in purpose built
flats, often with economical shared heating systems
and hot water systems. This, together with its
communal lounge and site based Warden offered better
security plus friendship and companionship and
organised activities for its residents. Thus,
preventing the social isolation so frequently endured
by the old. The spin off for the nation was
that provided sheltered housing was inviting
enough it would encourage elderly people, who though
life's changes, were trapped in larger than needs
housing, to move in them and consequentially releasing
family sized homes back into the national housing
stock.
The system has worked very well going right back to
Almshouses and, indeed, there was no reason to change such
a successful endeavour , albeit houses built in the 50s to
70s do not always meet expectations for modern living ,
nevertheless, many housing providers have been gradually
bringing them up to date. But, it must be said, some
of the providers under the guise of 'needs modification'
turfed out their tenants , pulled the buildings down and
went for the more lucrative option of its land value, or
building 'affordable housing' on the previous site. The
fact that the demolished sheltered housing was already
affordable housing, does not crop up in their arguments .
Recent
financial aspects:
For residents, in receipt of benefits the pro rata costs of
the Wardens salary was paid from within Housing Benefit.
For self funding residents they paid the housing provider
for this facility through service charges.
In the year 2003 the Government ceased funding Wardens in
this way and passed the money to local organisations,
usually at county councils, they named these organisations
Supporting People. These took over funding and care
provision in their area and sheltered Housing was moved
from General Needs housing into their care umbrella.
The money Supporting People received, from
Government, was ring fenced so they could only spend
it on existing projects, this ring fencing is due to end in
2010 . Although, some beacon councils were enabled to cease
ring fencing much earlier. Once ring fencing is taken
away the councils can divert the money previously paid for
care to other uses.
The effect upon sheltered housing has been ( and will
continue to be) disastrous, Supporting People (soon to be
known as Local Area Agreements 'LAAs' ) have decided that
residents of sheltered housing do not all need a Warden and
they will not pay the housing provider towards one.
Instead, Supporting People will contract out for agencies
to provide what is termed 'Floating Support' who will visit
people on their check list both inside and outside of
Sheltered Housing, enabling people to live longer in their
own homes are. the buzz words to explain this. But, in
reality, the people visited outside of sheltered housing
will be seen at the cost of those who reside in it .
(Floating Support is not a Warden service by another name
!)
The consequence on housing providers of sheltered housing
has been equally dramatic. Faced with the loss of income,
hitherto, received for the Warden's services for those on
benefits, many are making cuts of
their own and withdrawing Warden support and letting
Supporting People provide floaters who visit residents who
are on their visiting list. These visits are perhaps once
per week, or even once per month. They do not visit
residents who are not on their lists and the objective of
Floating Support is to solve a problem. When the problem is
solved they cease visiting that particular individual.
(Some people living in Sheltered Housing may never see a
Floating Support worker ). For the self funding residents
these visits or , in some cases - just a telephone call,
are expensive. One supporter of this web-site claims that
two brief telephone calls per week are charged at £26 per
week !
Wardens are the DNA of Sheltered Housing society , if they
are taken away then the property no longer exists as
Sheltered Housing and regresses to normal OAP dwellings.
The net result too of removing Wardens will be that
Sheltered Housing offers no extended inducement for the
elderly to move into it and an expensively constructed
national asset becomes a wasted asset .
Clearly people who moved into sheltered housing did so in
the knowledge that a Warden was a part of the facility on
offer and to arbitrarily remove the Warden is unjust and
unfair and it might well be in breach of contract .
Currently the views and requests of residents to retain
their Wardens is being rode over rough-shod . The housing
providers are only required to hold consultations with
their residents but a consultation has no legal meaning, it
is not a democratic process and having listened to the
views of the residents the provider can then go on and do
what it likes. Indeed, it is probably true to say that in
some instances the decision to remove the Warden was taken
before the consultation and the latter was held with
residents for appearances sake .
Although there may be something to be gained through local
discussion with housing providers, it is Government
mischief at the back of it and it needs a national response
from all of the residents. Please, therefore, get in
contact with this web-site
www.shelteredhousinguk.com
( or call me on Tel 01245 224166) to share your concerns
with others.
