A new report out on 10 December 2009 is calling on all local authorities, health trusts and care providers in England to work with housing organisations in a more integrated way. It sets out how better partnership working can help support care closer to home, give people more independence and deliver greater efficiencies.

Housing services working closely with health and social care providers can make sure people with ongoing health and care needs live in better conditions, help them stay independent as long as possible and avoid more costly hospitalisation and residential care.

With each care home admission costing £40,000 per year, and the number of people aged 85 and over to rise by 184 per cent to 2.3 million by 2036, the demand on the health and care system of an increasingly diverse and ageing society is expected to increase dramatically.

Housing, health and social care professionals are urging local councils to establish effective links between primary care trusts, housing workers and adult social services to meet people’s needs in a more holistic way and give better value for money.

The report is published by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), supported by the Department of Health's housing learning and improvement network (LIN), and is endorsed by the NHS Alliance and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS).

Sarah Davis, Senior Policy and Practice Officer at CIH, said: "With the growing and increasingly ageing population and greater demands on tighter public spending, we need to transform the way we plan for, commission and deliver services that impact on people’s health and wellbeing. Our report demonstrates that good housing plays an integral role in ensuring people stay healthy, active and independent as long as possible, so securing the best results from our national investment."

*ENDS*

News release issued on behalf of the CIH by Jill Dwyer, CIH Press Office, Octavia House, Westwood Way, Coventry CV4 8JP. Telephone: 02476 851780 or 07786 716961. Email: press@cih.org.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) is the professional body for people involved in housing and communities. We are a registered charity and not-for-profit organisation. We have a diverse and growing membership of over 22,000 – both in the public and private sectors – living and working in over 20 countries on five continents across the world. Our members work for local authorities, housing associations, Arms Length Management Organisations, Government bodies, educational establishments and the private sector. Many tenants and residents are also members. We exist to maximise the contribution that housing professionals make to the wellbeing of communities. Further information is available at: www.cih.org 

2. Housing, Health and Care can be downloaded here: http://www.cih.org/policy/fpp-HousingHealthCare-Dec09.pdf

3. Examples quotes in the report include:

- North Somerset where young care leavers, who might have previously been offered bed and breakfast accommodation, now have better access to social housing with a package of care and support thanks to joint working. Housing, health, social care services and Connexions have worked together to address the problems facing young vulnerable people in terms of employment and educational opportunities and getting into good quality accommodation.

- Gloucester PCT providing a disused hospital site for accommodation with on site health and wellbeing centre for people over 55 with health and care needs.

- Liverpool healthy homes where joint funding is helping to improve private sector housing in order to improve public health.

- Blackpool NHS and the local authority housing care and repair team joint working to improve housing conditions and carry out adaptations.