Social landlords are often under pressure to build high quality, best value housing quickly. Traditional house builders are finding skill shortages in many areas that puts pressure on house building costs.
There is a solution that provides an ideal alternative to social landlords wishing to build new housing quickly and efficiently – off-site construction. With many UK manufacturers now using state of the art manufacturing techniques in modern, highly automated factories, off-site construction has come a long way in recent years, offering landlords high quality and cost effective solutions for house building.
This is where LHC can help. Our free to use framework agreement for Off-site Construction of New Homes (design, manufacture, supply and erection) is available for public sector organisations in England, Wales and Scotland. For Wales, this framework offers a selection of 5 companies, that can service all regions whilst adhering to our strict quality standards.
Fully OJEU compliant, the framework provides local authorities and housing associations with easy access to off-site manufactured volumetric and panelised building systems for the use in new home build projects. The framework includes the option of a turnkey solution including design, manufacture, supply, installation and construction services. Alternatively, a supply option excluding construction services is also available.
Offering a supply only, as well as a full turnkey solution, the framework offers our clients flexibility of choice. The companies appointed to service this new framework meet the strict LHC requirement of offering superior quality while offering competitive pricing.
I would recommend that anyone interested in finding out more should attend our Factory Fortnight event in February 2016. This event will offer clients the opportunity to visit off site factories and find out about the benefits of modern off-site building techniques.
For further information or to register for Factory Fortnight please visit : www.lhc.gov.uk. Alternatively contact Noel Shapton directly on 07867 428777 or email noel.shapton@lhc.gov.uk.
Noel Shapton
LHC (London Housing Consortium)
Tuesday 15 December 2015
Monday 14 December 2015
No Cold Homes campaign
“Being on a meter has made me very aware of how much money is spent on energy. We make a conscious effort to use the bare minimum and check the meter every morning and night so we are constantly aware of what we are using. I dread the winter.”
“I feel guilty every time it is cold and the children have to sit with blankets around them because I am too worried to put the heating on.”
These are just a couple of the stories we’ve heard as part of our No Cold Homes campaign. As a charity fighting UK poverty, we know that millions of people are struggling to pay their energy bills and keep their homes warm - often going without food and other essentials.
As part of our campaign, we found that almost two-thirds (64%) of low income households in Wales are struggling with their energy costs, despite being in work. A huge 85% feel they will have to cut back on, or not use their heating this winter, whilst over two-fifths (42%) said they would resort to cutting back on food. Two-fifths (40%) anticipate that their energy bills will cause further stress and worry over the coming months.
It’s clear that more needs to be urgently done to tackle these serious problems and one way to help is by raising awareness. More than half (56%) of those households struggling in Wales have done so for more than a year, yet only 16% have told their energy supplier about their situation, and only 4% have turned to an advice organisation for help.
Through our campaign, we want to make sure that the help available gets to where it’s needed. We’ve been working in partnership with other charities and organisations to spread the word amongst their networks. Alongside working households, we know many other groups will suffer this winter too, and we want to reach as many people as we can.
Anyone who is worried about their energy costs this winter can use our free Benefits Calculator to check if they are entitled to any welfare benefits and tax credits, our Grants Search to see if they could be eligible for support from over 3,000 charitable funds, and find information on further sources of help including charitable trusts from energy companies, the Warm Home Discount and the Winter Fuel Payment.
We hope that our campaign will help to create more noise around fuel poverty issues and the help available, so that more people can find support that could make all the difference this winter and beyond.
For more information, please visit www.turn2us.org.uk/NoColdHomes.
Simon Hopkins
Chief Executive of Turn2us
“I feel guilty every time it is cold and the children have to sit with blankets around them because I am too worried to put the heating on.”
These are just a couple of the stories we’ve heard as part of our No Cold Homes campaign. As a charity fighting UK poverty, we know that millions of people are struggling to pay their energy bills and keep their homes warm - often going without food and other essentials.
As part of our campaign, we found that almost two-thirds (64%) of low income households in Wales are struggling with their energy costs, despite being in work. A huge 85% feel they will have to cut back on, or not use their heating this winter, whilst over two-fifths (42%) said they would resort to cutting back on food. Two-fifths (40%) anticipate that their energy bills will cause further stress and worry over the coming months.
It’s clear that more needs to be urgently done to tackle these serious problems and one way to help is by raising awareness. More than half (56%) of those households struggling in Wales have done so for more than a year, yet only 16% have told their energy supplier about their situation, and only 4% have turned to an advice organisation for help.
Through our campaign, we want to make sure that the help available gets to where it’s needed. We’ve been working in partnership with other charities and organisations to spread the word amongst their networks. Alongside working households, we know many other groups will suffer this winter too, and we want to reach as many people as we can.
Anyone who is worried about their energy costs this winter can use our free Benefits Calculator to check if they are entitled to any welfare benefits and tax credits, our Grants Search to see if they could be eligible for support from over 3,000 charitable funds, and find information on further sources of help including charitable trusts from energy companies, the Warm Home Discount and the Winter Fuel Payment.
We hope that our campaign will help to create more noise around fuel poverty issues and the help available, so that more people can find support that could make all the difference this winter and beyond.
For more information, please visit www.turn2us.org.uk/NoColdHomes.
Simon Hopkins
Chief Executive of Turn2us
Thursday 3 December 2015
Welsh Apprentice Challenge - hear from the winning mentor!
The first ever Welsh Apprentice Challenge was launched at Community Housing Cymru's Annual Conference on 19th November. 15 apprentices were nominated from all over Wales and were split into three teams. Each team faced the following challenge:
How can we promote housing as a career of choice for young people?
During their research, the team failed to find any delegates who had consciously made the decision at school to go in to housing, nor any member of the public on the streets in Cardiff that had considered housing as a career. The team highlighted that other sectors, such as the Army, had very effectively developed marketing and advertising demonstrating that there is a far wider variety of roles in the Army than fighting at the front line.
As the other teams also referred to on the final day, an obvious approach to engaging younger people is through social media. Emily pointed out that, according to research, young people look at their phones over 160 times a day. This means that using Twitter, Snapchat and LinkedIn would be far more productive than leaflets and advertisements.
The team members themselves demonstrated the wide variety of job opportunities available as they were from such varied roles such as a gas engineer, business administrators, a carpenter and a plumber.
After two days of discussing, researching, preparing and practising, it was finally time to present the team's ideas to the Annual Conference delegates. All three team members did a fantastic job of presenting their ideas, then it was over to the delegates to choose the winner... it was a win for Team 3!
Lots of conference attendees have commented that the Apprentice Challenge was the highlight of the conference, and I certainly got a lot out of it along with my fellow mentors. Most importantly, the apprentices themselves thoroughly enjoyed the experience and felt that their confidence grew throughout the two days.
Come to housing and find a home for your talents!
Jason Wroe
Newydd Housing Association
Newydd Housing Association
Tuesday 1 December 2015
Helping people to live independently
The Supporting People Programme Grant means people get help in their own communities without adding extra costs and pressure to public services.
I recently stopped a Torfaen man from being illegally evicted from his flat and becoming homeless. This would have worsened his mental health issues and put him in unsuitable accommodation.
His privately rented flat was flooded and his landlord moved him to another home. During one of my support visits, I was checking his letters and he showed me a three-month eviction notice. I could see it had been illegally post-dated.
This had been making him anxious. He is bi-polar, schizophrenic and has anger management issues.
I spoke to his landlord who wasn’t very happy that I had spotted what he had been trying to do. The extra time meant that we could get his application into Homeseeker ready to start bidding for a new place to live.
I supported him through this and, in a lovely coincidence, a flat that he lived in many years ago became available and his application was successful.
He couldn’t manage the contact with the different agencies such as removals, housing benefit, the health charities and the Department for Work and Pensions. My work with him made sure it was smooth and he knew what was happening at every step.
He is meeting all of his support outcomes which we agreed when I began working with him. It won’t be long before I stop seeing him and take on another person to help live independently.
Amanda James
Support Officer, Bron Afon Community Housing
I recently stopped a Torfaen man from being illegally evicted from his flat and becoming homeless. This would have worsened his mental health issues and put him in unsuitable accommodation.
His privately rented flat was flooded and his landlord moved him to another home. During one of my support visits, I was checking his letters and he showed me a three-month eviction notice. I could see it had been illegally post-dated.
This had been making him anxious. He is bi-polar, schizophrenic and has anger management issues.
I spoke to his landlord who wasn’t very happy that I had spotted what he had been trying to do. The extra time meant that we could get his application into Homeseeker ready to start bidding for a new place to live.
I supported him through this and, in a lovely coincidence, a flat that he lived in many years ago became available and his application was successful.
He couldn’t manage the contact with the different agencies such as removals, housing benefit, the health charities and the Department for Work and Pensions. My work with him made sure it was smooth and he knew what was happening at every step.
He is meeting all of his support outcomes which we agreed when I began working with him. It won’t be long before I stop seeing him and take on another person to help live independently.
Amanda James
Support Officer, Bron Afon Community Housing
Thursday 26 November 2015
Little by Little - Small Changes lead to Better Living
Welsh Government's Warm Homes Wales project has funded 5 Local Authorities (RCT, Torfaen, Cardiff, Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr) to take a joined up approach in order to support its households to take action to save energy alongside the installation of energy efficiency measures. The South Wales based energy behaviour change project, Little by Little, has been supporting households across the local authority areas, targeting over 1400 households who have previously received energy saving measures under the Welsh Government's Warm Homes Wales.
The project's key aims are to educate and empower householders to use their energy more efficiently through looking at the whole household's approach towards energy, whilst providing support to improve the quality of life of all those they engage with.
Advisors carry out a home health check with each household, along with energy saving advice that provides information on how to switch providers and the savings that could be made.
Using its partners, the project signposts those who require onto training, education and employment opportunities, digital inclusion advice, along with debt support and other house management opportunities.
As well as providing adults with an OCN level one in Understanding Home Energy via its training sessions, the project is also working with schools encouraging children to become Junior Green Energy Champions via its fun workshops. The project will also be carrying out local energy fairs where energy providers, partners and other community groups can engage with the community to help reduce those affected by fuel poverty.
The project is being run on behalf of the five local authorities by Melin Homes. Allison Cawley, Project Manager said: “This really is a fantastic programme that is helping those in the community who are on the verge of or already in fuel poverty to make some big savings as well as supporting them with their employment, training, digital and financial requirements.”
For more information or to discuss the project, please contact: Allison on 01495 745947, 07791 657386 or allison.cawley@melinhomes.co.uk.
The project's key aims are to educate and empower householders to use their energy more efficiently through looking at the whole household's approach towards energy, whilst providing support to improve the quality of life of all those they engage with.
Advisors carry out a home health check with each household, along with energy saving advice that provides information on how to switch providers and the savings that could be made.
Using its partners, the project signposts those who require onto training, education and employment opportunities, digital inclusion advice, along with debt support and other house management opportunities.
As well as providing adults with an OCN level one in Understanding Home Energy via its training sessions, the project is also working with schools encouraging children to become Junior Green Energy Champions via its fun workshops. The project will also be carrying out local energy fairs where energy providers, partners and other community groups can engage with the community to help reduce those affected by fuel poverty.
The project is being run on behalf of the five local authorities by Melin Homes. Allison Cawley, Project Manager said: “This really is a fantastic programme that is helping those in the community who are on the verge of or already in fuel poverty to make some big savings as well as supporting them with their employment, training, digital and financial requirements.”
For more information or to discuss the project, please contact: Allison on 01495 745947, 07791 657386 or allison.cawley@melinhomes.co.uk.
Allison Cawley
Project Manager, Little by Little
Project Manager, Little by Little
Thursday 5 November 2015
Tech makes life easier, but what if you can’t see?
If you couldn’t see or hear like most of the population, you might think that smartphones, tablets and e-readers would be of little or no use to you. Fortunately, you would be wrong.
Online Today is a Big Lottery funded project run by RNIB Cymru and its partners - North Wales Society for the Blind, Vision Support and Action on Hearing Loss.
In the next couple of years, we’re aiming to work with 6,000 people across Wales with sight and hearing loss in order to show, teach and demonstrate how inbuilt functionality and specialist software can open up the world of digital technology.
Lots of people just don’t know where to start when it comes to digital technology. That’s where Online Today comes in. We have a team of eight Digital Skills Officers scattered liberally across the country who are running events, small group sessions and delivering home sessions to those that have difficulty getting about or who live in remote areas. We take along a whole load of the latest technology, and a “mi-fi” to use where there is no broadband connection, so people can get hands on with an iPad, smartphone or laptop. People are given time and support to explore and play with the equipment. They are shown how to access accessibility features, set up e-mail, use Facetime or Skype, do their shopping or banking and even set up Facebook or Twitter accounts. And it's not just a one off - Online Today encourages people to attend as many sessions as possible or we’ll go to their home for as long as is needed to build up their confidence.
Who qualifies for this project? Anyone who has sight or hearing loss. They don’t need to be registered as visually impaired, hearing impaired or blind but their senses do need to be adversely affected due to age or health condition. If you’re not sure about referring someone, then give us a ring and we’ll see what we can do to help.
You can also check http://www.rnib.org.uk/online-today-event-search for up and coming events.
We’re on 029 2082 8518 for further details, or e-mail us at Onlinetodaycymru@rnib.org.uk
Chris Hoyle
Digital Inclusion Manager, RNIB Cymru
Online Today is a Big Lottery funded project run by RNIB Cymru and its partners - North Wales Society for the Blind, Vision Support and Action on Hearing Loss.
In the next couple of years, we’re aiming to work with 6,000 people across Wales with sight and hearing loss in order to show, teach and demonstrate how inbuilt functionality and specialist software can open up the world of digital technology.
Lots of people just don’t know where to start when it comes to digital technology. That’s where Online Today comes in. We have a team of eight Digital Skills Officers scattered liberally across the country who are running events, small group sessions and delivering home sessions to those that have difficulty getting about or who live in remote areas. We take along a whole load of the latest technology, and a “mi-fi” to use where there is no broadband connection, so people can get hands on with an iPad, smartphone or laptop. People are given time and support to explore and play with the equipment. They are shown how to access accessibility features, set up e-mail, use Facetime or Skype, do their shopping or banking and even set up Facebook or Twitter accounts. And it's not just a one off - Online Today encourages people to attend as many sessions as possible or we’ll go to their home for as long as is needed to build up their confidence.
Who qualifies for this project? Anyone who has sight or hearing loss. They don’t need to be registered as visually impaired, hearing impaired or blind but their senses do need to be adversely affected due to age or health condition. If you’re not sure about referring someone, then give us a ring and we’ll see what we can do to help.
You can also check http://www.rnib.org.uk/online-today-event-search for up and coming events.
We’re on 029 2082 8518 for further details, or e-mail us at Onlinetodaycymru@rnib.org.uk
Chris Hoyle
Digital Inclusion Manager, RNIB Cymru
Monday 2 November 2015
A view from housing: What would the draft Wales Bill mean in practice?
The draft Wales Bill, published last week, caused all the usual political rumblings. Amid all the talk of insults to Wales, Whitehall being a bad loser, and the looming threat of a constitutional crisis, there doesn’t seem to have been too much discussion about the practical implications of the proposals within the Bill.
A devolved legislature with extensive powers is now clearly the settled will of the people of Wales.
And while technical debates about constitutional mechanisms and legislation probably won’t be a topic of conversation as the people of Wales eat their tea tonight; job security, health, and housing probably will.
What will the draft Wales Bill mean to, for example, a social housing tenant in Bangor? Or a homeless woman in a hostel in Cardiff?
Housing is probably the area of devolved policy where we have seen Wales and England diverge most over the last 16 years.
Not only is devolved government the settled will of the people of Wales, but a vastly different approach to housing (amongst other things) is too.
In Wales, we have had successive governments committed to investment in social housing, through Social Housing Grant, which has allowed the housing association sector to provide an average of 2,000 additional homes each year. At the same time, Welsh Government supports a ‘Help to Buy’ product which allows better access to home ownership. Across the border, UK Government pursues home ownership as the be all and end all of housing policy, with funding for social housing sacrificed for a loosely defined ‘affordable’ home ownership offer.
Devolution has meant that the housing association sector in Wales has had an opportunity to define itself very differently from our friends across the border.
The Right to Buy for housing associations and the 1% cut to social rents will have a profound impact on affordable housing as we know it in England. In Wales, there are proposals afoot to abolish Right to Buy completely, and we hope that Welsh Government won’t follow the same path on rents – a path now roundly rejected by housing providers and tenants groups.
The draft Wales Bill threatens the ability to legislate for these policy differences – voted for by the people of Wales.
Welsh Government suggests that the Housing Act, which took action on the scourge of empty homes, created new models of co-operative housing and takes action to improve the private sector, would not have been within the competence of the Assembly. This is inexplicable.
It is not a leap to suggest that the proposals in their current form take us back to the dark days of the Legislative Competence Order (LCO). Those of us schooled in the history of LCOs, or indeed housing policy, will know that this didn’t work.
The Reserved Powers model this Bill seeks to enshrine should be about simplicity and clarity. For legislators and voters.
In its present form, the Bill adds to the confusion - not only threatening to slam the brakes on the devolution journey, but threatening to halt the significant progress Wales has made as a nation in a number of areas. For housing, devolution hasn’t just allowed us to do things differently; it has allowed us to better meet the needs, and the will, of the people of Wales.
Aaron Hill
Public Affairs Manager, Community Housing Cymru Group
A devolved legislature with extensive powers is now clearly the settled will of the people of Wales.
And while technical debates about constitutional mechanisms and legislation probably won’t be a topic of conversation as the people of Wales eat their tea tonight; job security, health, and housing probably will.
What will the draft Wales Bill mean to, for example, a social housing tenant in Bangor? Or a homeless woman in a hostel in Cardiff?
Housing is probably the area of devolved policy where we have seen Wales and England diverge most over the last 16 years.
Not only is devolved government the settled will of the people of Wales, but a vastly different approach to housing (amongst other things) is too.
In Wales, we have had successive governments committed to investment in social housing, through Social Housing Grant, which has allowed the housing association sector to provide an average of 2,000 additional homes each year. At the same time, Welsh Government supports a ‘Help to Buy’ product which allows better access to home ownership. Across the border, UK Government pursues home ownership as the be all and end all of housing policy, with funding for social housing sacrificed for a loosely defined ‘affordable’ home ownership offer.
Devolution has meant that the housing association sector in Wales has had an opportunity to define itself very differently from our friends across the border.
The Right to Buy for housing associations and the 1% cut to social rents will have a profound impact on affordable housing as we know it in England. In Wales, there are proposals afoot to abolish Right to Buy completely, and we hope that Welsh Government won’t follow the same path on rents – a path now roundly rejected by housing providers and tenants groups.
The draft Wales Bill threatens the ability to legislate for these policy differences – voted for by the people of Wales.
Welsh Government suggests that the Housing Act, which took action on the scourge of empty homes, created new models of co-operative housing and takes action to improve the private sector, would not have been within the competence of the Assembly. This is inexplicable.
It is not a leap to suggest that the proposals in their current form take us back to the dark days of the Legislative Competence Order (LCO). Those of us schooled in the history of LCOs, or indeed housing policy, will know that this didn’t work.
The Reserved Powers model this Bill seeks to enshrine should be about simplicity and clarity. For legislators and voters.
In its present form, the Bill adds to the confusion - not only threatening to slam the brakes on the devolution journey, but threatening to halt the significant progress Wales has made as a nation in a number of areas. For housing, devolution hasn’t just allowed us to do things differently; it has allowed us to better meet the needs, and the will, of the people of Wales.
Aaron Hill
Public Affairs Manager, Community Housing Cymru Group
This blog post was originally published on IWA's Click on Wales site. You can read it here.
Thursday 29 October 2015
Gareth's story
Read about how the Supporting People Programme changed Gareth's life for the better...
I was homeless and living in a tent. I was trying to overcome drug addiction but this is difficult when you don’t have secure accommodation.
Which organisation/support provider helped you?
Solas' Dyfrig House scheme in Cardiff
How did your support provider help you? Dyfrig House is a place where I feel safe. I have been in other hostels where I feel like I have to watch my back, but not here. Support to go swimming has helped improve my self confidence. I wouldn’t have liked using the changing room with lots of other people when I was homeless, but I now feel confident, even when it’s busy. I’ve also had support to enrol on the Footsteps to Recovery programme to address my substance misuse issues and now that I have completed this I have enrolled on the MILE programme to help me fulfil my life goal of becoming a substance misuse worker.
What did you find most valuable about your support provider?
The fact that it is a dry hostel means I feel safe.
Where would you be now if it wasn’t for your support provider?
I really couldn’t say, but a lot closer to my death for sure.
What are your hopes and aspirations for the future?
To become a substance misuse worker. For now I need to stay clean, complete the MILE programme and start my volunteering.
Tuesday 27 October 2015
Christopher's story
Christopher explains how the Supporting People Programme has changed his life...
What were the circumstances which led to you needing your support provider?
I was homeless following the breakdown of a relationship and I was abusing alcohol and drugs. I didn’t take my medication and my mental health deteriorated which resulted in me being admitted to hospital following a suicide attempt
Which organisation/support provider helped you?
Solas' Dyfrig House scheme in Cardiff.
How did your support provider help you?
They help me massively. With my mental health problems, I always feel like people have looked down on me, but here there are people who listen, who I am able to talk to.
I have a roof over my head and people to show me the steps and give me the tools to get through my illness.
What did you find most valuable about your support provider?
Having people who listen and who are always there if I need to talk.
Where would you be now if it wasn’t for your support provider?
Probably 6 feet under or in hospital due to the drink or my mental health.
What are your hopes and aspirations for the future?
To get better, and to one day move on and hopefully help people in my position and to be able to tell them there’s light at the end of the tunnel because there IS hope.
What were the circumstances which led to you needing your support provider?
I was homeless following the breakdown of a relationship and I was abusing alcohol and drugs. I didn’t take my medication and my mental health deteriorated which resulted in me being admitted to hospital following a suicide attempt
Which organisation/support provider helped you?
Solas' Dyfrig House scheme in Cardiff.
How did your support provider help you?
They help me massively. With my mental health problems, I always feel like people have looked down on me, but here there are people who listen, who I am able to talk to.
I have a roof over my head and people to show me the steps and give me the tools to get through my illness.
What did you find most valuable about your support provider?
Having people who listen and who are always there if I need to talk.
Where would you be now if it wasn’t for your support provider?
Probably 6 feet under or in hospital due to the drink or my mental health.
What are your hopes and aspirations for the future?
To get better, and to one day move on and hopefully help people in my position and to be able to tell them there’s light at the end of the tunnel because there IS hope.
Friday 23 October 2015
Digital Co-operative Housing in Wales
Further to the One Big Housing Conference 2015 in Llandrindod Wells where the Wales Co-operative Centre exhibited and Dave Brown, our Director of Communities and Inclusion, ran a session on ‘Meeting the Skills Gap’, I’m ‘Identifying the Opportunity within a Challenge’ by demonstrating the use of digital inclusion within co-operative housing across Wales.
The Centre has been supporting the development of co-operative housing across Wales for three years which has grown from eight ‘pioneers’ to nearly thirty schemes. Forty-one of these social rented homes are now occupied in Cardiff, where the Home Farm Village housing co-operative members communicate through a closed Facebook site and photos are tweeted by Cadwyn HA, who helped develop the scheme. Some of the residents hadn’t used social media before so being part of the group, and with the support of other co-operative members, their participation and skills have increased which demonstrates the power of formal and informal volunteering. They now resolve issues and keep each other informed about suppliers, service providers, refuse collection and anti-social behaviour, through Facebook.
The Wales Co-operative Centre also has a strong track record in the area of digital inclusion. It is currently delivering the Digital Communities Wales project for Welsh Government. The Centre has been helping communities get online since 2005 and was the lead delivery partner of the Welsh Government’s Communities@One and Communities 2.0 projects, both funded by the European Union. The Centre has extensive experience of developing and implementing co-operative solutions to strengthen communities and promote inclusion.
Recent statistics show that 56% of social housing tenants have broadband access compared to 78% of the total population. The aim is for 100% of co-operative residents to be digitally included. One way in which this is being achieved is by tenants using social media, as a platform that brings people together.
In Merthyr Tydfil, ‘Taf Fechan’ Housing co-op has recently set up a Facebook page and website. They have free wi-fi in all flats and hope to carry out most of their training and business electronically. They also tweet - @Taffechancoop.
There are other good examples of this all over Wales. In Newport, where nineteen leasehold shared-ownership homes are currently being built, members communicate through a closed Facebook site and also have a public page. There will be opportunities in future to market available properties through social media.
In Carmarthenshire, founder members of a site that has twenty-seven ‘Intermediate Rent’ homes also have a closed and public Facebook page. Members have chosen the co-op’s logo, street names and internal finishes for the homes through the Facebook page. Training presentations are uploaded to the Facebook site for members that can’t make any of the regular meetings. An emerging group in Powys uses Facebook as they start to engender interest.
Further North, in Wrexham, a small self-build housing co-op has both a website and Facebook site. They have gone public online with the website and have already accumulated over 300 likes on Facebook. They are getting some great messages of support from local community and from those already working on sustainable projects.
There is a large Community Land Trust in Pembrokeshire, which is establishing a website that links into the local community council’s website. In Swansea there is a small established housing co-op that also has a Facebook presence.
All of this not only shows the power of social media, but it provides a great opportunity to help people do more online as they develop housing co-operatives – a win-win as far as we’re concerned. The development and interconnection of all these co-ops across would not be possible without social media and the support of the Wales Co-operative Centre and the Confederation of Co-operative Housing.
Dave Palmer, Wales Co-operative Centre
Wednesday 14 October 2015
A case study - PORTH Supporting People Service
PORTH is a Supporting People service provided by Tai Ceredigion for elderly and vulnerable people through the county.
The service is provided in our Sheltered Schemes and any individual from the community can access the service by arranging an appointment and visiting a scheme which is most convenient to them. Referrals for support can be made by statutory or voluntary services, or by self referral. The advisors can talk through each concern and then work with each person to achieve the desired goals.
The scheme can help with benefit enquiries, financial matters, mobility issues, housing issues and general help with accessing social support and services.
Our client, 'Mrs Neighbour' was referred to the PORTH service from a partner agency with concerns for escalating rent arrears.
The initial assessment identified many areas of need including mounting debts, high rent arrears and potential homelessness, inappropriate and damp private rented accommodation, failing physical health, mental health issues and the inability to manage life on a day to day basis.
PORTH worked with Mrs Neighbour to understand what the personal goals and priorities were and then liaised with specialist agencies where necessary. Negotiations were made with her current landlord to buy time to try and reduce the rent arrears, medical information was supplied and the Environmental agency accessed to maximise the award of points for the housing register to try to move client Mrs Neighbour into more affordable and sustainable social housing.
This was successful, and 'Mrs Neighbour' was able to move into sheltered accommodation some months later and so avoiding certain homelessness.
PORTH supported Mrs Neighbour to successfully:
By offering support and guidance, the service assisted with many aspects of Mrs Neighbour's life. It was noted that there was a marked improvement in their mental health, general wellbeing and the ability to sustain an independent life in suitable accommodation.
The service is provided in our Sheltered Schemes and any individual from the community can access the service by arranging an appointment and visiting a scheme which is most convenient to them. Referrals for support can be made by statutory or voluntary services, or by self referral. The advisors can talk through each concern and then work with each person to achieve the desired goals.
The scheme can help with benefit enquiries, financial matters, mobility issues, housing issues and general help with accessing social support and services.
Our client, 'Mrs Neighbour' was referred to the PORTH service from a partner agency with concerns for escalating rent arrears.
The initial assessment identified many areas of need including mounting debts, high rent arrears and potential homelessness, inappropriate and damp private rented accommodation, failing physical health, mental health issues and the inability to manage life on a day to day basis.
PORTH worked with Mrs Neighbour to understand what the personal goals and priorities were and then liaised with specialist agencies where necessary. Negotiations were made with her current landlord to buy time to try and reduce the rent arrears, medical information was supplied and the Environmental agency accessed to maximise the award of points for the housing register to try to move client Mrs Neighbour into more affordable and sustainable social housing.
This was successful, and 'Mrs Neighbour' was able to move into sheltered accommodation some months later and so avoiding certain homelessness.
PORTH supported Mrs Neighbour to successfully:
- Apply for ESA & SDP, PIP and DHP.
- Also to declare bankruptcy (via a CAB financial specialist)
- To obtain a grant of £700 towards rent arrears
- To manage medication through liaison with the GP and chemist
- To attend relevant medical appointments
- To set up utility accounts
- To open a suitable bank account for direct debits.
Buddug
Lewis
Tai
Ceredigion Housing Manager
By offering support and guidance, the service assisted with many aspects of Mrs Neighbour's life. It was noted that there was a marked improvement in their mental health, general wellbeing and the ability to sustain an independent life in suitable accommodation.
Tuesday 13 October 2015
One Big Housing Conference #chchousing15
Brett Sadler, Assistant Director of Neighbourhoods at North Wales Housing, blogged about our recent One Big Housing Conference...
First a bit of background. CHC are the representative body for housing associations and community mutuals in Wales, which are all not-for profit organisations. The venue for the event is the famous Metropole Hotel (trust me – if you have been there, you’d understand why its famous). It’s a sprawling hotel in Llandrindod Wells, often jokingly described in Wales as ‘equally inconvenient for the North and South’. For me personally it was a 2½ hour drive from North Wales to get there – fact. It’s also the only hotel I know where there is no mobile signal within the hotel…..anywhere.
And so to the conference itself. If you have never been to a CHC event before, they are very professionally run. Everything electronic (rather than the usual half a ream of papers given at the start of a conference), screens with the latest tweets up on the wall and clearly signposted rooms for each session.
The first conference session was from Andy Crowe titled ‘I’m a Housing Exec, GET ME OUT OF HERE!’, talking about his experience of working on the island of St Helena and the uphill struggles this entailed, although as I tweeted below, its not all work...
To read more, please visit Brett's blog to read his original post.
Friday 2 October 2015
Spotlight on Caring & Repairing
Break-in Britain Series 2 - The Crackdown
So in the middle of January 2015, Tony and I (Lyndon) were invited into Kelly Jones’s office. We were informed that we had volunteered for a special assignment involving the normal day to day work we carry out, but this time with the cameras of the BBC recording our every move!
We of course were naturally overjoyed to be the focal point of such attention, whilst showcasing the burgeoning talents of Swansea Care & Repair and Care & Repair services to the full. So after a discussion on materials and likely job types, and the possibility of one or two other members of staff joining in the fun, and the likelihood of “short notice” warnings of filming, we vacated Kelly’s office and returned to our duties.
A week or so later, the call came from upstairs that Tony and I were to report to a property in the Baglan area to install some security equipment as yet undecided. The BBC film crew would meet us there later. We duly arrived at the property of Dennis and Ann, and discovered the need to install new lockable window handles, patio door locks and the like for Tony, and a couple of security lights and a burglar alarm for me. We immediately set about our respective tasks and the BBC film crew along with the presenter Dan Donnelly soon arrived. They then proceeded to enquire about our work by asking us (individually) to explain to the camera what we were doing, and how the expected completion of our tasks would benefit the householders concerned. This we had to deliver several times as the “mike” was not working, or the wind was too “noisy”, or someone fudged his lines (Dan). They then proceeded to film us actually installing various items, and Dan the presenter even lent a hand (honest). Everything proceeded as planned; all electrical items were tested and certificated as required. Although fitting the burglar alarm sounder box on the outside wall of the property did prove problematic for me on the ladder and the BBC cameraman filming, while the snow was falling! Burglar alarm programmed and tested (with Tony’s assistance), we vacated the property, leaving the householders Dennis and Ann feeling safe in their home once more.
Two weeks later, the second week of February 2015, Tony and I were despatched to the Mumbles area to help Jackie, a single mother who works for the Prison service, after she had been burgled. To this end we installed a wireless alarm system, a security light at the rear and Tony fitted a new lock and some “sash jammers” etc. We were then joined by several more members of Care & Repair when David and Steve and even Raymond turned up to help fit a fence and gate at the rear of the property (this can be seen in the title sequence of the broadcast programmes where I am passing a fence panel to Dan, while Steve holds a drill, and Dave looks busy). In the first episode of programmes in series 2, all members of the Care & Repair team in attendance at the property ended up being shown on TV! Also at this address, we were pleased to encounter an ex-Care & Repair member Lloyd Thomas installing a new UPVC door and window assembly to the rear porch as part of the upgraded security measures for the property. As can be seen on the programme, Jackie says she will now be able to sleep at night knowing that her safety rating is much higher than before.
All in all it was really satisfying to help out in the above situations and, perhaps as it's being televised, it might raise the profile of Care & Repair and show the general public we really are there to help with their comfort, safety, and security.
So in the middle of January 2015, Tony and I (Lyndon) were invited into Kelly Jones’s office. We were informed that we had volunteered for a special assignment involving the normal day to day work we carry out, but this time with the cameras of the BBC recording our every move!
We of course were naturally overjoyed to be the focal point of such attention, whilst showcasing the burgeoning talents of Swansea Care & Repair and Care & Repair services to the full. So after a discussion on materials and likely job types, and the possibility of one or two other members of staff joining in the fun, and the likelihood of “short notice” warnings of filming, we vacated Kelly’s office and returned to our duties.
A week or so later, the call came from upstairs that Tony and I were to report to a property in the Baglan area to install some security equipment as yet undecided. The BBC film crew would meet us there later. We duly arrived at the property of Dennis and Ann, and discovered the need to install new lockable window handles, patio door locks and the like for Tony, and a couple of security lights and a burglar alarm for me. We immediately set about our respective tasks and the BBC film crew along with the presenter Dan Donnelly soon arrived. They then proceeded to enquire about our work by asking us (individually) to explain to the camera what we were doing, and how the expected completion of our tasks would benefit the householders concerned. This we had to deliver several times as the “mike” was not working, or the wind was too “noisy”, or someone fudged his lines (Dan). They then proceeded to film us actually installing various items, and Dan the presenter even lent a hand (honest). Everything proceeded as planned; all electrical items were tested and certificated as required. Although fitting the burglar alarm sounder box on the outside wall of the property did prove problematic for me on the ladder and the BBC cameraman filming, while the snow was falling! Burglar alarm programmed and tested (with Tony’s assistance), we vacated the property, leaving the householders Dennis and Ann feeling safe in their home once more.
Two weeks later, the second week of February 2015, Tony and I were despatched to the Mumbles area to help Jackie, a single mother who works for the Prison service, after she had been burgled. To this end we installed a wireless alarm system, a security light at the rear and Tony fitted a new lock and some “sash jammers” etc. We were then joined by several more members of Care & Repair when David and Steve and even Raymond turned up to help fit a fence and gate at the rear of the property (this can be seen in the title sequence of the broadcast programmes where I am passing a fence panel to Dan, while Steve holds a drill, and Dave looks busy). In the first episode of programmes in series 2, all members of the Care & Repair team in attendance at the property ended up being shown on TV! Also at this address, we were pleased to encounter an ex-Care & Repair member Lloyd Thomas installing a new UPVC door and window assembly to the rear porch as part of the upgraded security measures for the property. As can be seen on the programme, Jackie says she will now be able to sleep at night knowing that her safety rating is much higher than before.
All in all it was really satisfying to help out in the above situations and, perhaps as it's being televised, it might raise the profile of Care & Repair and show the general public we really are there to help with their comfort, safety, and security.
Kelly Jones, Chief Officer
Swansea Care & Repair
Swansea Care & Repair
Monday 28 September 2015
Older people deserve better
The word 'deserve' disturbs me and implies that whoever ‘deserves’ has had to have done something to earn whatever is on offer. This actually implies an inequality for some people. Those people might be you, me, your sister, brother, mother or father. I have always been interested in how the use of language to describe people and practices does tend to influence attitude.
So I want to concentrate on the fact that we need to remove that word 'Deserve' and focus on rights for all people, recognising the humanity in us all.
It is amazing and indeed shameful that older people felt the urgent need in Wales to actually produce an explanation of what Human Rights meant to them.
But we must understand why we still have to use the word ‘Deserve’ when we consider older people's care and support. I think this is because there is still evidence out there of failed care, omissions of services and public inquiries into abuse.
My contention is that we are continually being pushed into lobbying for better services for older people, and using terms such as ‘Deserve’ indicates that society and public services still do not understand ageing or adequately recognise the real cost and benefit to supporting older people to maintain their health and wellbeing.
Similarly prejudicial remarks have long been recognised as inappropriate when applied to, for example, gender or ethnicity. So it seems that older people are still the last frontier and we are still having to use this term to get what older people actually need to enable them to experience a higher quality later life.
The attitudes that fester the lobbying for better services I have just mentioned affect assessments of need and packages of support. The customary diagnostic rigour which, for instance, healthcare professionals have been trained to apply as standard, can sometimes be mysteriously replaced for older people as patients by ageist therapeutic emptiness. In other words, nothing substantial to help them maintain their health. Professional values and training still overly prioritise the acute, the rare, the high-tech and the cure, and need to change to reflect the reality of modern health and social care practice which now is beginning to embrace, in partnership, the work undertaken within housing services for older people.
If we are providing a public service based on need and preventing ill health, and also implementing action on health and wellbeing as equally important, then we must give adequate and full assessments to all the people who actually turn up in the system, rather than for those whom we would find more personally engaging, or those ‘consumers’ who shout loudest.
It's great that the housing sector is championing a change in the approach to support for the older person and I am proud to be a part of that. However, there needs to be much more commitment all through the health system and action undertaken now which recognises the work that we, the housing champions for older people, have done to promote the rights of older people to continue to live independently and to experience a good later life.
Lets get to a situation in Wales where we never have to use the term ‘Deserve’ any more.
So I want to concentrate on the fact that we need to remove that word 'Deserve' and focus on rights for all people, recognising the humanity in us all.
It is amazing and indeed shameful that older people felt the urgent need in Wales to actually produce an explanation of what Human Rights meant to them.
But we must understand why we still have to use the word ‘Deserve’ when we consider older people's care and support. I think this is because there is still evidence out there of failed care, omissions of services and public inquiries into abuse.
My contention is that we are continually being pushed into lobbying for better services for older people, and using terms such as ‘Deserve’ indicates that society and public services still do not understand ageing or adequately recognise the real cost and benefit to supporting older people to maintain their health and wellbeing.
Similarly prejudicial remarks have long been recognised as inappropriate when applied to, for example, gender or ethnicity. So it seems that older people are still the last frontier and we are still having to use this term to get what older people actually need to enable them to experience a higher quality later life.
The attitudes that fester the lobbying for better services I have just mentioned affect assessments of need and packages of support. The customary diagnostic rigour which, for instance, healthcare professionals have been trained to apply as standard, can sometimes be mysteriously replaced for older people as patients by ageist therapeutic emptiness. In other words, nothing substantial to help them maintain their health. Professional values and training still overly prioritise the acute, the rare, the high-tech and the cure, and need to change to reflect the reality of modern health and social care practice which now is beginning to embrace, in partnership, the work undertaken within housing services for older people.
If we are providing a public service based on need and preventing ill health, and also implementing action on health and wellbeing as equally important, then we must give adequate and full assessments to all the people who actually turn up in the system, rather than for those whom we would find more personally engaging, or those ‘consumers’ who shout loudest.
It's great that the housing sector is championing a change in the approach to support for the older person and I am proud to be a part of that. However, there needs to be much more commitment all through the health system and action undertaken now which recognises the work that we, the housing champions for older people, have done to promote the rights of older people to continue to live independently and to experience a good later life.
Lets get to a situation in Wales where we never have to use the term ‘Deserve’ any more.
Lorraine Morgan
Board Member, Care & Repair Cymru
Board Member, Care & Repair Cymru
Wednesday 16 September 2015
Safeguarding those who are the most vulnerable
Edmund Burke is quoted as saying "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." As professionals, as carers, as individuals and as a community we all have a responsibility for safeguarding those who are the most vulnerable and at risk in our communities whether they be at home or in other health and care settings.
Abuse comes in many forms including physical, psychological and emotional, financial, sexual and neglect. Almost 40,000 older people are abused in their own homes by people they know and trust.
Institutional abuse has recently gained a higher profile due to press coverage, large police investigations and public enquiries. Recent examples include North Staffs, the Tawel Fan ward in North Wales, Winterbourne View, and Operation Jasmine just to name a few. All of these were situations where very vulnerable people relied on the care, treatment and support of others. They and their families placed their trust in people who were supposed to 'care' and this trust was betrayed. These cases should never have happened and I would like to think they would never happen again. We must all learn from what has happened and ensure that history does not repeat itself in another setting.
I can't believe, because it would be too difficult to make sense of, that those entrusted with the care of others in these cases would have set out to cause serious harm. More likely is that fractured systems, poor leadership, understaffing, lack of training, no one listening to concerns, all contributed to people receiving unacceptable levels of care and in some cases suffering abuse. As a caring society we cannot allow this to happen again. We all have a responsibility for safeguarding others, for treating people with dignity and respect, for upholding people's human rights, for believing someone when they tell us what has happened to them or for reporting concerns.
In April 2016 the Social Services and Well-being Act will be implemented and section seven is about safeguarding. There will be duties on local authorities and other statutory agencies to make enquiries and undertake appropriate action, to co-operate and provide assistance with safeguarding cases, to share appropriate information and there will also be a duty on individuals to report concerns of abuse. This is landmark legislation as safeguarding adults will be put on a statutory footing for the first time. Although it will not resolve all the abuse happening in our society it will provide agencies with improved tools. We must all support the implementation of this legislation and ensure that we do everything we can to safeguard those in our care. We must listen, reassure, believe, and act. We must not assume that others will do something as the consequences could be unthinkable.
We must all act to ensure that Edmund Burke's quote does not become a reality.
Louise Hughes
Safeguarding Manager
Age Cymru
Resilience during Times of Change
We are often asked in Academi Wales…‘why is change so difficult to lead and manage in our organisations?’ When we consider how we drive whole scale change, we need to focus on the behaviors, the system and the symbols. We may start by considering the system (the way we do things) and focus on changing our tasks, actions and outputs to make the change happen. We may focus on the symbols (the non-verbal message) the brand, the meaning and the image our organisation conveys. We should always link this to behaviour (what I do and say) and this can often be the hardest part of any change.
Last year I contributed to the ‘Developing Resilient Organisations’ book by Strycharczyk & Elvin, in building the case studies I was struck again by how important it is to understand our own behaviour and those of others as a base for our leadership development.
It is our behaviour that that can be the enabler or disabler for ourselves and others as we experience any change. In understanding our own behaviours we can understand how we have impacted our own experience and the experience of others. Our ability to remain resilient can impact our commitment to any change so it’s important to understand, what does being resilient mean to me? I am fascinated by the why, what and the how of resilience, why do some of us bounce back so quickly, what are the qualities that enable some to thrive whilst others may struggle to cope and how can we understand the behaviours that build or erode our resilience.
It’s great to be part of #CandRconf15 this week, to offer a taster of development in understanding our resilience, a topic I remain continuously curious about.
Zoe Sweet
Tuesday 1 September 2015
Security and older people
Thankfully, crimes against older and vulnerable people are relatively uncommon. However, when they do occur they can be very upsetting.
As providers of the only security rated key safe in the UK, we are often invited to provide guidance on general household security for elderly and vulnerable people. Key safes provide an easy and secure way of allowing authorised visitors to access your home. They significantly improve security compared to alternatives such as hiding a spare key under the mat, plant pot or in the garden shed and are commonly used by carers, GPs, family members and the emergency services.
There are very simple measures you can take to improve security. Whether you are 25 or 85, the advice for protecting yourself and your home is very similar.
Your first concern should always be your own personal safety. No matter if you are inside or outside your home, you should always make sure you have a means of contacting someone in the event of an emergency.
Today there are various ways to stay connected. Mobile phones are a great way to ensure that you can call for help in an emergency. With such a wide variety available, they can be as complex or as simple as you like. When you are inside your home, personal alarms or telecare devices allow you to alert family members, loved ones or a monitoring centre at the press of a button.
Protecting your home and valuables can be really simple and cost effective. Every once in a while, you should take a look at the various access points of your house and determine if they’re secure enough. It may be necessary to purchase additional locks for windows and doors or install door viewers and chains for extra security and peace of mind.
If you are unable to inspect or install additional security, don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends, relatives or neighbours. Most people out there are more than willing to help, especially when it comes to your security. Alternately, there are charities and organisations, like Care & Repair, who actively work to ensure that older people stay safe and secure in their own homes. It may also be possible to get help to pay for locks and chains.
Valuables should always be kept safe and not put on display. Keep your money in the bank, building society or post office and avoid keeping large sums of cash in the house. Today, most shops and retailers are equipped to deal with debit or credit cards. There is little need to carry large sums of cash to purchase goods or services. However, these changes in payment methods carry their own cautions. Remember to guard your card information and never keep your PIN number with your card. If you need any assistance or advice, your bank should be able to talk you through their own card security advice.
Remember, even the best security equipment is useless unless it is used. Be sure to always lock up properly, even if you are just popping out for a few minutes. You should always ensure that the access to your home is protected. When possible, avoid opening the door without a door chain and always check credentials of unscheduled visitors.
If you do have regularly scheduled visitors, ensure that you are familiar with their schedule and manage their access. You should always ensure that you remain in control of your home. You can do this by remembering to always lock your doors and windows and limiting the number of spare keys available. Preferably, you should always avoid handing out spare keys or leaving them exposed and unsecure. Burglars know that people tend to leave a spare key in a handful of places near their door and will often search these before attempting a break-in. Don’t make their job easier for them by leaving keys where they can easily be accessed. If you must leave a key outside, use a Police approved key safe and only give the code to people you trust.
Following this simple advice, combined with that of your local community Police, you should maintain a secure lifestyle.
Richard Conyers
Digital Executive
The Key Safe Company
www.keysafe.co.uk
@KeySafeUK
facebook.com/keysafeuk
As providers of the only security rated key safe in the UK, we are often invited to provide guidance on general household security for elderly and vulnerable people. Key safes provide an easy and secure way of allowing authorised visitors to access your home. They significantly improve security compared to alternatives such as hiding a spare key under the mat, plant pot or in the garden shed and are commonly used by carers, GPs, family members and the emergency services.
There are very simple measures you can take to improve security. Whether you are 25 or 85, the advice for protecting yourself and your home is very similar.
Your first concern should always be your own personal safety. No matter if you are inside or outside your home, you should always make sure you have a means of contacting someone in the event of an emergency.
Today there are various ways to stay connected. Mobile phones are a great way to ensure that you can call for help in an emergency. With such a wide variety available, they can be as complex or as simple as you like. When you are inside your home, personal alarms or telecare devices allow you to alert family members, loved ones or a monitoring centre at the press of a button.
Protecting your home and valuables can be really simple and cost effective. Every once in a while, you should take a look at the various access points of your house and determine if they’re secure enough. It may be necessary to purchase additional locks for windows and doors or install door viewers and chains for extra security and peace of mind.
If you are unable to inspect or install additional security, don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends, relatives or neighbours. Most people out there are more than willing to help, especially when it comes to your security. Alternately, there are charities and organisations, like Care & Repair, who actively work to ensure that older people stay safe and secure in their own homes. It may also be possible to get help to pay for locks and chains.
Valuables should always be kept safe and not put on display. Keep your money in the bank, building society or post office and avoid keeping large sums of cash in the house. Today, most shops and retailers are equipped to deal with debit or credit cards. There is little need to carry large sums of cash to purchase goods or services. However, these changes in payment methods carry their own cautions. Remember to guard your card information and never keep your PIN number with your card. If you need any assistance or advice, your bank should be able to talk you through their own card security advice.
Remember, even the best security equipment is useless unless it is used. Be sure to always lock up properly, even if you are just popping out for a few minutes. You should always ensure that the access to your home is protected. When possible, avoid opening the door without a door chain and always check credentials of unscheduled visitors.
If you do have regularly scheduled visitors, ensure that you are familiar with their schedule and manage their access. You should always ensure that you remain in control of your home. You can do this by remembering to always lock your doors and windows and limiting the number of spare keys available. Preferably, you should always avoid handing out spare keys or leaving them exposed and unsecure. Burglars know that people tend to leave a spare key in a handful of places near their door and will often search these before attempting a break-in. Don’t make their job easier for them by leaving keys where they can easily be accessed. If you must leave a key outside, use a Police approved key safe and only give the code to people you trust.
Following this simple advice, combined with that of your local community Police, you should maintain a secure lifestyle.
Richard Conyers
Digital Executive
The Key Safe Company
www.keysafe.co.uk
@KeySafeUK
facebook.com/keysafeuk
Monday 24 August 2015
Wales Co-op gets involved with CHC's fesTYval...
During the school holidays, we have time to consider where CHC’s recent FesTYval fitted into the summer programme of events. It began by cleaning up the unused Cyfartha School in Merthyr...
Yes, actually cleaning the school!
Delegates were welcomed by singing in the first morning session, plants could be bought all day, and popsicles were sold in the afternoon as the sun shone. The Wales Co-op shared a stand with Cadwyn Housing Association and all the visitors mingled.
Home Farm Housing Co-op featured in our exhibition as a pioneer pilot co-operative housing scheme in our support project. This support project is funded by Welsh Government and The Nationwide Foundation – the latter from their alternative housing funding programme. They are working with the international Building and Social Housing Federation as part of ‘Scaling up Community-led Housing’ which they describe here.
We are part of the Alliance across the UK, so the FesTYval in Merthyr was part of this regeneration. Ideas and messages from what used to be Wales' largest town, when coal and iron were exported all over the world, are again being used to promote Co-operative Housing across Wales and beyond.
I can’t wait for other CHC events in the Autumn, and trying to guess what and where FesTYval will be next year!
David Palmer
Wales Co-Operative Centre
Yes, actually cleaning the school!
Delegates were welcomed by singing in the first morning session, plants could be bought all day, and popsicles were sold in the afternoon as the sun shone. The Wales Co-op shared a stand with Cadwyn Housing Association and all the visitors mingled.
Home Farm Housing Co-op featured in our exhibition as a pioneer pilot co-operative housing scheme in our support project. This support project is funded by Welsh Government and The Nationwide Foundation – the latter from their alternative housing funding programme. They are working with the international Building and Social Housing Federation as part of ‘Scaling up Community-led Housing’ which they describe here.
We are part of the Alliance across the UK, so the FesTYval in Merthyr was part of this regeneration. Ideas and messages from what used to be Wales' largest town, when coal and iron were exported all over the world, are again being used to promote Co-operative Housing across Wales and beyond.
I can’t wait for other CHC events in the Autumn, and trying to guess what and where FesTYval will be next year!
David Palmer
Wales Co-Operative Centre
Tuesday 18 August 2015
Local energy production and local energy supply
According to the Wales Fuel Poverty Projection Tool released in 2013, 31% of social housing tenants in Wales still lived in fuel poverty in 2012. This equates to 70,000 households, which is a rise of 6% from 2008 indicators. Tenants living in housing association properties have been affected significantly by rising fuel bills, benefit changes and the ‘bedroom tax’. High energy prices in Wales are compounded by the energy inefficiency of Welsh housing and lack of access to mains gas in rural areas. Furthermore, many social housing tenants in Wales are using prepayment meters to pay for their gas and electricity bills, which can mean that they end up paying more for their energy needs.
Taking these factors into account, along with the recent changes outlined in the UK Government’s summer budget, any opportunity which offers the potential of increasing household budgets as well as raising income for HAs, needs to be explored. Exploring the potential for local energy production and local energy supply is one of those opportunities.
CHC is holding a ‘Local energy production and local energy supply’ event in Cardiff on September 30th to explore these opportunities. Many organisations feel that we need to address the market failure impacting on low income households and we need to impact fuel poverty directly through price. There is a significant and growing appetite to intervene directly in the energy market, as outlined in a “Non-traditional business models: Supporting transformative change in the energy market” event recently run by Ofgem and Welsh Government. Feedback from this event will be provided at CHC’s event.
Examples of non-traditional business models include community energy projects which share an emphasis on community ownership, leadership or control where the community benefits, as well as ‘Energy Service Companies business models’, which include financing, designing, building, operating and maintaining small-to-medium scale demand management and/or low carbon energy projects, as part of either energy service contracts or energy performance contracts.
Following updates from Ofgem and Welsh Government, ‘Our Power’ will provide an update on their activity at the event. ‘Our Power’ is a new independent energy supply company and the first in the UK to operate on a non-profit distributing basis. It plans to sell heat and power to tenants in 200,000 homes across Scotland by 2020. This agenda item will be the longest session on the day, providing an opportunity to hear about Our Power’s journey so far and any potential for collaboration with the sector in Wales.
Before concluding the event with a ‘next steps’ discussion, a range of organisations will get an opportunity to outline their services and project work in relation to local energy production. Part of this includes local energy production through renewable energy systems. People in Wales have amongst the second highest electricity bills in Great Britain, which is largely due to Wales’ energy infrastructure and higher distribution costs faced by consumers in Wales.
A fair deal on distribution costs is needed for Welsh consumers. Part of this deal is the need to improve the capacity and infrastructure of the national grid with regards to installing renewable energy systems amongst other benefits. There is great potential for renewable energy in Wales and, alongside this, we need to consider the potential for energy storage, smart grids and other technological advances. Such projects can have significant social, environmental and economic benefits for housing associations, tenants and communities.
To book your place on CHC’s event on 30th September, please click here.
Shea Jones
Energy and Sustainability Officer
Taking these factors into account, along with the recent changes outlined in the UK Government’s summer budget, any opportunity which offers the potential of increasing household budgets as well as raising income for HAs, needs to be explored. Exploring the potential for local energy production and local energy supply is one of those opportunities.
CHC is holding a ‘Local energy production and local energy supply’ event in Cardiff on September 30th to explore these opportunities. Many organisations feel that we need to address the market failure impacting on low income households and we need to impact fuel poverty directly through price. There is a significant and growing appetite to intervene directly in the energy market, as outlined in a “Non-traditional business models: Supporting transformative change in the energy market” event recently run by Ofgem and Welsh Government. Feedback from this event will be provided at CHC’s event.
Examples of non-traditional business models include community energy projects which share an emphasis on community ownership, leadership or control where the community benefits, as well as ‘Energy Service Companies business models’, which include financing, designing, building, operating and maintaining small-to-medium scale demand management and/or low carbon energy projects, as part of either energy service contracts or energy performance contracts.
Following updates from Ofgem and Welsh Government, ‘Our Power’ will provide an update on their activity at the event. ‘Our Power’ is a new independent energy supply company and the first in the UK to operate on a non-profit distributing basis. It plans to sell heat and power to tenants in 200,000 homes across Scotland by 2020. This agenda item will be the longest session on the day, providing an opportunity to hear about Our Power’s journey so far and any potential for collaboration with the sector in Wales.
Before concluding the event with a ‘next steps’ discussion, a range of organisations will get an opportunity to outline their services and project work in relation to local energy production. Part of this includes local energy production through renewable energy systems. People in Wales have amongst the second highest electricity bills in Great Britain, which is largely due to Wales’ energy infrastructure and higher distribution costs faced by consumers in Wales.
A fair deal on distribution costs is needed for Welsh consumers. Part of this deal is the need to improve the capacity and infrastructure of the national grid with regards to installing renewable energy systems amongst other benefits. There is great potential for renewable energy in Wales and, alongside this, we need to consider the potential for energy storage, smart grids and other technological advances. Such projects can have significant social, environmental and economic benefits for housing associations, tenants and communities.
To book your place on CHC’s event on 30th September, please click here.
Shea Jones
Energy and Sustainability Officer
Wednesday 29 July 2015
Stronger Together – can cross-sector organisations work together to deliver successful solutions?
There are many stereotypes about the voluntary sector and also the commercial sector. The voluntary sector can be perceived to be a bit ‘hippy dippy’, extremely caring, but maybe not overly business-like, driven or innovative in approach; whereas the commercial sector are all pin-striped suit wearing salesmen who are all in it for the money. Obviously, these are extreme viewpoints for the purpose of this article and very few will believe that these are truly reflective, if at all. However, it can still be unusual for the two to work together, let alone work together to develop innovative and workable partnerships that deliver fantastic outcomes for all of those involved. The great news is that these partnerships are happening and are beginning to deliver real solutions to the challenges being faced in this new climate.
The history of Care & Repair in Wales began in the late 1970s. Concern about the circumstances of older people led to the early research about housing for older people. Successive studies and house conditions across the UK pointed to older people occupying disproportionately poor housing. Home Improvement Agencies (Care & Repair) developed in the UK in response to the growing awareness of problems faced by older homeowners living in housing that was statutorily unfit for habitation, lacking basic bathroom and kitchen amenities, damp, in serious disrepair, unhealthy and sometimes dangerous.
Fast forward to today and Care & Repair Cymru is now the ‘Older People’s Housing Champion’, supporting older people through not only housing repairs, but also many other valuable services such as benefits advice, housing adaptations, falls prevention, energy efficiency and affordable warmth. In 2013-14 alone the Care & Repair movement in Wales helped over 40,000 people through various interventions, helping older people to live in homes that enhance their quality of life.
In addition to on-the-ground support and individual help, Care & Repair Cymru also works to influence national policy and thinking; for example, appearing before Welsh Government Committees and UK Government Inquiries and advising on housing’s contribution to social care challenges, championing older people from grass roots to the very highest level.
Care & Repair Cymru has long recognised that to truly meet the needs of the older people they support, they need to look outside of traditional funding solutions and cannot rely on public sector funding alone. As with many third sector organisations, this has become particularly relevant in recent years following the credit crunch as budgets have been contracted with numbers of individuals needing vital services ever growing.
What has been particularly important to Care & Repair Cymru is that their Caseworkers are empowered to be able to help those that they look after in as many ways as possible. The last thing that a Caseworker or Care & Repair Cymru would ever want would be to be approached by an older person in need and not be able to help in any way. As part of increasing the number of options that Caseworkers have available to them, Care & Repair Cymru has made innovative partnerships with a number of organisations that can help them offer more options to those that they look after. One of these partnerships has been with social enterprise advant~age.
advant~age is a national organisation that enables charities to help vulnerable people, their families and carers, and supporters obtain access to safe and reputable products and services, whilst at the same time generating valuable unrestricted income for the charity and minimising reputational risk. One of the services that advant~age offers through its partner Bower Retirement Services is equity release advice. The role of advant~age includes performing rigorous due diligence and quality control on the providers of the services that it offers. This then ensures that customers can then be confident they will receive a high quality service at a fair price and charities can feel confident in signposting to providers, knowing that their reputations are protected. This was of particular importance to Care & Repair Cymru. With grants for repairs and adaptations shrinking, equity release advice can be an option that older people may want to consider as a way of funding works on their homes. As a member of the Equity Release Council and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, Bower Retirement Services can offer safe and reputable, independent whole of market advice to individuals that may want to find out more about the options that are available to them.
Equity release isn’t the answer to everything, but by being able to signpost to reputable advice Care & Repair Cymru can increase the number of options that are available to those that they look after. For individuals that can mean access to funding to repair their homes and enable them to live more independently for longer, for Caseworkers it means that they can offer more solutions to more people more of the time. In addition to increasing the services available for any equity release services that are completed, a donation is made to the Care & Repair Cymru hardship fund, at no extra cost to the individual, enabling Care & Repair Cymru to deliver even more vital services in the communities it supports.
Care & Repair Cymru, advant~age and Bower Retirement Services believe that this type of cross-sector partnership will have a key role in the future provision of services to older people where traditional options are reducing or even disappearing. It is fantastic to see such a variety of organisations working together to develop and build services in partnership to provide solutions to the challenges that are being faced by individuals, third and public sectors alike.
Heather Dungey, Care & Repair Cymru
Jenni Buckland, advant-age
Ian Howarth, Bower
The history of Care & Repair in Wales began in the late 1970s. Concern about the circumstances of older people led to the early research about housing for older people. Successive studies and house conditions across the UK pointed to older people occupying disproportionately poor housing. Home Improvement Agencies (Care & Repair) developed in the UK in response to the growing awareness of problems faced by older homeowners living in housing that was statutorily unfit for habitation, lacking basic bathroom and kitchen amenities, damp, in serious disrepair, unhealthy and sometimes dangerous.
Fast forward to today and Care & Repair Cymru is now the ‘Older People’s Housing Champion’, supporting older people through not only housing repairs, but also many other valuable services such as benefits advice, housing adaptations, falls prevention, energy efficiency and affordable warmth. In 2013-14 alone the Care & Repair movement in Wales helped over 40,000 people through various interventions, helping older people to live in homes that enhance their quality of life.
In addition to on-the-ground support and individual help, Care & Repair Cymru also works to influence national policy and thinking; for example, appearing before Welsh Government Committees and UK Government Inquiries and advising on housing’s contribution to social care challenges, championing older people from grass roots to the very highest level.
Care & Repair Cymru has long recognised that to truly meet the needs of the older people they support, they need to look outside of traditional funding solutions and cannot rely on public sector funding alone. As with many third sector organisations, this has become particularly relevant in recent years following the credit crunch as budgets have been contracted with numbers of individuals needing vital services ever growing.
What has been particularly important to Care & Repair Cymru is that their Caseworkers are empowered to be able to help those that they look after in as many ways as possible. The last thing that a Caseworker or Care & Repair Cymru would ever want would be to be approached by an older person in need and not be able to help in any way. As part of increasing the number of options that Caseworkers have available to them, Care & Repair Cymru has made innovative partnerships with a number of organisations that can help them offer more options to those that they look after. One of these partnerships has been with social enterprise advant~age.
advant~age is a national organisation that enables charities to help vulnerable people, their families and carers, and supporters obtain access to safe and reputable products and services, whilst at the same time generating valuable unrestricted income for the charity and minimising reputational risk. One of the services that advant~age offers through its partner Bower Retirement Services is equity release advice. The role of advant~age includes performing rigorous due diligence and quality control on the providers of the services that it offers. This then ensures that customers can then be confident they will receive a high quality service at a fair price and charities can feel confident in signposting to providers, knowing that their reputations are protected. This was of particular importance to Care & Repair Cymru. With grants for repairs and adaptations shrinking, equity release advice can be an option that older people may want to consider as a way of funding works on their homes. As a member of the Equity Release Council and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, Bower Retirement Services can offer safe and reputable, independent whole of market advice to individuals that may want to find out more about the options that are available to them.
Equity release isn’t the answer to everything, but by being able to signpost to reputable advice Care & Repair Cymru can increase the number of options that are available to those that they look after. For individuals that can mean access to funding to repair their homes and enable them to live more independently for longer, for Caseworkers it means that they can offer more solutions to more people more of the time. In addition to increasing the services available for any equity release services that are completed, a donation is made to the Care & Repair Cymru hardship fund, at no extra cost to the individual, enabling Care & Repair Cymru to deliver even more vital services in the communities it supports.
Care & Repair Cymru, advant~age and Bower Retirement Services believe that this type of cross-sector partnership will have a key role in the future provision of services to older people where traditional options are reducing or even disappearing. It is fantastic to see such a variety of organisations working together to develop and build services in partnership to provide solutions to the challenges that are being faced by individuals, third and public sectors alike.
For further information, please click here.
Heather Dungey, Care & Repair Cymru
Jenni Buckland, advant-age
Ian Howarth, Bower
Monday 13 July 2015
Creating Pro-Social Places – The Importance of Urban Design
To support the collective social wellbeing set out in the Marmot Review, Fair Society Healthy Lives (2010), we need to foster a culture that regards and manages places as essential infrastructure. We have entered a critical era where greater thought leadership in our place-making culture is essential.
Dubbed “Toxic Assets” by CABE, Britain’s poorly performing urban places and communities continue to absorb much of our GDP, where land, places and people are exploited and treated like commodities. In his book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive, Jarred Diamond discusses the dangers of continued exploitation and the outcomes for societies that could not change their behaviour patterns: certain extinction.
With expenditure outstripping income, we have entered a long period of economic depression with high levels of ‘welfare’ costs signifying a nation under stress. Whilst the government’s economic austerity measures may rebalance the budget on paper, their short-term nature does not address the fundamental health and wellbeing issues that impact individuals, communities and the wider stability of the nation.
The Marmot Review emphasises the impact of urban quality on matters of equity, health and wellbeing giving urban designers an important role to play, but not through the technocratic fixes that they are typically trained to deliver. So, where do we start when thinking about the relationship between place-making, health and wellbeing?
Graham Marshall BA(Hons) PGDipLA MAUD CMLI
Professor Rhiannon Corcoran
Dubbed “Toxic Assets” by CABE, Britain’s poorly performing urban places and communities continue to absorb much of our GDP, where land, places and people are exploited and treated like commodities. In his book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive, Jarred Diamond discusses the dangers of continued exploitation and the outcomes for societies that could not change their behaviour patterns: certain extinction.
With expenditure outstripping income, we have entered a long period of economic depression with high levels of ‘welfare’ costs signifying a nation under stress. Whilst the government’s economic austerity measures may rebalance the budget on paper, their short-term nature does not address the fundamental health and wellbeing issues that impact individuals, communities and the wider stability of the nation.
The Marmot Review emphasises the impact of urban quality on matters of equity, health and wellbeing giving urban designers an important role to play, but not through the technocratic fixes that they are typically trained to deliver. So, where do we start when thinking about the relationship between place-making, health and wellbeing?
Please visit CREW Regeneration Wales' website to read the post in its entirety.
Professor Rhiannon Corcoran
Thursday 11 June 2015
Who takes care of the carer?
A few years ago, my Dad was suffering with heartburn and was having difficulties with swallowing. He was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. Due to his age (69) he was not able to have an operation to remove the tumour and therefore started aggressive chemotherapy.
My mum, already retired, became a full-time carer. Both of their worlds completely changed. Mum was fit and healthy and very independent, attending her gym and tai chi and visiting me and my brother who now live far away. As time went on, she lost everything due to Dad’s illness.
After a few months, Dad stopped being able to eat entirely and was fed through a tube. He suffered terribly with the chemotherapy and, despite three rounds, it did not shrink the tumour. Dad lived another 18 months, deteriorating during this time.
My Mum received excellent support from local health services and Dad’s Macmillan nurse. Dad tried attending the local hospice for a few afternoons but didn’t like it so Mum had no respite from him. He was both physically and psychologically demanding, as you can imagine. Marie Curie nurses were also an outstanding support to us in his last few weeks, as they took over the night shift. Because of their support, Dad was able to die at home.
Mum and Dad were typical Care & Repair clients. They had both worked all their lives and owned their own home. Dad was a mechanic and was able to maintain their large three bedroomed house until their crisis occurred. They had never received any statutory services or benefits and were therefore unaware of how to access support.
Due to where they lived in England, they did not have access to Care & Repair services like the Care & Repair services we manage here in Wales. Upon leaving hospital after falling and breaking his leg, Dad would have been eligible for our Rapid Response Adaptations Programme for adaptations to help him and Mum move him safely around the home. Care & Repair would have helped to move the bed downstairs when necessary and would have supported Mum to access Attendance Allowance to fund the extra costs of caring for Dad. They could also have provided advice about the other services which Mum could access to support her needs as a carer. All of these things, of course, were implemented for Mum and Dad, but nowhere near as quickly and as smoothly as they would have been if they had one Agency like Care & Repair to manage this practical support.
Three years on; Mum lives alone. Her health suffered during the first few years but now she is back to her independent self. She not only lost Dad but lost all of her networks due to caring for Dad, so she has had to work hard at developing her own life again. What does she find most difficult? The answer is managing a three bedroom house and a garden, alone, without a Care & Repair handyperson to trust to do small jobs around the house and without a Care & Repair service to support her through larger works.
I wrote this blog to highlight the amazing work of carers and the agencies which supported Mum to care for Dad and allow him to die at home. I also wrote it to highlight the work of Care & Repair in Wales and why it is imperative that our services are protected in order to support the ever increasing numbers of older people in Wales to live their independent lives.
My mum, already retired, became a full-time carer. Both of their worlds completely changed. Mum was fit and healthy and very independent, attending her gym and tai chi and visiting me and my brother who now live far away. As time went on, she lost everything due to Dad’s illness.
After a few months, Dad stopped being able to eat entirely and was fed through a tube. He suffered terribly with the chemotherapy and, despite three rounds, it did not shrink the tumour. Dad lived another 18 months, deteriorating during this time.
My Mum received excellent support from local health services and Dad’s Macmillan nurse. Dad tried attending the local hospice for a few afternoons but didn’t like it so Mum had no respite from him. He was both physically and psychologically demanding, as you can imagine. Marie Curie nurses were also an outstanding support to us in his last few weeks, as they took over the night shift. Because of their support, Dad was able to die at home.
Mum and Dad were typical Care & Repair clients. They had both worked all their lives and owned their own home. Dad was a mechanic and was able to maintain their large three bedroomed house until their crisis occurred. They had never received any statutory services or benefits and were therefore unaware of how to access support.
Due to where they lived in England, they did not have access to Care & Repair services like the Care & Repair services we manage here in Wales. Upon leaving hospital after falling and breaking his leg, Dad would have been eligible for our Rapid Response Adaptations Programme for adaptations to help him and Mum move him safely around the home. Care & Repair would have helped to move the bed downstairs when necessary and would have supported Mum to access Attendance Allowance to fund the extra costs of caring for Dad. They could also have provided advice about the other services which Mum could access to support her needs as a carer. All of these things, of course, were implemented for Mum and Dad, but nowhere near as quickly and as smoothly as they would have been if they had one Agency like Care & Repair to manage this practical support.
Three years on; Mum lives alone. Her health suffered during the first few years but now she is back to her independent self. She not only lost Dad but lost all of her networks due to caring for Dad, so she has had to work hard at developing her own life again. What does she find most difficult? The answer is managing a three bedroom house and a garden, alone, without a Care & Repair handyperson to trust to do small jobs around the house and without a Care & Repair service to support her through larger works.
I wrote this blog to highlight the amazing work of carers and the agencies which supported Mum to care for Dad and allow him to die at home. I also wrote it to highlight the work of Care & Repair in Wales and why it is imperative that our services are protected in order to support the ever increasing numbers of older people in Wales to live their independent lives.
Rachel Gingell
Policy Officer, Care & Repair Cymru
Policy Officer, Care & Repair Cymru
Monday 1 June 2015
Care & Repair doctoral research project
The Care & Repair Swansea University Doctoral Research project is now live! Given many of the headline messages from social policy and Welsh Government strategy relating to housing, health, social services and primary care, around a community-based social model of healthcare and public service integration, this is an exciting opportunity. Detailed work around our main activity as a frontline, home-visiting casework service will undoubtedly trace a bigger community footprint, which should be useful for policy development at a crucial stage in the debate around future-proofing public services.
Care & Repair agencies provide a unique and standard approach to the housing, environmental and living circumstances of older people. It is a blended approach, combining social care and technical housing fabric to provide a person-centred and problem-led approach. The older person receives an individually tailored, bespoke service. This has always appeared to work well. However, in a world of integrated approaches, shrinking public investment and competitive approaches, does it still work? ‘Bespoke’ is an old-fashioned and possibly hackneyed term, so are we becoming an old-fashioned service? In a fast-moving world, where the old artisan and craft skills are disappearing, will our approach end up as ‘time consuming’ and ‘over promising and under delivering’? Living under the big community tent and marshalled by statutory partners, are we a pivotal hub and close to the tent pole, or are we a cheap resource, disappearing at the edge of the camp like a flapping guy-rope?
My take on our ‘big offer’ is that we are the most modern of public sector organisations, anticipating important strategic trends and in the vanguard of change. We are defined by our partnerships and our collaborative efforts - in the best sense, ‘co-production’ in action. Seeking to build service capacity, we were a ‘social enterprise’ brand before the social entrepreneurs moved in. If you are looking to define prevention, we are responding to the real challenges older people face before they escalate into crises. If we deconstruct the pseudo-sociological concepts of ‘social model’-speak, we are a plain-talking, honest and accessible community delivery model. For the 12,000 older people we visit in their homes each year, we are a future-proofing service, keeping them ‘ahead of the curve’ rather than ‘stuck in the past’. I would say that, wouldn’t I? What do you think? This is an opportunity to say what you want as research student Joanna Wolton begins her investigations.
Neil Williams
Head of Agency Performance and Funding, Care & Repair Cymru
Care & Repair agencies provide a unique and standard approach to the housing, environmental and living circumstances of older people. It is a blended approach, combining social care and technical housing fabric to provide a person-centred and problem-led approach. The older person receives an individually tailored, bespoke service. This has always appeared to work well. However, in a world of integrated approaches, shrinking public investment and competitive approaches, does it still work? ‘Bespoke’ is an old-fashioned and possibly hackneyed term, so are we becoming an old-fashioned service? In a fast-moving world, where the old artisan and craft skills are disappearing, will our approach end up as ‘time consuming’ and ‘over promising and under delivering’? Living under the big community tent and marshalled by statutory partners, are we a pivotal hub and close to the tent pole, or are we a cheap resource, disappearing at the edge of the camp like a flapping guy-rope?
My take on our ‘big offer’ is that we are the most modern of public sector organisations, anticipating important strategic trends and in the vanguard of change. We are defined by our partnerships and our collaborative efforts - in the best sense, ‘co-production’ in action. Seeking to build service capacity, we were a ‘social enterprise’ brand before the social entrepreneurs moved in. If you are looking to define prevention, we are responding to the real challenges older people face before they escalate into crises. If we deconstruct the pseudo-sociological concepts of ‘social model’-speak, we are a plain-talking, honest and accessible community delivery model. For the 12,000 older people we visit in their homes each year, we are a future-proofing service, keeping them ‘ahead of the curve’ rather than ‘stuck in the past’. I would say that, wouldn’t I? What do you think? This is an opportunity to say what you want as research student Joanna Wolton begins her investigations.
Neil Williams
Head of Agency Performance and Funding, Care & Repair Cymru
At this early stage, please leave a comment on the blog if you'd like any further information.
Tuesday 26 May 2015
Reimagining regeneration in Wales
Housing-led regeneration has never been more active than it currently is in Wales.
Many thought that welfare reform would reduce the amount of regeneration activity that housing associations are involved with. This has not been the case. Regeneration activity has become more focused on tackling poverty and improving the lives of tenants due to welfare reform measures.
Figures from our annual WERU report indicate that during 2013/14, housing associations spent £514m on regeneration across Wales. This is broken down into a £185m spend on new build housing development, £292m on repairs and maintenance and just over £36m spend on community regeneration. Community regeneration projects include, for example, financial inclusion, energy efficiency retrofit and advice, employment and training, digital inclusion, social enterprise creation and collaboration (with support from our Building Enterprise project), and community development.
It is an overused saying, but social housing really is much more than bricks and mortar!
Housing associations are increasingly recognised as regeneration delivery agents and many are involved in partnerships to deliver the Welsh Government's ‘Vibrant and Viable Places’ programme which has provided over £100m to regenerate communities across Wales. We welcome the recognition of the sector and believe that housing associations can play a key role in local service delivery and community regeneration as the cuts to public services continue to hit.
On 18th June, we will celebrate the sector’s role in regenerating communities at our annual fesTYval at Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr. The event is an an informal and interactive day suitable for all those involved in community regeneration including housing associations, local authorities, social enterprises and third sector organisations. This year has a "school theme" and we have a variety of sessions planned around the themes of wellbeing, health, social enterprise and engagement. We are expecting another sell out event with over 200 attendees!
To find out more and to book your place for only £30 per head, visit CHC's website.
You can also take a look at last year’s event on YouTube.
Many thought that welfare reform would reduce the amount of regeneration activity that housing associations are involved with. This has not been the case. Regeneration activity has become more focused on tackling poverty and improving the lives of tenants due to welfare reform measures.
Figures from our annual WERU report indicate that during 2013/14, housing associations spent £514m on regeneration across Wales. This is broken down into a £185m spend on new build housing development, £292m on repairs and maintenance and just over £36m spend on community regeneration. Community regeneration projects include, for example, financial inclusion, energy efficiency retrofit and advice, employment and training, digital inclusion, social enterprise creation and collaboration (with support from our Building Enterprise project), and community development.
It is an overused saying, but social housing really is much more than bricks and mortar!
Housing associations are increasingly recognised as regeneration delivery agents and many are involved in partnerships to deliver the Welsh Government's ‘Vibrant and Viable Places’ programme which has provided over £100m to regenerate communities across Wales. We welcome the recognition of the sector and believe that housing associations can play a key role in local service delivery and community regeneration as the cuts to public services continue to hit.
On 18th June, we will celebrate the sector’s role in regenerating communities at our annual fesTYval at Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr. The event is an an informal and interactive day suitable for all those involved in community regeneration including housing associations, local authorities, social enterprises and third sector organisations. This year has a "school theme" and we have a variety of sessions planned around the themes of wellbeing, health, social enterprise and engagement. We are expecting another sell out event with over 200 attendees!
To find out more and to book your place for only £30 per head, visit CHC's website.
You can also take a look at last year’s event on YouTube.
#fesTYval
Hayley MacNamara
Regeneration Officer
Monday 18 May 2015
'I never would have managed it without the support and help I received from the Supporting People programme'...
My name is Kerry Manning and I’m a former client of the Wallich in Park Street, Bridgend. I came to live in Wales from Northern Ireland in July of 2010 as a result of domestic violence. When I first came to Wales, I was in Women’s Aid for seven months before I got my own property for me and my two children. I was extremely lonely and my children were living in squalor as I couldn’t afford to decorate or buy things for my home. I was in a desperate state of depression and had no one to turn to as I have no family in Wales.
I then met the man who turned out to be my now husband but my life went downhill even more as he is an alcoholic. I ended up drinking with him and our problems just got worse. We were fighting to the point where the police were called and social services were called for the safety of my children.
I was at my lowest ebb and ended up taking an overdose - I just couldn’t see any way out at all.
Then I started working with a fantastic network of people who just wanted to help me. They referred me to the Wallich and my life has just got better and better. I was allocated a support worker from the floating support team named Ashley and she has done amazing things for me. At one point social services had given me six months to change my home or my children would have been taken into care.
Ashley came on board and helped me apply for benefits that I was entitled to and helped me get grants to get flooring and normal things like wardrobes for my children. But most of all, she was there for me just to chat to if I just needed to scream at someone.
It was a long hard road at times, especially when I was going to my social services meetings. Just having Ashley there for support was a huge godsend for me and my children. Then Ashley moved to another project and I was really worried in case I had no one to turn to, but I didn’t have to worry because my next support worker, Siobhan, just took over where Ashley left off. The Wallich made changeovers of support workers as easy as possible for me.
As time went on I felt my confidence getting better. I decided I would like to do volunteer work and I was offered to do it at the Wallich. I then began to volunteer in the drop-in a couple of mornings a week.
The past year has been the hardest of my life but also the best. I never would have managed it without the support and help I received from floating support (funded by the Supporting People programme). I can guarantee that I would be on the streets and my children would have been taken off me and placed into care. And now, a year on, I’m no longer a client. I’m a single mum now but it’s all for the best for myself and my children.
I’m now volunteering three days a week with the Wallich and I enjoy every minute of it. I never ever thought I would see me doing this, but the support and help I’ve had from floating support saved me and my family and I would really like to help people in similar circumstances. Without the support and help from floating support, I know I would not be where I am today. I am now at a point in my life where I can see a happy future for me and my children. My confidence has soared tenfold and my children are happier than they have ever been, all thanks to the help I have received. I can never thank them enough. And even though I am no longer a client, the team are still there for me, pushing me to my strengths and helping me achieve my goals.
Hopefully the next step now is to actually work for them as gratitude for everything they have done for me and my children, and also help other families in the same situation that I was once in.
I then met the man who turned out to be my now husband but my life went downhill even more as he is an alcoholic. I ended up drinking with him and our problems just got worse. We were fighting to the point where the police were called and social services were called for the safety of my children.
I was at my lowest ebb and ended up taking an overdose - I just couldn’t see any way out at all.
Then I started working with a fantastic network of people who just wanted to help me. They referred me to the Wallich and my life has just got better and better. I was allocated a support worker from the floating support team named Ashley and she has done amazing things for me. At one point social services had given me six months to change my home or my children would have been taken into care.
Ashley came on board and helped me apply for benefits that I was entitled to and helped me get grants to get flooring and normal things like wardrobes for my children. But most of all, she was there for me just to chat to if I just needed to scream at someone.
It was a long hard road at times, especially when I was going to my social services meetings. Just having Ashley there for support was a huge godsend for me and my children. Then Ashley moved to another project and I was really worried in case I had no one to turn to, but I didn’t have to worry because my next support worker, Siobhan, just took over where Ashley left off. The Wallich made changeovers of support workers as easy as possible for me.
As time went on I felt my confidence getting better. I decided I would like to do volunteer work and I was offered to do it at the Wallich. I then began to volunteer in the drop-in a couple of mornings a week.
The past year has been the hardest of my life but also the best. I never would have managed it without the support and help I received from floating support (funded by the Supporting People programme). I can guarantee that I would be on the streets and my children would have been taken off me and placed into care. And now, a year on, I’m no longer a client. I’m a single mum now but it’s all for the best for myself and my children.
I’m now volunteering three days a week with the Wallich and I enjoy every minute of it. I never ever thought I would see me doing this, but the support and help I’ve had from floating support saved me and my family and I would really like to help people in similar circumstances. Without the support and help from floating support, I know I would not be where I am today. I am now at a point in my life where I can see a happy future for me and my children. My confidence has soared tenfold and my children are happier than they have ever been, all thanks to the help I have received. I can never thank them enough. And even though I am no longer a client, the team are still there for me, pushing me to my strengths and helping me achieve my goals.
Hopefully the next step now is to actually work for them as gratitude for everything they have done for me and my children, and also help other families in the same situation that I was once in.
Kerry Manning
Volunteer at The Wallich
Volunteer at The Wallich
Monday 11 May 2015
Co-operation housing helps build co-operative communities
At the Wales Co-operative Centre, we are running a Welsh Government funded project to utilise co-operative housing approaches to help meet the demand for affordable housing. We know that co-operative approaches lead to a sense of ownership and empowerment which lead in turn to improvements in quality. These principles are extremely important drivers for those social landlords currently engaging in developing this approach – increased tenant ownership and empowerment leads to reduced arrears, reduced void turnarounds and improved community and quality of life.
In West Wales, Grŵp Gwalia is working in partnership with Carmarthenshire County Council to develop a co-operative housing scheme near Carmarthen town centre that will see 27 new homes built.
In recent months, Gwalia has held events to engage with potential members to the Carmarthen housing co-operative. A core group has come forward comprised of people on the housing waiting list who believe they can bring something to a co-operative housing living situation. The site has also recently received planning permission.
One young family, which has been provisionally allocated a property on the Carmarthen site, told us why they've got involved:
“We are living in temporary accommodation for the homeless. It’s not ideal but it’s a roof over our heads. We had so many issues in our last property that Environmental Health said it was unsafe for us to live in. Also, there’s no security when you rent privately. Landlords can tell you to move out at any time. The housing co-operative offers you the chance to live within a close knit community, you know everybody and have the security of housing. You’re in a house and you don’t get kicked out for no reason - it’s all a plus to us.”
This development is part of a wider initiative, led by Welsh Government, where several pilot projects are being developed to explore the use of co-operative models as an additional housing option.
In West Wales, Grŵp Gwalia is working in partnership with Carmarthenshire County Council to develop a co-operative housing scheme near Carmarthen town centre that will see 27 new homes built.
In recent months, Gwalia has held events to engage with potential members to the Carmarthen housing co-operative. A core group has come forward comprised of people on the housing waiting list who believe they can bring something to a co-operative housing living situation. The site has also recently received planning permission.
One young family, which has been provisionally allocated a property on the Carmarthen site, told us why they've got involved:
“We are living in temporary accommodation for the homeless. It’s not ideal but it’s a roof over our heads. We had so many issues in our last property that Environmental Health said it was unsafe for us to live in. Also, there’s no security when you rent privately. Landlords can tell you to move out at any time. The housing co-operative offers you the chance to live within a close knit community, you know everybody and have the security of housing. You’re in a house and you don’t get kicked out for no reason - it’s all a plus to us.”
This development is part of a wider initiative, led by Welsh Government, where several pilot projects are being developed to explore the use of co-operative models as an additional housing option.
Amongst the other lead pilot projects are developments with Seren, Cadwyn and a Community Land Trust in West Rhyl which North Wales Housing is working with.
The benefits of developing co-operative housing approaches are many. They help to fulfil the need to provide more affordable housing. They offer a community led approach so are often more sustainable in the long term than other approaches. Co-operative housing developments are largely self policing, and their approaches are democratic and based on fairness and equality. Co-operatives tend to work together to look after their communal areas and are often able to manage the maintenance or maintenance contracts on their homes.
There are several different approaches which can be taken up when a social landlord is developing co-operative housing. Ownership can be completely devolved to the co-operative, ownership can be based on a long-term lease to the co-operative, and the social landlord can stimulate co-operative approaches to the management and upkeep of the properties.
In 2014, the Welsh Government pledged to increase the supply of affordable homes to 10,000 before May 2016. Co-operative housing has the potential to make a sustainable contribution to that target and to offer a long term and sustainable approach to housing provision, as well as to the development of local communities.
You can read more about the Grŵp Gwalia scheme here.
The benefits of developing co-operative housing approaches are many. They help to fulfil the need to provide more affordable housing. They offer a community led approach so are often more sustainable in the long term than other approaches. Co-operative housing developments are largely self policing, and their approaches are democratic and based on fairness and equality. Co-operatives tend to work together to look after their communal areas and are often able to manage the maintenance or maintenance contracts on their homes.
There are several different approaches which can be taken up when a social landlord is developing co-operative housing. Ownership can be completely devolved to the co-operative, ownership can be based on a long-term lease to the co-operative, and the social landlord can stimulate co-operative approaches to the management and upkeep of the properties.
In 2014, the Welsh Government pledged to increase the supply of affordable homes to 10,000 before May 2016. Co-operative housing has the potential to make a sustainable contribution to that target and to offer a long term and sustainable approach to housing provision, as well as to the development of local communities.
You can read more about the Grŵp Gwalia scheme here.
David Palmer, Co-operative Housing Project Manager
Wales Co-operative Centre
Wales Co-operative Centre
Tuesday 5 May 2015
CHC's first ever Safety Summit - save the date!
Community Housing Cymru is holding its first Safety Summit on Wednesday 3 June which hosts a range of speakers and networking opportunities in a one-day summit event. The event has a particular focus on fire safety and health and safety following CHC’s decision to bring together its fire safety and health and safety groups for this summit.
A wide range of topic areas will be covered throughout the day via workshops and main sessions. Since the fire safety group was set up back in 2012, a key focus of the meeting has been high risk accommodation and debate over fire risk assessments in terms of what fire safety guidance applies to what types of accommodation. CHC is therefore delighted that Mark Andrews from the London Fire Brigade and Chief Fire Officers Association is able to attend the summit and give an update on the high risk accommodation project that he has been a part of. As well as technical and operational information provided throughout the day, delegates can hear key policy updates on subjects such as the Domestic Fire Safety Regulations 2013, the Construction (Design and Management) regulations 2015 and more.
Workshop sessions will cover topics such as occupational health, asbestos management, legionella, practical application of fire risk assessments. Furthermore, a range of surgeries will be held throughout the day in which delegates can have one to one discussions on subjects such as electrical safety and fire safety. There will also be plenty of opportunities throughout the day to engage with a wide range of exhibitors at the summit.
CHC will be promoting the use of Twitter on the day so that delegates can get involved in discussions online - please use the #safetysummit15 hashtag.
A wide range of topic areas will be covered throughout the day via workshops and main sessions. Since the fire safety group was set up back in 2012, a key focus of the meeting has been high risk accommodation and debate over fire risk assessments in terms of what fire safety guidance applies to what types of accommodation. CHC is therefore delighted that Mark Andrews from the London Fire Brigade and Chief Fire Officers Association is able to attend the summit and give an update on the high risk accommodation project that he has been a part of. As well as technical and operational information provided throughout the day, delegates can hear key policy updates on subjects such as the Domestic Fire Safety Regulations 2013, the Construction (Design and Management) regulations 2015 and more.
Workshop sessions will cover topics such as occupational health, asbestos management, legionella, practical application of fire risk assessments. Furthermore, a range of surgeries will be held throughout the day in which delegates can have one to one discussions on subjects such as electrical safety and fire safety. There will also be plenty of opportunities throughout the day to engage with a wide range of exhibitors at the summit.
CHC will be promoting the use of Twitter on the day so that delegates can get involved in discussions online - please use the #safetysummit15 hashtag.
Friday 24 April 2015
Launch of Care & Repair Cymru’s Equality and Diversity Handbook
Tai Pawb has been working with Care & Repair Cymru to develop a practical handbook and guide to help Care & Repair Agency staff respond to the diverse needs of older people in Wales. The guide was launched at the Care & Repair Chief Officers Network meeting on 22 April.
At times, it is easy for the diversity of older people to become hidden or not recognised with older people being viewed as one homogeneous group. There is a particular risk of this happening in areas which are falsely perceived as having no or limited diversity, such as rural areas. Viewing older people as one homogeneous group or through stereotyped lenses can lead to actions which undermine services' attempts to treat individuals with dignity and respect. However, recognising the diversity of older people can help organisations to develop more holistic approaches that are sensitive to the needs of all potential service users. Having a service that recognises and removes barriers is vitally important for people who may have faced discrimination in the past.
It is the small things that can often make a big difference. For example:
The aim was to make the guide as practical as possible. That is why, alongside the main handbook, quick reference sheets have been developed for the different job functions within agencies. Each sheet has been tailored to reflect practical tips and information most relevant for the different roles and engagement with service users which staff members will have.
The main guide and quick reference sheets provide tips in relation to age, disability, gender, gender identity, race and ethnicity, religion and belief, sexual orientation and carers on areas such as:
It also highlights issues that have safeguarding implications in terms of situations where staff members come across cases of domestic abuse, hate crime and elder abuse. The main guide also notes what staff should do if they face discrimination or harassment.
It is recognised that the handbook only provides general guidance and staff are advised that they will need to respond to each person’s individual needs. Each situation and each service user is very different.
Although some of the information in the guide may seem like common sense, implementing these small actions can have a huge impact on the quality of service a person receives.
A copy of the guide can be found online here.
At times, it is easy for the diversity of older people to become hidden or not recognised with older people being viewed as one homogeneous group. There is a particular risk of this happening in areas which are falsely perceived as having no or limited diversity, such as rural areas. Viewing older people as one homogeneous group or through stereotyped lenses can lead to actions which undermine services' attempts to treat individuals with dignity and respect. However, recognising the diversity of older people can help organisations to develop more holistic approaches that are sensitive to the needs of all potential service users. Having a service that recognises and removes barriers is vitally important for people who may have faced discrimination in the past.
It is the small things that can often make a big difference. For example:
- An isolated and grieving service user being able to open up to their case worker about the death of their same sex partner.
- A service user having their communication needs met when engaging with an agency, enabling them to feel informed, empowered and listened to.
- Using inclusive language so that people can relate to and not feel excluded from the service.
- A home maintenance officer treating someone’s home with respect, such as wearing shoe coverings or thinking about the implications of moving items within someone’s home.
The aim was to make the guide as practical as possible. That is why, alongside the main handbook, quick reference sheets have been developed for the different job functions within agencies. Each sheet has been tailored to reflect practical tips and information most relevant for the different roles and engagement with service users which staff members will have.
The main guide and quick reference sheets provide tips in relation to age, disability, gender, gender identity, race and ethnicity, religion and belief, sexual orientation and carers on areas such as:
- Communication
- Making appointments
- Treating individuals with respect
- Visiting or carrying out work in a person’s home
- Office visits
- Raising awareness of services
It also highlights issues that have safeguarding implications in terms of situations where staff members come across cases of domestic abuse, hate crime and elder abuse. The main guide also notes what staff should do if they face discrimination or harassment.
It is recognised that the handbook only provides general guidance and staff are advised that they will need to respond to each person’s individual needs. Each situation and each service user is very different.
Although some of the information in the guide may seem like common sense, implementing these small actions can have a huge impact on the quality of service a person receives.
A copy of the guide can be found online here.
Tuesday 21 April 2015
Don’t the next generation deserve a home to call their own?
It's my children's future and the future generations to come that I fear for. I don't think my children will be able to access good quality homes or be in a position to get on the property ladder. I’m looking to make changes to my home life to prepare myself for my children's future to be spent with me for some time.
At 17, I started my journey of becoming a social housing tenant and it allowed me to put down roots. Having that security has allowed me to experience positive life goals and made me the person I am today. The stability of housing and having my family close by opened up employment opportunities and I even attended university.
Being housed in social housing allowed me to build roots in my community. I was able to access good education and healthcare links for my children.
The generation after me wasn’t so lucky. Social housing in Wales started to fall and my sister has suffered with the lack of social housing. She has been waiting 9 years for social housing for her and her son. After being housed in 3 hostels and moving into private rented accommodation, her and her 8 year old have had to move 11 times. He has never felt part of a community - he settles in a school and then has to move. This has a knock on effect on his social skills and learning capacity. Once they start to build connections within their community, it's taken away again.
Don't my sister and nephew deserve the same experience I had a generation ago? One that enabled me to build my future in social housing in Wales?
That’s why I attended the Homes for Britain rally. Help us to end the housing crisis within a generation.
Adelle, Cadwyn HA tenant and board member
At 17, I started my journey of becoming a social housing tenant and it allowed me to put down roots. Having that security has allowed me to experience positive life goals and made me the person I am today. The stability of housing and having my family close by opened up employment opportunities and I even attended university.
Being housed in social housing allowed me to build roots in my community. I was able to access good education and healthcare links for my children.
The generation after me wasn’t so lucky. Social housing in Wales started to fall and my sister has suffered with the lack of social housing. She has been waiting 9 years for social housing for her and her son. After being housed in 3 hostels and moving into private rented accommodation, her and her 8 year old have had to move 11 times. He has never felt part of a community - he settles in a school and then has to move. This has a knock on effect on his social skills and learning capacity. Once they start to build connections within their community, it's taken away again.
Don't my sister and nephew deserve the same experience I had a generation ago? One that enabled me to build my future in social housing in Wales?
That’s why I attended the Homes for Britain rally. Help us to end the housing crisis within a generation.
Adelle, Cadwyn HA tenant and board member
Monday 30 March 2015
Faith in Affordable Housing - a growing relationship of trust and partnership
When I was appointed in 2013 to launch the ‘Faith in Affordable Housing’ project in Wales, I couldn’t have been happier. The role brought together the two great passions in my life: my Christian faith and my love for housing. I had visions of me breezing into the offices of senior clergy and them clamouring to hand over surplus church land and redundant buildings to help the poor and house the needy.
One of the first things I did was ask a friend who works as a Director for a large Welsh housing association to tell me his experience of working with churches. To say his response burst my bubble would be somewhat of an understatement. “Churches?” he said. “Pah! They all want top dollar for everything”.
I learned very quickly that although churches and the housing sector are built on very similar foundations e.g. fairness, justice and a desire to help those in need, their relationship was purely commercial with little understanding of each other.
Churches were viewed as not very helpful and the housing sector was viewed as a speculative developer. In fairness to churches, they sought to get the best return for land because they were tied by their interpretation of charity law and were directing the money into other avenues to help those in need.
The challenge for the FIAH project has been to help churches see housing as part of its mission. This has meant showing the difference a good quality home makes to health, education, well being and life chances. As Housing Justice is the national voice in the UK for Christian action on housing and homelessness, this gave us an open door to challenge churches into doing more to be part of the solution to housing need. It also meant acting as an impartial bridge between the church and the housing sector.
Two years later and a number of church sites have been sold to housing associations across Wales through the FIAH project. Work has recently begun near Merthyr Tydfil to build 13 new homes and an old derelict chapel in Bridgend will shortly be demolished to build Move-On accommodation for single young adults. As I write this, discussions are progressing on 25 sites across Wales, many of which involve partnerships between churches and RSLs to jointly deliver community facilities in addition to homes.
Two of the main Christian denominations in Wales have formally adopted policies on land disposal for affordable housing, including below market sale if need be. Hopefully more denominations will follow soon.
So what’s made the difference? I think simply getting the church and the housing sector around the table, then letting them talk to each other. It’s been great to witness the epiphany moment that actually we have really similar aims and values. The result is a growing relationship of trust and partnership between the church and the housing sector in Wales that will benefit generations of people to come.
One of the first things I did was ask a friend who works as a Director for a large Welsh housing association to tell me his experience of working with churches. To say his response burst my bubble would be somewhat of an understatement. “Churches?” he said. “Pah! They all want top dollar for everything”.
I learned very quickly that although churches and the housing sector are built on very similar foundations e.g. fairness, justice and a desire to help those in need, their relationship was purely commercial with little understanding of each other.
Churches were viewed as not very helpful and the housing sector was viewed as a speculative developer. In fairness to churches, they sought to get the best return for land because they were tied by their interpretation of charity law and were directing the money into other avenues to help those in need.
The challenge for the FIAH project has been to help churches see housing as part of its mission. This has meant showing the difference a good quality home makes to health, education, well being and life chances. As Housing Justice is the national voice in the UK for Christian action on housing and homelessness, this gave us an open door to challenge churches into doing more to be part of the solution to housing need. It also meant acting as an impartial bridge between the church and the housing sector.
Two years later and a number of church sites have been sold to housing associations across Wales through the FIAH project. Work has recently begun near Merthyr Tydfil to build 13 new homes and an old derelict chapel in Bridgend will shortly be demolished to build Move-On accommodation for single young adults. As I write this, discussions are progressing on 25 sites across Wales, many of which involve partnerships between churches and RSLs to jointly deliver community facilities in addition to homes.
Two of the main Christian denominations in Wales have formally adopted policies on land disposal for affordable housing, including below market sale if need be. Hopefully more denominations will follow soon.
So what’s made the difference? I think simply getting the church and the housing sector around the table, then letting them talk to each other. It’s been great to witness the epiphany moment that actually we have really similar aims and values. The result is a growing relationship of trust and partnership between the church and the housing sector in Wales that will benefit generations of people to come.
Sharon Lee works for the charity Housing Justice and co-ordinates the Faith in Affordable Housing project in Wales, which aims to see surplus church land and buildings released for housing. She is also a board member of Wales & West Housing.
Thursday 19 March 2015
Welsh contingent fly the flag in Westminster
1 bus, 50 Welsh housing enthusiasts, 20 Welsh MPs, 1 manifesto and 3 specific asks….
It was a long day for a delegation from Wales led by Community Housing Cymru and the Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru including staff, board members and tenants who converged on London to meet Welsh MPs in Westminster at a reception hosted by David TC Davies, the Conservative MP for Monmouthshire, before making the short walk across College Green to attend the biggest housing rally in a generation.
It was a productive meeting with 20 MPs from across Wales who were given the opportunity to hear first hand the housing association success story in Wales and, in particular, the more than bricks and mortar message. It also gave us the opportunity to spell out how they can enable us to deliver even more for their constituencies. MPs were particularly interested to learn that Wales will not have the same flexibility afforded to Scotland and Northern Ireland to enable the housing element of Universal Credit to continue to be paid direct to landlords, and the impact that this potentially has on tenants and housing associations. We will be following this up with all parties ahead of the General Election.
2,300 people, a packed Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, and possibly the most eclectic selection of speakers gathered on the same platform. From Nigel Farage to Ken Loach to Grant Shapps to Owen Jones and Frances O’Grady, leader of the TUC, speakers from across the political spectrum pledged their support to the Homes for Britain campaign and committed to end the housing crisis within a generation.
The event attracted significant media attention and had huge social media impact both in the run-up, during and after the event. As an exercise designed to amplify the message of the housing crisis before the short election campaign, it was undoubtedly a success. Perhaps more significantly, the consensus amongst the housing associations involved is that for the first time in decades, the sector feels and is behaving like a movement again.
Homes for Britain has offered the opportunity to raise the profile of housing issues across the UK. Our main focus now, with housing devolved to Welsh Government is our own Assembly Elections in May 2016. We are already talking with potential partners about how we can translate some of the successes of Homes for Britain into a vehicle to campaign for housing to feature prominently as an election issue in Wales.
Housing has found its voice across the UK and our challenge now is to build on this success, amplify our voice right across Wales and ensure that housing is a key election issue being discussed on the doorstep by our politicians and members of the public in 12 months time.
Are you ready for the challenge?
It was a long day for a delegation from Wales led by Community Housing Cymru and the Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru including staff, board members and tenants who converged on London to meet Welsh MPs in Westminster at a reception hosted by David TC Davies, the Conservative MP for Monmouthshire, before making the short walk across College Green to attend the biggest housing rally in a generation.
It was a productive meeting with 20 MPs from across Wales who were given the opportunity to hear first hand the housing association success story in Wales and, in particular, the more than bricks and mortar message. It also gave us the opportunity to spell out how they can enable us to deliver even more for their constituencies. MPs were particularly interested to learn that Wales will not have the same flexibility afforded to Scotland and Northern Ireland to enable the housing element of Universal Credit to continue to be paid direct to landlords, and the impact that this potentially has on tenants and housing associations. We will be following this up with all parties ahead of the General Election.
As for the rally, there was a huge buzz around the venue and Westminster as rally attendees converged from right across the country.
2,300 people, a packed Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, and possibly the most eclectic selection of speakers gathered on the same platform. From Nigel Farage to Ken Loach to Grant Shapps to Owen Jones and Frances O’Grady, leader of the TUC, speakers from across the political spectrum pledged their support to the Homes for Britain campaign and committed to end the housing crisis within a generation.
The event attracted significant media attention and had huge social media impact both in the run-up, during and after the event. As an exercise designed to amplify the message of the housing crisis before the short election campaign, it was undoubtedly a success. Perhaps more significantly, the consensus amongst the housing associations involved is that for the first time in decades, the sector feels and is behaving like a movement again.
Homes for Britain has offered the opportunity to raise the profile of housing issues across the UK. Our main focus now, with housing devolved to Welsh Government is our own Assembly Elections in May 2016. We are already talking with potential partners about how we can translate some of the successes of Homes for Britain into a vehicle to campaign for housing to feature prominently as an election issue in Wales.
Housing has found its voice across the UK and our challenge now is to build on this success, amplify our voice right across Wales and ensure that housing is a key election issue being discussed on the doorstep by our politicians and members of the public in 12 months time.
Are you ready for the challenge?
Stuart Ropke
CHC Group Chief Executive
CHC Group Chief Executive
You can view the rest of the photos from the day in our Facebook album.
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