Connecting Home Improvement Agencies with Health

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Connecting Home Improvement Agencies with Health

• Steve Malone
• Foundations

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Todays presentation

• Outline who Foundations are and what we do
• Describe what a Home Improvement Agency does
• Debate how we can more effectively engage with
  health on a more sustainable and consistent basis.

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Foundations

• The national body for home improvement agencies
  in England
• Supports sector development
• Monitors and reports on national policy issues
• Promotes the sector to government and other
  stakeholders
• Training, skills development and networking
  opportunities for HIA staff and commissioners

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What are HIAs?

• Home improvement agencies (HIAs) are small,
  not-for-profit organisations
• Provide advice, support and assistance to older,
  disabled and vulnerable people
• Help to repair, improve, maintain or adapt the
  home to meet changing needs
• Goal of promoting independent living

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How HIAs help

• Caseworkers visit people in their own homes
• Listen to and advise on the problems affecting
  their property
• Carry out home safety and security checks,
  benefits checks
• Give advice on housing options
• Provide small and major repairs and adaptations
  handyperson services

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How HIAs help

• Help source funding for major repairs,
  improvements and adaptations
• Oversee building work
• Maintain lists of trustworthy building
  contractors
• Provide specialist services with preventative
  outcomes e.g. hospital discharge, falls
  prevention
• Signpost to other services

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State of the sector in England

• Over 90 local authority coverage in England
• 240,000 enquires dealt with last year
• 33million new handyperson funding from April 09
• HIAs given prominent role in Lifetime Homes,
  Lifetime Neighbourhoods, the government strategy
  for housing in an ageing society
• the hub around which vulnerable clients
  exercise choice about their home environment

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Policy framework for HIAs in England

• New Localism
• Local Area Agreements and National Indicators
• Comprehensive Area Assessment
• End of ring-fence for Supporting People
• Personalisation of social care
• Prevention and early intervention

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Funding for HIAs
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The Future HIA project

• Sets out the broad agenda for evolution of the
  sector
• Provides examples of best practice from within
  the sector and outside it
• Five project reports
• Support for Choice
• Funding for repairs and adaptations
• Handyperson services
• Connecting with health and care
• Major adaptations

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Connecting with health and care

• Evidence of the value of HIA interventions
• Early intervention maximises the impact of
  upstream preventative actions by reaching people
  before they suffer a crisis
• Requires pro-active rather than reactive
  targeting
• Scientific approach predictive modelling
• Non-scientific approach age, medical history

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Case study

• Navigator Service in East Sussex
• Case-finding methodology using health data
• High risk/ complex needs clients visited and
  assessed by community matrons or specialist
  health and care services
• At risk (but no immediate need) - visited and
  advised by Anchor Staying Put Wealdon and Lewes

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Manchester Independent Living Service

• Low level support to older people ensuring access
  to services to maintain independence
• Caseworker model
• Targeting of priority cases with little or no
  personal support
• Prevention of readmission
• Focus on practical issues in returning home.

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Action Disability Kensington Chelsea

• User led organisation run controlled by
  disabled people
• Works on behalf of the Client to make sure
  services are available
• Involvement in the individual budget pilots in
  2007 Promotion, advice and support
• Brokerage model adopted.

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Positioning Statement...

• What do I want to achieve?
• To develop
• A strategic plan for how Foundations should
  engage with the Health sector to promote and
  increase the level of knowledge about Home
  Improvement Agencies so as to increase the
  potential funding streams of local agencies
• A tactical toolkit for how Home Improvement
  Agencies can work at a local level to increase
  the level of funding and service options to
  support key target groups.

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So why is this proving difficult?

• Evidence base
• Pilot nature of funding
• Language
• Continuity of relationships
• Competition on priorities
• Links between housing, health and care

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But surely we are uniquely placed...

• Key Services

• Key outcomes

• Falls prevention
• Hospital discharge
• Adaptations
• Housing decency
• Handypersons

• Quality of life
• Choice and control
• Health and wellbeing
• Dignity and safety

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Thank you for your time!