Improving Quality Of Life With Housing With Care

 

A new partnership between the Council and a housing association aims to see 'housing with care' established in Clackmannanshire for the first time.

Trust Housing Association already run a number of sheltered housing developments in Clackmannanshire.

Now the Council is to work with the not-for-profit association to establish 'housing with care services' at West Lodge Gardens, Alloa, on a trial basis.

The plans involve converting existing sheltered housing flats into 'housing with care' units. These flats will become homes for older people who have support needs and older people with dementia. A team of staff on site will support the tenants.

As well as providing domestic services such as cleaning, shopping and laundry, there will be a communal lounge and activities within the complex.

Councillor Sam Ovens, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, said: "With an increasing population of older people we need to look at sustainable ways to meet people's needs at home, rather than in hospital or in residential care. Housing with care helps older people to remain as independent as possible with extra support, assistance and care when needed. This new service has the potential to maintain and improve the quality of life of older people who are in need."

The average cost to the Council of supporting an older people in a care home is £12,500 a year, while it is estimated that Housing with Care will cost under £8000 a year.

This first project in partnership with Trust Housing Association will be closely monitored and evaluated. If it is successful then further proposed new developments will come before Council.

www.clacksweb.org.uk

EVENT: Fit For The Future - The Housing (Scotland) Bill

 

Following their recently submitted response to the draft Housing (Scotland) Bill, the SFHA, in partnership with the CIH Scotland and ALACHO, are holding a one-day conference to introduce the main elements contained within the Bill, including:
 
• Right to Buy

• Scottish Social Housing Charter

• Powers of the Regulator

• Role of tenants in Regulation

Taking place on Tuesday 30 March at Dunblane Hydro, the conference offers a unique opportunity to listen to both housing association/co-operatives and local authority perspectives on the proposals.  The keynote speaker for the event is William Fleming of the Scottish Government and you will hear about the Bill from those directly responsible for its introduction and the key influencers.  Participants at the conference will also be able to help shape and influence the Bill. The day will conclude with a panel session with Kennedy Foster of the CML, Tony Cain of Stirling Council and Jim Strang, Chair of Policy at CIH and Chief Executive of Parkhead HA.
 
Contact the SFHA Events Team at events@sfha.co.uk to book your place. For further details on the conference, please visit the website at www.sfha.co.uk
 

Highland Looks Towards 2012 Homelessness Requirements

 

Members of The Highland Council's Housing and Social Work Committee have welcomed an update on the Council's Homelessness Strategy and acknowledged the challenges facing the Council in meeting the Scottish Government target to abolish priority needs test for housing the homeless by 2012.
 
David Goldie, Head of Housing explained to the committee that by the end of 2012 local authorities will be required to provide settled accommodation for every homeless person over the age of 16 who is unintentionally homeless.
 
Outlining the statistics and trends of homelessness in the Highlands Mr Goldie said: "Although the number of homeless people in the Highlands is still high it has however levelled off at around 2,300 cases of homelessness per year over the last 3 years."
 
He added that: "The number of repeat homeless applications has decreased steadily which is a welcome development."
 
The main challenge facing the Council in meeting the Governments targets by 2012 in the Highlands is a housing supply issue which will be a significant pressure on the Council's affordable housing development programme over the next few years.
 
Mr Goldie highlighted to members that without a significant reduction in the number of people presenting as homeless and / or an increase in suitable accommodation available to homeless people, the Council will be unable to meet the 2012 target in many of its areas.
 
Members agreed to the overall approach to reviewing policy and practice on homelessness in the Highlands and agreed that a further report will be presented to the Housing and Social Work Committee in September 2010 with detailed recommendations on the specific changes required and the resources implications for the Council in meeting the 2012 deadline.
 
Councillor Margaret Davidson, Chairman of the Council's Housing and Social Work Committee welcomed the information and recommendations that officers had brought before the committee."

www.highland.gov.uk
 

Dunedin Canmore Groups Hosts, 'Technical Networking Solutions' Event

 

Dunedin Canmore hosted an innovative networking event in February, offering manufacturers of property related products an opportunity to network with suppliers and customers for knowledge sharing, promotion and product-testing in its new operations base in Bilston, Industrial Estate, Mid-Lothian.
 
Representatives from Roca Bathrooms and Honeywell Control Systems Ltd. illustrated their product ranges offering solutions for plumbing, heating and maintenance issues experienced by housing association staff. The busy interaction during the workshops between plumbers, maintenance planners, manufacturers, architects, interior designers and property product suppliers like Graham Group was very useful for housing association development and property planning staff considering 'whole-life costing' of affordable housing. Staff from Dunedin Canmore Housing Association, Fife Housing Association, Graham Group and Yeoman Mcallister architects participated.

News about future events will be posted on the Dunedin Canmore Group website.

www.canmore-housing.org.uk

SFHA - Jobs Online

 

Whether you're recruiting or job-hunting in the housing sector, Housing Scotland Today is the place to go. With many jobs advertised on Scotland's best-read housing newsletter, more people than ever are using us to find the perfect new additions to their teams.

Produced by the sector, for the sector, by the SFHA's experienced, knowledgeable and friendly in-house team, Housing Scotland Today features all the news, jobs and tenders from the sector and is the ideal place to advertise and find the perfect new addition to your team.

Our job shop offers a highly competitive service that's updated daily - allowing you to keep recruitment costs low.

Delivered to more inboxes than any other housing news letter, and offering outstanding value on our recruitment rates, we are the best means of reaching the affordable housing sector - we are the affordable housing sector.

So why delay - advertise your vacancy with Jobs Online today. Contact our Advertising Manager Robert Aitken on raitken@sfha.co.uk

And you get the newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning or log on to the website to browse news and jobs (where you can also subscribe) at www.housingscotlandtoday.com

 

Public Invited To Have Their Say On Highland's Housing Strategy

 

Members of The Highland Council's Housing and Social Work committee have welcomed the Council's Consultative Draft Local Housing Strategy for 2010 - 2015. At committee this week they agreed to a further and final consultation with stakeholders and the public over a six week period with a final update report and changes recommended to the strategy coming back to committee in May 2010.
 
Members were advised by the Council's Housing Strategy Officer, Hilary Parkey that this would be the Council's second local housing strategy since 2001 but that new guidance from the Scottish Government and COSLA expects local authorities to have a clearer focus on strategic outcomes in their plans that support their Single Outcome Agreement.
 
Ms Parkey explained that under current guidance the scope of the local housing strategies is broader than previously and that they now incorporate the Council's plans for addressing the prevention and alleviation of homelessness, meeting housing support needs and fuel poverty issues.
 
Highland's Housing Strategy proposes six main outcomes which the Council wants to achieve, these are that:
• people are best able to live in suitable, and affordable housing, through increased supply in the best places and improved access  routes to  a wide range of housing choices.
• owners and renters are able to live in sustainable, energy-efficient houses which are in good condition and, for renters well managed.
• fewer households living in fuel poverty.
• more people with community care needs successfully living at home independently.
• fewer households experience homelessness through increased prevention and the delivery of responsive, effective services.
• we have strong and support communities which have a long term future where people feel safe; where the impact of disadvantage is reduced and where public services are delivered well and provide value for money.
 
Chairman of the Council's Housing and Social Work Committee, Councillor Margaret Davidson commended the work carried out on the draft strategy and urged members where housing is a particular issue in their local Wards to ensure that their community participates in the consultation of the final draft. She said: "This draft consultative strategy is a really interesting read, it sets out the future direction that Council is going forward with for housing and I would urge anyone with an interest to make their views known."
 
The Consultative Draft Local Housing Strategy for 2010 - 2015 and feedback form are on the Council's website at http://www.highland.gov.uk/livinghere/housing
 
Stakeholders and members of the public are required to submit their comments by 23 April 2010 to The Highland Council, Housing and Property Services, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness IV3 5NX or by email to housingandproperty@highland.gov.uk. For further information please contact: Hilary Parkey, Housing Strategy Officer on tel: 01463 702859.
 

New Homes Gain "Excellent" Rating

 

A development of 32 homes at Fairways in Inverness has achieved a prestigious "Excellent" rating for sustainability, making it arguably the most sustainable housing in Scotland. 

The Servite Housing Association development, financed by the Scottish Government, has achieved the highest score in Scotland against the current version of the EcoHomes rating system. The rating system considers all areas of sustainability including energy, CO2 performance, land-use, ecology and biodiversity, materials use, health and wellbeing, management, transport, pollution and water use.

Accepting the accreditation Certificate on behalf of Servite, Margaret Davidson, Chair of Housing and Social Work Committee for Highland Council, commented:  "Servite are dong really well. We are fortunate to have such an excellent partner to work with.  These houses will be warm, attractive and economical to run, an example of what we all need as we get older."

Part of a healthcare village development, the Servite homes will provide 28 flats and 4 cottages with a particularly high building standard and high energy performance.  A £60,000 grant from Community Energy Scotland went towards the biomass pellet-fuelled heating system, which provides communal heating and hot water. Megan Palmer-Abbs of EBBA Consultants, the sustainability consultants and assessors for the project, stated: "The 'Excellent' score was achieved due to the determination of Servite to deliver a high standard of building, allied with the dedication and cooperation of the whole design and construction team." 

Architects Kenny Cameron and Rory Bryden and surveyor Bill Hamilton of KLM Partnership helped gain the EcoHomes assessment along with UBC Group Ltd, who scored full marks for Construction Management and their management of site waste.  Equally admirably, the project was delivered under-budget and on time.

Julie Cosgrove, Servite Chief Executive, said that Servite was delighted to achieve the prestigious rating, adding: "Reaching this new level is a tremendous milestone and we aim to continually improve living conditions and increase environmental and building sustainability while providing affordable housing."

The EcoHomes system is part of BREEAM, (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology), the UK national construction industry benchmark for sustainable buildings.  It is now applied to most UK public projects, including major Scottish Government projects, and is used increasingly by other Scottish public agencies.

www.servite.co.uk 

 

Tender Of The Day - Abertay Housing Association

 

Closing Date:     12th Mar 2010

Abertay Housing Association is seeking a contractor for their day-to-day reactive and void property repairs services.

This contract will be a 1 year contract based in the Dundee area providing reactive repairs for tenanted and factored properties, empty property repairs for re-letting and a complete emergency out of hour's repairs service.

Contractors who wish to be considered should lodge their interest with Mr John Tinline via e-mail (john@abertayha.co.uk) by 3:00pm on Friday 12th March 2010
  

Win £40 Of Marks And Spencers Vouchers

 

Your favourite housing newsletter is offering readers the chance to win a fantastic prize every month.

March has a top notch prize - £40 worth of Marks and Spencers Vouchers

To win the vouchers, just answer this simple question:

"What is the longest river in Scotland?"

Please email your answers to mhinshelwood@sfha.co.uk

Closing Date: 30th March 2010