Simon Evans, Les Clarke, Deputy Mayor Cllr Malcolm Brian, Philippa Hare
The official launch of the Social well-being in extra care housing report, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, has taken place in Gateshead.
The report, based on a research study undertaken as a collaboration between Housing 21 and the University of the West of England (UWE), shows how social well-being in an ageing population can be promoted by careful design of facilities in extra-care housing.
The report investigates factors to promote well-being, such as best practice in building design; the importance of facilities, such as shops and restaurants;
The report is particularly timely given that well-being is becoming an increasingly important issue framing policy across health, housing and social care. Reports by the Department of Health and the UK Inquiry identify the need to provide services which promote and prolong well-being, rather than merely address illness, and, that older people want services described in terms of what it helps them achieve, rather than how it manages their dependency. This report not only corroborates these findings but explores good practical approaches to help achieve these goals.
The research was carried out by means of in-depth interviews with residents and managers at six extra care housing schemes by Simon Evans, senior research fellow, UWE, and Sarah Vallelly, research manager, Housing 21, a national provider of housing, care and support services for older people.
Simon commented “We are delighted to be here today for the official launch of this important report. With an increasing proportion of the population aged 50 or over, and with renewed emphasis on older people’s issues, this report is very timely and has identified a number of important issues.
“We found that as well adopting a person-centred approach to care provision, factors such as designing a scheme to provide maximum accessibility and opportunity for social interaction is crucial. Social well-being shouldn’t be an afterthought, but considered at the planning stage of any new development in order to maximise its benefits.”
The official launch took place on Wednesday 26th September at Callendar Court, one of Housing 21’s extra care schemes, and included presentations from Simon Evans, senior research fellow, UWE, Philippa Hare, principal research manager, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and The Deputy Mayor of Gateshead, Cllr Malcolm Brian.
Editor’s notes
1.The full report entitled Social Well-being in Extra-care Housing by Simon Evans and Sarah Vallelly was published on 31 August 2007 by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The report can be downloaded free from www.jrf.org.uk
2.Extra care housing describes sheltered housing schemes which have on-site social care available for those who need help and support to remain independent.
3.The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is one of the largest social policy research and development charities in the UK. It supports a research and development programme that seeks to understand the causes of social difficulties and explore ways of overcoming them.
4.Housing 21’s purpose is to provide a full range of housing, care and support services for older people which together help create the communities where older people want to live. Our vision is to deliver services in a way that gives older people greater choice and preserves their independence. We currently manage over 14,000 sheltered and extra care housing flats for older people.
5.The University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, is one of the leading new universities for research. The Faculty of Health and Social Care has developed strong research links with health and social care communities, and has particular expertise in including people from vulnerable or marginalised groups in research.
6.For further information, please contact Kathryn Collinson at Housing 21 on 0870 192 4360 or visit www.housing21.co.uk/
Photo:
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