The deadline for nominations has been reset to 30th March 2012. Now that the date of the Awards Celebration has been fixed to 21st May, we can extend the nomination period by another month. Despite the new cost of the nomination packs, orders for them are piling in, and so are the submissions. To date we have received nominations from 223 groups of residents, such as the one on this photo, sent by the residents of Westmead, Barnsley, an extra care scheme managed by South Yorkshire Housing Association Ltd.

01 December 2011, Austin Court, Birmingham

by the National Housing Federation

Older people’s housing and support is everyone’s business, and anyone interested in housing has an interest in older people. Join us at this conference to discuss the important issues that housing associations will face in an ageing society.

More information on the National Housing Federation's website at

http://www.housing.org.uk/events/find_an_event/general/breaking_the_mould_–_supportin.aspx

EAC has devised an entertaining method of consulting the residents of retirement housing. This card-game satisfaction survey informs managers and housing providers on how their residents value their home, the communal facilities, the services they receive and the lifestyle.

The card game involves the residents in small groups as well as individually, giving them the chance to discuss statements and agree on ratings, but also to respond privately.

EAC Provider Reports come in two types:

Type A reports are available for all schemes which were nominated by their residents for the annual National Housing for Older People Awards

Type B reports are the output of specially commissioned consultations

A sample report and a price list are available at http://www.housingcare.org/eac-services.aspx

If more than two or three schemes are involved in type A or type B consultations, the service will include an additional free Provider Aggregate Report.

For more information call 020 7820 1682 or email alex.billeter@eac.org.uk

With 65% more entries than last year these Awards confirm their popularity amongst residents of sheltered and retirement housing schemes.

The data collected from over 3500 residents has allowed us to select the 34 winners if this year's awards. However it does not stop there, these answers will enable us to report to housing providers on the strengths and weaknesses of their schemes, as perceived by their residents, while protecting the residents' confidentiality.

We are working on a provider’s report that will clearly present these results, including regional and national ranking within the many categories.

Our long term ambition is to further increase the award participation and help schemes to focus on the areas that the residents have highlighted. We will also be combining the results with our existing information on  the schemes to identify features that drive residents satisfaction. 

Shaun Brewer

Data Analyst Consultant

All the nominations for this year’s Awards have been entered. More than 3000 residents of sheltered and retirement housing, including extra care and assisted living, have responded, an increase of almost 60% over last year. Nominations are sent in the form of the score sheets completed by the residents while playing the nomination game (card game) to share their views on their housing schemes and the services they received.

EAC has again received several testimonies from residents, scheme managers and wardens, confirming that this form of consultation enjoyed by most participants.

Cheques for £100 are being sent to the lucky 20 raffle winners drawn from the 847 nominations received from groups of residents. The prize money is to be used for the enjoyment of the residents of each lucky scheme on the recommendation on the winning group.

The 34 finalists, will be announced on this website in late November or early December

Read more on the Housing Awards webpage

A Celebration of Housing for Later Life

At last the retirement housing sector has its own dedicated awards. At the inaugural event at Lords on Feb 4th around 350 guests, including designers, providers and managers of retirement housing and over 100 elderly residents will be present to see 32 Awards handed out across 11 categories of retirement housing and housing with care. Uniquely, the finalists and the awards were determined by residents and not the industry –upholding the central aims of empowerment and listening to consumer feedback.

The list of winners and a special page on this event will appear shortly on our website

The nomination process for these new awards is now well underway. The response has been brilliant. These awards are supported by the Department for Communities and Local Government, and by the Housing LIN of the DH Care Networks. The Nationwide Building Society is one of its main sponsors.

For the first time residents of retirement housing, sheltered housing, assisted living, extra care housing, etc, can nominate schemes through a consultation involving them in small groups as well as individually. A deck of cards has been designed to stimulate discussions and help capture satisfaction ratings on design, services, and well-being.

Aims
• Publicly celebrate the best specialist housing for older people
• Engage thousands of residents in identifying what contributes to quality of life in traditional and emerging models of specialist housing provision
• Ensure that older people, families and carers have access to the best possible information
• Help shape the future of housing in later life

The Nomination Packs are available from early September 2009; nominations will be expected by the end of October, and the award ceremony will take place in London in January 2010. Housing providers and managers are asked to obtain Nomination Packs and to encourage their residents to participate. If you know someone in retirement or sheltered housing, please tell them about this opportunity to have a voice and be counted.

For general enquiries and order forms:
EAC Housing Awards, 3rd Floor, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP
housingawards@eac.org.uk
Tel 020 7820 3755
www.housingcare.org

More information on this website at
http://www.housingcare.org/providers/eac-housing-for-older-people-awards.aspx

The government is consulting on its proposals to improve sheltered accommodation tenants’ access to new technology, such as the internet, by running “digital inclusion projects”. The government plan is that these projects will initially target 21,000 people but hopes they will eventually reach 600,000 as they work with people who live in sheltered accommodation or nearby, or in the vicinity of other community centres such as village halls.

Source: Building a society for all ages strategy document P.27
http://www.hmg.gov.uk/buildingasocietyforallages.aspx

About 100 demonstrators, including Dame Joan Bakewell, took part in a demonstration against council cuts to the number of sheltered housing wardens in Parliament Square in Westminster on Wednesday 22nd July. A delegation then presented a letter of protest to Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The campaigners claim the Government's decision to give councils discretion in how they how they spend central government allocated supporting people funding has led to cuts in local warden services. The replacement of on-site wardens with floating wardens was having a negative impact on residents and leading to more money being spent on health and social services.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Communities and Local Government commented: "Councils have benefited from £1.6 billion this year alone through the Supporting People programme to help vulnerable people to live independently, including older people.

"This money is available to use as councils see fit to meet local needs and priorities and a recent report showed that this flexibility leads to improved services for vulnerable groups and better value for money.

"Removing the ring fence from Supporting People builds on the flexibility we have already given 127 councils to provide these services and move Supporting People funding into wider welfare provision.

"Local authorities will continue to be assessed on their housing support performance through the Comprehensive Area Assessment.

"Any change to the service provided, including any move away from residential wardens and towards a system of floating support, is a decision for the individual council concerned.

"However, we have made clear that any changes should only be implemented after meaningful consultation with residents."

Source 24dash.com

Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC) is pleased to announce the forthcoming launch of new awards for all forms of retirement housing. These awards are supported by the Department for Communities and Local Government, and by the Housing LIN of the DH Care Networks.

For the first time residents of retirement housing, sheltered housing, assisted living, extra care housing, etc, will nominate schemes through a consultation involving them in small groups as well as individually. A deck of cards has been designed to stimulate discussions and help capture satisfaction ratings on design, services, and well-being.

Aims
• Publicly celebrate the best specialist housing for older people
• Engage thousands of residents in identifying what contributes to quality of life in traditional and emerging models of specialist housing provision
• Ensure that older people, families and carers have access to the best possible information
• Help shape the future of housing in later life

The Nomination Packs will be available in September 2009; nominations will be expected by the end of October, and the award ceremony will take place in London in January 2010. Housing providers and managers are asked to obtain Nomination Packs and to encourage their residents to participate. If you know someone in retirement or sheltered housing, please tell them about this opportunity to have a voice and be counted.

For general enquiries and order forms:
EAC Housing Awards, 3rd Floor, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP
housingawards@eac.org.uk
Tel 020 7820 3755
www.housingcare.org