APPENDIX A: KEY RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Phase 1
1 To establish the supply and condition of sheltered housing stock in Scotland:
- What is the distribution, by age and condition of sheltered housing across local authority areas?
- What proportion of sheltered housing is in need of remodelling?
- What proportion of sheltered housing could be classed as 'extra care' or 'very' sheltered housing?
- What are the particular issues facing local authority, housing association and private sheltered housing providers?
2 To identify how and why sheltered housing developments are changing and to explore any barriers to change:
- What are the key changes being made? ( e.g. provision of extra care, meals, different cultural dietary requirements, different solutions to EWTD, remodelling, adaptations);
- What have been the stimuli for these changes?
- Where sheltered housing developments are not viable, what options are being taken forward re their future use, so that the capital investment in the physical buildings is not lost? ( e.g. disposal to the private or independent sector for alternative housing use, use for an alternative model of care such as intermediate care, other).
3 To establish the costs to providers of developing, maintaining and staffing sheltered housing accommodation and costs of different types of provision:
- What are the cost ranges for sheltered housing provision and what are the reasons for differential costs?
- What aspects of provision do charges cover?
- What are the costs to providers of providing existing services?
- What are the costs to providers of any remodelling/changes which are required to address low demand/ meet future need?
- Is any increase/decrease in revenue anticipated as a result of remodelling ( e.g. bedsits to 1 bed flats means fewer units and less income)?
- What do providers see as being the key funding priorities for sheltered housing? How do providers assess the long-term viability of sheltered housing?
Phase 2
4 To identify issues relating to low or high demand within the sheltered housing stock:
- What proportion (in each local authority area) of sheltered housing is in low demand/hard to let, adequately meeting demand, or has excess demand (with long waiting lists)?
- What are the key factors which contribute to low or high demand/void rates and patterns?
- Again, are there particular issues for specific geographic areas, and for particular urban or rural locations / area types? 17
- Why do properties need to be remodelled?
- What are the specific issues for local authority, housing association and private sheltered housing stock?
- Has the change in tenure to more owner occupation meant that fewer people are moving into sheltered housing/other higher levels of care such as very sheltered housing?
5 To identify and discuss the implications of the changing role of sheltered housing (for both providers and residents):
- What are the implications for providers? (Likely issues are the need to remodel existing stock, ability to provide more flexible and greater levels of care, how to respond to the European Working Time Directive. Any other factors should be identified, e.g. what are the key drivers for change for providers?);
- What are the implications for residents? (Likely issues are changes to role of Warden, increased use of alarm systems and assistive technologies/Telecare, changing profile of client group. Any other factors should be identified);
- What are the implications of, and issues with, providing housing management services (or caretaking) separately from support services?
- What are the implications in meeting needs for special diets, language support and culturally sensitive services?
6 To explore residents' experience of sheltered housing, including the impact of recent changes, costs, and aspirations for future housing:
- What are the factors which contribute to a positive or negative experience?
- Why do people choose to live in sheltered housing? Is it a positive choice or one made out of necessity?
- How are residents' experiences mediated by age, disability, health, gender, race, sexual orientation, language, religion or other personal attributes?
- How affordable do residents find sheltered housing? Do they consider it to be good value for money?
- Do residents have an accurate understanding of what they are paying for?
- Are there any key changes which residents feel would improve sheltered housing?