Circular SWSG7/94 5458 - Community Care - The Housing Dimention

SECTION 1 - PURPOSE OF CIRCULAR

Purpose

1.1 This circular provides housing bodies, social work authorities and health boards with revised guidance on the inter-relationship of housing and community care. It -

1.1.1 emphasises the requirement for effective working partnerships between housing, social work and health authorities in the planning and delivery of community care and support services;

1.1.2 clarifies the role of housing in community care;

1.1.3 identifies the contribution which housing can make to achieving the objectives of the Government's community care policy.

It covers the interests and activities of statutory, voluntary and private sector bodies, and takes account of the many helpful comments made on the draft version of the circular issued for comment on 23 February.

1.2 The aim of community care is to enable community care users to live in their own homes, or at least in a homely setting. Therefore housing has an essential role to play in providing community care and, conversely, the provision of housing must address the needs of the various groups requiring care in the community. Effective community care must be interagency care.

1.3 The circular responds to concerns expressed by statutory and voluntary housing bodies and others, that housing receives insufficient emphasis in community care; and that in many instances housing authorities and other housing bodies are insufficiently consulted on, or involved in, the planning and delivery of community care. The consequence is that housing bodies are often unable to make their full contribution to community care.

Coverage of Circular

1.4 This circular therefore discusses:-

1.4.1 the roles of housing, social work and health bodies in community care (Section 2);

1.4.2 interagency planning of community care, including the administrative framework and assessment of aggregate needs for housing for community care client groups (Section 3 and Annexes 1 and 4);

1.4.3 community care assessments of individuals, and how housing agencies can contribute to them (Section 4);

1.4.4 housing management, including allocations (Section 5);

1.4.5 sources of funding for housing for community care groups (Section 6 and Annex 5);

1.4.6 complementary action to the circular (Section 7).

There is also a list of relevant previous circulars (Annex 2) and a glossary of terms (Annex 3), and brief notes on existing practice in housing and community care which may be helpful in designing local arrangements (Annex 6). Annex 6 will be replaced by the database of information on good practice in community care, at the Nuffield Centre for Community Care Studies at The University of Glasgow, which has been commissioned by The Scottish Office and Scottish Homes.

1.5 Local Circumstances

In response to comments on the draft circular, this circular discusses not only the outputs to be achieved by housing and community care, but to some extent how these might be achieved, for example possible administrative arrangements. However, these are suggestions only, and may well require modification to meet local circumstances. It is recognised that, for instance, arrangements for the planning and delivery of housing and community care which match the needs of a large urban area may be inappropriate for a sparsely populated rural area, and vice versa. Housing, health and social work bodies should respond flexibly to the needs of their own areas, and The Scottish Office has no wish to disturb local arrangements which are working well.

Ethnic Minorities

1.6 A flexible and sensitive approach should also be adopted in responding to the particular needs of ethnic minorities, including for example, religious and cultural needs. Care should be taken to avoid even unintentional discrimination.

Need for Co-operation

1.7 The greater involvement of housing interests in community care can benefit all 3 sectors:-

1.7.1 Health, where the shift in the balance of care from institutional to community settings requires housing provision that will prevent inappropriate admissions to long stay hospitals and other institutions; and suit the needs of those previously accommodated in such institutions; and allow people to live as independently as their health and social circumstances allow.

1.7.2 Social Work, since most people in need of community care live, or should live, in their own houses, and the duty to provide comprehensive community care packages cannot be fulfilled without a contribution from housing.

1.7.3 Housing authorities and other housing bodies need the support of health and social work services in providing for customers with community care needs.

In short, within the field of community care the 3 sectors are mutually dependent, and must co-operate to succeed.

1.8 The Scottish Office will give strong preference to community care projects which involve all relevant agencies. All housing and community care plans should set clear objectives and targets for securing the provision of housing for community care client groups, including how the available resources (including the resource transfers discussed in paragraph 5 of the covering circular) will be used to achieve this. Local housing authorities should bear in mind that community care has been made a key priority for which they have been asked to prepare strategies and set output targets.

Related Circulars

1.9 The new guidance replaces the previous circular "Housing and Community Care" (Circular Env 8/1991) issued in March 1991. However, the guidelines on the provision of special types of housing for community care client groups in that circular are still important and are restated in Annex 1 of this circular. These guidelines will be reviewed and replaced as necessary. More generally, this circular complements current guidance on housing plans (Circular Env 9/1994), on community care planning (Circular SW1/1991), and other community care circulars identified in Annex 2. Ministers will soon be considering a report on consultations carried out on draft SWSG guidance on the specific issue of contact with the local community on residential developments for community care. It is hoped final guidance will be issued in August.