Research Project

Click here for the Research Project Website

In late 2010, the Trust, in conjunction with Age UK Warwickshire, engaged Riseborough Research & Consultancy Associates to carry out a research project entitled:

"Housing and care for the most vulnerable older people. What can social housing providers and older people organisations do together?"

The work consisted of a programme of research and policy work using the format of ‘Inquiry’ and giving it a wide appeal. The topic investigated was the needs of older people with dementia; mental illness and selected health related problems and the different ways in which organisations could join forces to respond to those needs.

The outputs provided detailed insights into the roles social housing providers could play in shaping and delivering future services. There are policy implications for local authorites, housing associations, older people’s organisations and for the wider third sector.

We were interested in exploring the needs of older people and how these can be addressed at local level. We were particularly interested in how a local social housing provider such as a housing association can interact with other local agencies and with local people and how this interaction will influence the social responsibility agenda that is popular at the moment.

We wanted to explore how these interactions come together at local level and how they can be improved to benefit local people and the area where they live. Some of the questions we asked were:

* As our population ages how can social housing providers and older people’s organisations like Age Concern prepare for an ageing and changing population?

* What do older people and others including carers say about services now?

* Where do social housing providers and older people’s organisations work together and what kind of interfaces do older people find most beneficial?

* Are there certain groups/segments of the older population that housing associations and older people’s organisations should work with? For example, for social or ethical or business reasons?

* What will the service map look like?

* Who will be the suppliers?

* Do we need different services to those we have now and if so what kind? What outcomes are being sought?

* What are the skill and culture implications for social housing providers and older people’s organisations

* How will we pay for necessary changes and future services?

We wanted the outcomes of this research to be influenced by the findings of the researchers, the views of our expert panel and also by older people, their friends and family and by professionals working with older people.

To encourage interest and participation, we published a wide range of documents and notes of meetings, but we would stress that expert panel members and those attending the Big Conversations were expressing personal views and not necessarily those of the Trust.

We launched the findings of the project at the House of Lords on 21 May 2012 and you can read our two reports, "the story so far" and "the outcomes" by clicking on the documents below.

To find out more about the project, or to order the Resource Pack, please fill in this form.

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