HC Deb 14 June 2000 vol 351 cc265-72WH 1.29 pm
Mr. David Drew (Stroud)

I am grateful to be able to present a debate on sheltered housing. It is an important issue, and I hope that, via my hon. Friend the Minister, we shall be able to take some elements of it forward.

As I am sure the Minister knows, 22 to 28 May was sheltered housing week. Like other Members of Parliament, I participated in some of the visits and activities that took place during that week. I intend to discuss what I see as the importance of sheltered housing, drawing on the experience of my local authority in Stroud to help me so do. I want to look at the issues related to sheltered housing, particularly the development of very sheltered housing. I will use evidence from my own constituency, but will also look at what is possible in the country as a whole. I hope to be able to draw some conclusions from that, and to ask my hon. Friend some questions, which I hope that he will be able to answer.

I am indebted to a number of people who have helped me put together the text for this debate—Wendy Wilson from the House of Commons Library, Steve Neale from Stroud district council, Christine Allen from the National Housing Federation, Eileen Short from the daylight robbery campaign and, last but not least, all those involved with the emerging role of sheltered housing campaign. All those people value sheltered housing and demonstrate why it is necessary to have a debate at this time.

There is no statutory definition of sheltered housing. However, most sheltered housing schemes share certain common features, including the provision of accommodation designed with the needs of elderly occupants in mind—although not exclusively so—and the provision of on-site wardens and emergency call systems.

Standards for sheltered housing were laid down in the 1969 Ministry of Housing and Local Government circular 82/69, which introduced the concepts of category 1 and category 2. In category 1 schemes, communal facilities and a resident warden are optional. Dwellings can be bungalows as well as flats. Lifts are not usually provided. The circular intended that category 1 provision should be for the relatively independent elderly. Category 2 schemes comprise flats under one roof, and there must be communal facilities, resident wardens and lifts. Such dwellings were intended in the circular for more dependent elderly people.

Circular 82/69 has not been mandatory since 1980, but its influence lives on. The labels—category 1 and category 2 schemes—attract difference housing allowances and adhere to different cost frameworks. Category 1 and 2 sheltered housing is more expensive than ordinary housing because of its features and facilities—specially designed housing, a resident warden service, a communications system and communal facilities over and above those found in ordinary housing.

Sheltered housing dates back to just after the second world war. It took some time to take off—in fact, only 28,000 people lived in such units as recently as 1960. However, as my hon. Friend knows, during the 1960s and 1970s, there was a considerable increase in the sheltered housing provision. I am grateful to Anchor and Hanover housing associations, which identified for me the importance of their role, as well as that of the local authority.

There are three key issues to identify at the outset. First, how appropriate is sheltered housing today, given some of the alternatives that are available, such as staying put, and care and repair? I declare an interest in that I am a director of Stroud care and repair, so I appreciate the importance of people being allowed to stay in their own home. However, I do not see that as conflicting with my support for sheltered housing.

Today, there are about 500,000 sheltered housing units. Some 300,000 of those are in the public sector and 200,000 are in the private sector, with registered social landlords. They are mainly, but not exclusively, for people over 65. Some of the units are not easy to let, leading to repercussions which I will dwell on later.

At a time when we have a gradually ageing population, it seems strange, after the peak in the growth of sheltered housing that occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, there has been a decline ever since. For example, only 402 units were developed in 1997, the last year for which I have figures, compared with 1989, when some 7,000 units were developed. Something is happening to the demand for, and the supply of, sheltered housing. That is a little worrying and we must get to grips with it.

Much of the debate is about what is suitable for older people, what they want and what they expect. There are other issues, however, such as finance—what people pay in rent and what help they have to pay it. In addition, schemes in the private sector have been linked to leasehold problems. I have dealt with one of them myself.

I should like to use my district council area for the constituency that I represent as a good exemplar of what is best about sheltered housing. Stroud has 29 sheltered housing schemes, of which two are very sheltered. It has been a forward-looking authority, providing accommodation for people in their later years. There is a good take-up of units, but there is not the same desire to move into them that there was in the 1970s and early 1980s.

There are many valued aspects of the various units in Stroud. All older people who need it are able to link up with a central control system, so that, even if there is no warden on call, they have a back-up. There are good communal facilities in each unit, and some of them are comparatively new. There are many other ways in which people can have the benefit of living communally.

What is the future for sheltered housing, which has an image problem? As I said, there has been a rapid decline in the number of units provided year on year, affecting the private and, more particularly, the public sector. There is a funding issue, which is linked to people feeling that what they pay for is good value for money. We always come back to the housing benefit debate, which I shall say more about later. There are also issues about service charges and the cost of warden help.

However, sheltered housing has some good aspects. All the evidence suggests that there is a high satisfaction rate among people living in sheltered accommodation. There is an attempt to reinvigorate—almost to reinvent—sheltered housing, led by the emerging role of the sheltered housing campaign, which I welcome. Other things are happening on the back of sheltered housing, the most important of which is the move towards very sheltered housing for the more fragile older person.

What is the Government's response to this? I wish to highlight two documents, one of which is the Green Paper on housing. I am a little disappointed that it does not make more of sheltered housing. The main point, to which I have alluded, is how to grapple with the difficult issue of housing benefit. I welcome the attempts to sort that out; it has an especially deleterious effect as one of the reasons that people do not want to go into sheltered accommodation.

I welcome the move towards transitional housing benefit that began in April, as well as the continuing consultations. There is evidence that people are beginning to take note of those matters; that may change some of the adverse perceptions of the high cost of living in sheltered accommodation. I lay my cards on the table by stating my support for the daylight robbery campaign—inasmuch as people feel Some anger that, because we have not yet sorted out housing benefit, there is some subsidisation of those who pay full rent either by those who do not, or through the housing revenue account. Until we deal with that difficult issue, the anger will remain. It has certainly been expressed to me—we need to do something about the problem.

The second document relates to the "Supporting People" programme, from which a series of papers was produced. The programme takes an holistic approach to dealing with the problems of older people. The original document identified the need to try overcome some of the complications caused by unco-ordinated and overlapping funding streams and to make more transparent who has responsibility for the support of vulnerable people. It examined structures and pointed to the need to make them easier to understand. It proposed the evolution of a more comprehensible strategy that would be more likely to be carried through. It also noted that the housing benefit problem should be sorted out.

As the document states, that will mean that we are putting people first … addressing the needs of vulnerable groups— and producing high quality services and a logical and transparent approach— to the planning of such housing.

A disappointing aspect of my research into this matter is that one of the strongest concerns expressed during the consultations was about where sheltered housing fits in. That point needs to be addressed and I hope that my hon. Friend the Minister will do so. There are many reasons for that concern, but the main one is that, in these times of change, sheltered accommodation does not fit neatly into any of the relevant categories. It is not genuinely supported housing—unless it falls under the very sheltered category. People want some explanation of that point.

During the debates on the Care Standards Bill, I expressed the concerns, raised by some of the organisations that run sheltered units, that the registration of such units might lead to a considerable loss in the benefits available to some residents. If that situation could be clarified and overcome, that would be welcome.

We are beginning to examine different ways of using our sheltered accommodation. The most obvious is the move towards very sheltered—or what my authority describes as extra sheltered—accommodation for older, frailer people or those who have special difficulties. Stroud was a pioneer in that form of housing. It started a scheme in July 1993, working closely with Gloucestershire social services and the health authority. The stated objective of the scheme is to provide enhanced personal and social care of residents … Provision of emergency care, if required, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week … To provide a cost effective alternative to residential/institutional care. To provide additional domiciliary care co-ordinated by the Wardens promoting an ability for residents to live more independently in the community. Last, but not least, it offers the possibility to enter into contracts with different care providers.

The beauty of such schemes is the opportunity for mixing—of ages, of people with different problems and of funding streams. Although it might be good to clarify and co-ordinate such schemes to make them more coherent, they have much to recommend them. They show that there is a strategic future for sheltered housing in such specialised forms.

How can we move towards those different uses for sheltered accommodation? I hope that the Minister will consider the need to get the accommodation right and the parallels between the ideas expressed in "Supporting People" and the royal commission on long-term care for the elderly. We are an ageing population; we need to provide different facilities for older people. The main demand is for people to stay in their own home for as long as possible. We need to develop and use resources in the best possible way.

I hope that we can develop centres of excellence that will serve the wider community, so that specialist facilities for vulnerable people can be produced in an innovative way, using—dare I say it?—joined-up thinking and action. However, some key issues must be addressed. We need to revisit the purpose of sheltered accommodation and how it is allocated.

We must consider the role of the warden. The increasing professionalisation of the warden service is good. Two of my friends—Diane Wyatt and Carol Snell—are the key wardens in the very sheltered schemes in the Stroud district; they demonstrate the high capabilities that result from training and support.

We need to examine how care is provided, how people gain access to it and who pays for it. We need to overcome the difficulties associated with some of the more difficult-to-let accommodation. That applies equally to the private and to the public sector.

Sheltered accommodation has a place and it has a future, although it is reasonable and right that its role should change. I hope that my hon. Friend the Minister will address four points.

First, what is the position of the transitional housing benefit scheme—especially in relation to sheltered accommodation? Secondly, can the Minister clarify the registration process proposed in the Care Standards Bill? Thirdly, what are the Government's views on the evolution of very sheltered accommodation? Finally, how do they envisage the relationship between the public and private sectors? Can they be pulled together through the best value initiative?

I have given my hon. Friend plenty to do, so I shall conclude my remarks and listen to his esponse.

1.47 pm
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Mr. Chris Muffin)

My hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) has raised a significant issue. As he says, more than 500,000 older people live in sheltered housing—more than in residential and nursing homes put together. My hon. Friend asked several questions and I shall do my best to address them. If I do not do justice to them, no doubt we can pursue the matter through correspondence.

The Government are in no doubt as to the potential benefits of sheltered accommodation in enabling older people to remain independent for as long as possible in their own homes. Residents speak enthusiastically of the benefits of such accommodation: having their own front door; having the options of company and of privacy; of feeling a real sense of security and peace of mind; and of the importance of being able to remain part of a community. Sheltered accommodation is clearly a positive housing choice for many older people.

My hon. Friend touched on several matters. The "Supporting People" programme aims to ensure that the highest quality services are provided to vulnerable older people. It will mean that a wide variety of options will be available to them—ranging from retirement housing, to traditional sheltered housing and to "floating" support services—designed to enable them to stay in their own homes. The programme will raise the priority of support services and encourage local authorities to take a more strategic approach to provision, integrating it with social and health services.

As my hon. Friend said, concern has been expressed about the impact of the new funding arrangements for sheltered housing under the "Supporting People" programme. First, regarding the impact of the transitional housing benefit scheme, which was introduced in April this year, concerns have been expressed about the need for private sector tenants, including owner-occupier leaseholders, to have a valid community care assessment in order to get help under the scheme.

We needed a statutory gateway to ensure both that the claimant requires support and that the landlord can provide the support needed. The community care assessment provides that gateway. Relatively few private sector tenants receive help with support charges through housing benefit. We appreciate that there are concerns, and we have worked closely with the Department of Health to issue comprehensive guidance to both social services and housing benefit sections to make processes as smooth and as simple as possible.

Looking at the long-term arrangements under "Supporting People", the Government recognise that, when many existing sheltered housing tenants moved into their accommodation, they regarded it as a home for life. They did not expect to be rendered insecure in their tenancies or to be facing different terms and conditions as a result of changes to the funding of their accommodation. I assure existing tenants that when "Supporting People" is introduced, in April 2003, they will not have to move out of their homes or see a change in services provided, simply as a result of the change in funding arrangements that will be introduced in three years' time.

As my hon. Friend mentioned, service providers have expressed concerns that the changes will be excessively bureaucratic. The Government are determined that the administrative arrangements that are put in place for "Supporting People" will be straightforward, cost-effective and transparent. My hon. Friend asked me for detail. There is still a great deal of work to be carried out before "Supporting People" is implemented in April 2003; indeed, we have some time in which to do that work. The Government will work closely with local authorities, service providers and service users to develop a programme that can deliver the kind of high-quality support services that vulnerable people, including older people, need and want.

My hon. Friend mentioned the daylight robbery campaign and campaigners' fears about Government proposals to introduce resource accounting into the housing revenue account from April 2001. I have received many representations on that issue and I must say that there is some misunderstanding around, which we have done our best to clear up, but without complete success. Assumed surpluses on local authorities' housing revenue accounts underlie daylight robbery campaigners' concerns.

As my hon. Friend knows, we are introducing a major repairs allowance, which will have an immediate and substantial impact on those assumed surpluses and will address many of the campaigners' concerns. Full details of the major repairs allowance will be included in the annual determination, which will be sent to local authorities in December.

I mentioned the growing popularity of sheltered housing. With more and more older people actively choosing that type of accommodation, concern has been raised that there is no statutory inspection regime. I am not sure whether my hon. Friend mentioned that, but it is probably worth mentioning anyway.

Local authorities are subject to best value performance reviews of their housing stock, which would include sheltered housing. The housing inspectorate also carries out audit and inspection of local authority housing services. Registered social landlords who provide sheltered accommodation are regulated by the Housing Corporation, which sets performance standards.

The Care Standards Bill, which is passing through Parliament, will introduce the regulation and inspection of all types of home care provision, including that provided in sheltered accommodation.

Mr. Drew

All the evidence that I have shows that these changes are greatly welcomed. The worry is purely about the benefit implication.

Mr. Mullin

I am grateful. I cannot immediately provide my hon. Friend with the details, but we are working on them and I have given a general assurance, which I hope that he will relay, that we do not intend to threaten in any way the existing arrangements for tenants. We still have some time to go in which to agree the precise details.

Concern has been expressed about the definitions used in the Care Standards Bill of "care home" and "personal care", and there are fears that those will require sheltered housing to register, the consequence being that older people might lose their entitlement to benefits. That is the issue that my hon. Friend is interested in. The vast majority of sheltered housing schemes involve care being provided to people in their own home. In those circumstances, whether they are an owner-occupier or a tenant, that home cannot and will not be registrable as a care home.

The Bill's definition of "personal care" is intended to clarify, rather than change, the definition in the Registered Homes Act 1984. The existing definition in the 1984 Act is care that includes assistance with bodily functions. The intention of the new definition is to ensure that advice and encouragement given in connection with such care would be included within the definition of personal care. Other forms of advice and encouragement not connected with assisting a person with their bodily functions will not be included, and the Department of Health intends to table an amendment to the Bill in due course to make that clear.

As I mentioned, the role of sheltered housing is changing. Demographic changes over the next 20 years will have a substantial impact on housing policy. The number of people over 60 is likely to rise from 6.5 million in 1996 to nearly 9 million by 2021. The number of frail older people is growing even faster.

Older people's aspirations are also rising. Individuals increasingly expect services to respond to their specific needs and preferences. Quite rightly, they are no longer prepared to put up with "one size fits all" services. Flexibility, choice, independence, information and involvement are the key issues raised by older people in relation to the accommodation arid services that they receive.

Very sheltered housing, which my hon. Friend mentioned, has been developed as a way of bringing social care and housing together. It is used as a base for support and care provision which can enable older people to remain in sheltered housing as they become frailer instead of having to move into residential care. That type of accommodation, which is being developed in Stroud and throughout the country, is helping to widen the spectrum of housing options for older people.

In response to that changing picture, the Government aim to ensure a better and wider choice of options, with access to quality services which enable older people to lead active, independent and secure lives. To that end, the Departments of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and of Health are working together to develop a housing strategy for older people, which aims to ensure that they are able to secure and sustain their independence in a home appropriate to their circumstances. It also aims to support older people to enable them to make active and informed choices about their accommodation by providing access to, and advice on, appropriate services and housing options, including sheltered housing and extra care or very sheltered housing.

The strategy will also recognise the important links between housing, health and social services for older people and the need for those services to be integrated locally. Effective housing, allied to the right care, support and wider services, can be the springboard that enables older people to live life to the full. The Government hope to publish the housing strategy for older people later this year.

The future of housing for older people, including sheltered housing, holds many challenges and opportunities. Taken together, the Government's own work and that being carried out in the sector itself will ensure that older people have more choice about where they live and the type of services that they receive. Sheltered accommodation certainly has an important role to play in the development of quality services for older people that are flexible, responsive and user-focused. I am sure that, in the years ahead, we shall see many improvements in this sector.

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising the issue. If he wishes to follow up any further concerns by correspondence, I shall be glad to reply.

Question put and agreed to.

Adjourned accordingly at one minute to Two o'clock.