SFHA sets out framework for providing housing with care and support through community and person-centred models

Federation highlights that housing sector has played key role in supporting its tenants through COVID-19 pandemic

The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) has set out a framework for providing housing with care and support through community and person-centred models.

In a new report, Housing Scotland: Models of housing with care and support, the SFHA highlights that housing with care provided by housing associations provides value for money when compared to other long term care options, for example by - 

• supporting timely and effective discharge from hospital;
• promoting more effective use of primary care as often customers need fewer GP visits;
• reducing risk of hospitalisation as staff respond to early signs of ill health which prevent hospital admission; and
• supporting end of life, working closely with health professionals and supporting relatives.

As a result, ahead of next year’s Scottish Parliament election, the SFHA calls on the Scottish Government to deliver a programme that will create new models of housing with care and support, specifically designed to prevent the need for hospital care, which align with health and housing budgets and include digital and technology solutions.

To this end, the SFHA puts forward a number of models for the provision of housing with care and support based on the following principles - 

• community – community solutions which prevent people having to go into hospitals, or support them get back to independent living and reduce need for care in clinical settings;
• people – person-centred solutions focussed on all of the aspects of the person’s life and touchpoints, with the right design of buildings and neighbourhood environments to deliver flexible and adaptable solutions;
• independence – solutions which provide an environment for people to live their lives to the full, make their own choices, and stay connected with families, friends and services;
• inclusion – solutions which are designed and can adapt for all as their circumstances changes;
• innovation – investing in learning, developing, testing and scaling up new approaches; and
• pace – the right environment to scale up quickly and at the same time keep new innovations emerging, so the systems approaches to support improvement focus on how to scale within public programmes, including procurement environments.

Highlighting that the housing sector has played a key role during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, SFHA Chief Executive Sally Thomas said - 

'Housing support and care services are vital for ensuring the health, safety, wellbeing, quality of life and independence of thousands of social housing tenants across Scotland ...

However, as we look towards recovery from the pandemic and future housing needs, it is clear that we must do even more to keep vulnerable people safe, with improved connectivity, joined up commissioning, and the right preventative services in local communities. We are ready to work with our members, the Scottish Government and partners in health and care in order to do this.'

For more information, see SFHA makes recommendations for the future of housing with care and support from sfha.co.uk