This is a really usefu brief from the CIH on where we are with combining the different benefits, where this applies and the roll out plans.

Thanks CIH for helping us understand and advise others:

What you need to know about the rollout of UC

‘In a world where most healthcare demand comes from patients with long-term conditions, the focus must shift to creating health rather than responding to ill health. That means giving people the information, power and control to stay healthy, manage their conditions and choose their treatments.’

Foreword, Alan Milburn and Stephen Dorrell

The NHS faces a challenge over the next decade of meeting growing and more complex demand within tight financial constraints. There are already many examples of doctors, nurses, managers, community workers and patients trying out innovative models of care that show how this challenge can be met. The task for policymakers is to ensure that we have a healthcare system that supports these empowering models and enables them to spread.

Attempts to empower patients so far have focused on making acute services like hospitals more responsive, but we now need to give people greater control over their own health in their homes and communities, long before acute care is required, or in recovery after hospitalisation.

This report reviews many of the promising, empowering models of care that are already being tried out all around the UK, such as:

• social prescribing models, which address people’s social, emotional and practical, as well as medical needs
• brokerage and integration models, which mean that services are joined up around the person rather than people having to navigate fragmented services
• peer support models, which mobilise the knowledge, skills and empathy of people with similar conditions
• asset-based community development models, which focus on strengthening people’s capabilities so they are less dependent on services and can lead independent lives
• technology-enabled care plans, which provide people with the tools and data needed to better manage their condition themselves.

Nevertheless these models are at the margins of the system. What can we do to help them spread? We argue that five steps need to be taken:

1. We need to change the way money flows around the NHS. We recommend that £4 billion of the new money the government will invest in the NHS over this parliament goes into a transformation fund to invest in new models of care and drive change in the healthcare model provided throughout the country. We recommend that money is put directly in people’s hands by accelerating the spread of personal health budgets, which should be an entitlement for all those with long-term conditions by 2020. More widely, local commissioners should provide funding for integrated healthcare providers based on capitated and outcomes-based funding.
2. The government should embrace and take further the ‘devo-health’ agenda. Power needs to be devolved down to local areas and to frontline professionals so that they are better able to redesign services around people’s needs.
3. This agenda requires a profound change in clinical and healthcare cultures and mindsets. We need to equip the healthcare workforce with the roles and skills required to provide these new models of care, as well as moving to a coproductive culture in which decision-making is genuinely shared between patients and healthcare professionals.
4. Technology is key to putting more power, especially data, in citizen’s hands, which will enable them to know more about their own health and act more effectively themselves to stay healthy and well. But the NHS is very poor at adopting and diffusing new technologies. We call for a better adoption and diffusion mechanism for technologies, such that it is easier to sell products into the NHS and such that the NHS itself is demanding innovation.
5. Empowerment is not just something that is given by the system:citizens themselves also need to play a role. While the government, employers and communities have a duty to act upon the social determinants of ill health, we all have a responsibility to live healthily. This should be incentivised in the tax system, such as by increasing taxes on some high-strength alcoholic drinks. A more active role for citizens should be promoted by helping them to be more involved in and prepared for care planning; by actively seeking to achieve the goals agreed; by sharing their health data with professionals from different service organisations; by getting involved in the community and by helping others; and by purchasing and utilising new technologies.

A number of articles are beginning to emerge – notably in Inside Housing about social housing and Europe.

Here are 2 standpoints for you to consider yourselves:

“The move was announced in a White Paper published yesterday, setting out the UK’s reformed status in Europe ahead of a June referendum on European Union membership.

Statutory guidance currently says local authorities should require a person to live in the borough for at least two years before they are considered for social housing.

According to the White Paper, under the new guidance, this period will be extended to four years.

The document says the current residency requirements are “aimed at ensuring sufficient affordable housing is available for those among the local population who are on low incomes or otherwise disadvantaged and who would find it particularly difficult to find a home on the open market”.

A significant number of councils have already brought in strict residency rules, after receiving new freedoms to change their allocation schemes under the 2011 Localism Act.

Research by Inside Housing using Freedom of Information requests in 2014 found that at least 77 councils had struck people off their housing lists for reasons including a lack of connection to the local area.

Residency requirements have proved problematic for some vulnerable groups, including domestic violence victims.

In August, the High Court ruled that Ealing Council, which has a five-year residency requirement, had behaved unlawfully after barring a domestic violence victim from its housing register because she had not lived in the borough long enough.”

and

“The UK will hold its In/Out referendum on 23 June, with several high-profile Tories including Boris Johnson lining up to spearhead the campaign to leave.

But house builders have warned the move could reduce the availability of labour, as well as creating a long period of uncertainty, making it hard to raise funds for new work.

One senior figure at a house builder, who preferred not to be named, said: “The most concerning thing would be continuing to have access to a good supply of labour, which has been the most inhibiting factor and remains the most inhibiting factor for the industry.”

Another added: “I think it’s extremely unwelcome. My immediate concern is that there could be a prolonged period of uncertainty which will hit every aspect of manufacturing.

“The longer term impact is that it will potentially cause issues around skills and the availability of labour, which is a big problem anyway.”

A spokesperson for the Home Builders Federation, which represents house builders, added:  “While the industry is recruiting heavily and training thousands of young people it does currently rely on skilled labour from abroad.

“If it is to maintain the significant increases in output of the past two years, it is imperative it has access to an adequate supply of labour. In the event of us leaving we would certainly be pushing government hard for guarantees that sufficient skilled foreign labour would be accessible.”

Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said there is “concern” that leaving the EU “could mean cutting off an important supply of labour at a time when the construction industry is already experiencing serious skills shortages”.

However, he said some small firms express frustration at the amount of red tape from the EU and the housebuilding industry “will need to weigh up all of these pros and cons”.

There are also fears that the uncertainty created by a vote to leave could add to the housing sector’s borrowing costs. Credit agency Moody’s signalled yesterday it may put the UK on negative watch if it leaves the EU.

However, Terry Frain, former head of social housing at Barclays and director at Savills Financial Consultants, said: “Nervousness and uncertainty could impact on the markets in general, but housing providers should not find it any more or less difficult to raise finance relative to other markets.”

He said, on the other hand, that as most lenders to the sector are domestic, and with the potential for a flight to quality, there was an argument it might prove easier to attract investment.”

MPs and peers are calling for tenants to be given clearer up-front information on the cost of all utility bills before signing a tenancy agreement, as well as about their right to change energy suppliers

Schemes to improve the energy efficiency of private rented housing are too complex, leading to a large number of properties unlikely to meet energy rating requirements by the 2018 deadline.

The All Party Parliamentary Group for the private rented sector concludes that there is significant work to be done to support the sector to meet government targets.

From April 2018, all privately rented properties will be required to have a minimum energy performance rating of E on an energy performance certificate. This is likely to pose significant challenges given that privately rented homes are generally older and harder to treat than properties in other tenures.

The report concludes that landlords, local authorities and energy companies need to better co-ordinate their efforts to identify vulnerable tenants who will most benefit from energy efficiency improvements.

To tackle the problem the group is calling for incentives for landlords to implement energy efficiency improvements through being able to offset costs against rental income.

It also says that prospective tenants should be given clearer up-front information on the likely cost of all utility bills prior to entering a tenancy agreement as well as about their right to change energy suppliers.

Energy companies, according to the group, should also look at establishing new tariffs targeted at those less well-off customers.

The inquiry’s report has been compiled following two oral evidence sessions and received written evidence from over 30 organisations.”

English Housing Survey findings, published today by the Department for Communities and Local Government, show 8.6% of social housing households were under-occupying their homes by two bedrooms or more in 2014/15. This equates to 338,000 households and is the lowest level since 1995/96 when the survey statistics started.

Inside Housing reported:

“It suggests that welfare policies such as the bedroom tax, introduced in April 2013, could be having an effect on the proportion of social housing tenants under-occupying their homes. However, the under-occupying definition used in the statistics allows households to have one ‘spare’ bedroom before they are judged to be under-occupying, as opposed to the more stringent bedroom tax criteria, which doesn’t allow any.

Sam Lister, policy and practice officer at the Chartered Institute of Housing, cautioned against seeing the fall to welfare reform policies, becausee of the different definition for under-occupation. He added: “Other factors that might be playing a part include adult children staying at home for longer because they can’t afford to move out.”

The figures show under-occupation levels in the private rented sector have fallen to 13.1%, equivalent to 560,000 households. Conversely more than half of owner-occupiers are under-occupying their homes – 50.7%- the highest figure on record. The proportion of households across all tenures that are overcrowded remains at 3%, the level it has been for last three years. This suggests the bedroom tax is not leading to an overall reduction in overcrowding.

The figures come as a snap survey by Inside Housing suggests landlords are focusing more of their efforts on building smaller properties. Figures from 35 social landlords reveal 72% of homes they started in 2015/16 had one or two bedrooms, compared to 62% in 2011/12. Correspondingly, 27.5% of homes had three or four bedrooms, down from 37.5% in 2011/12.

The English Housing Survey figures also showed that the proportion of households owning their home has increased for the first time since 2003, arresting a long-term trend of falling owner-occupation every year. A total of 14.3 million households were owner-occupiers in 2014/15, equivalent to 63.6% of the population, an increase of 0.3 percentage points on the previous year.   The figure of 63.6% is still well down on the 70.9% high recorded in 2002/03.

The proportion of households in the social sector hardly changed, at 17.3% of households (compared to 17.4% the previous year), meaning 3.9m people live in social housing. The private rented sector dipped slightly from 19.4% to 19% of households but, with 4.3m households, is still larger than the social sector.

The survey also showed an increase in the proportion of social housing tenants who expect to buy their own home, from 35% in 2010/11 to 42% in 2014/15. The survey was carried out before the government’s announcement of an extension of Right to Buy to housing association tenants. The English Housing Survey document said therefore it expects the figure could increase in future.”

The CIH is launching a new charter for rent collection and encouraging sign up

They say:

Income management has always been fundamental for any business but policy changes to our sector are likely to make it more challenging. Measures such as rent reduction and the roll-out of universal credit combined with welfare reforms continue to put financial pressure on landlords and tenants, and ultimately make the core service of collecting rent a much tougher process to manage. For this reason, landlords need to ensure that rent collection services reflect best and innovative practice, and are fit for purpose in this new operating landscape.

Our new project, Working together to collect the rent, offers the opportunity to work creatively with a group of landlords to develop new operating models suited to your organisation. The project is supported by the CIH income management charter and draws on the latest thinking to review the income collection function. With strong links to universal credit and examples of best practice, this project takes a practical and tangible focus on:

• Applicants and tenants – what kind of behaviours are associated with being a ‘good tenant’ in the new era of landlord and tenant relationships?
• Staff and people processes – do you have the right staff, with the right skills, in the right jobs doing the right things?
• Business processes – are your business processes supporting or hindering rent income collection?
• Monitoring and performance management – what have sector leaders in income management learnt about monitoring, managing and improving rent collection in the context of universal credit

Why should you join?

• Evaluate and develop your current practice and approaches using the insight, lessons and learning from five collaborative project workshops
• Access project resources and learn from organisations who are recognised as sector leaders in innovative approaches to income management and organisations who have experience in managing universal credit claimants
• Benefit from bespoke ‘critical challenge’ consultancy days to develop independent approaches to income management and embed the core principles of the CIH income management charter in your organisation
• Work towards achieving the CIH income management accreditation to help you to identify the areas of improvement and achieve sector recognition

How can my organisation sign up?

Working together to collect the rent will begin in April 2016. Registration is now open and we will take applications on a first-come first-served basis. Further information or to book your place please contact Deborah Good, director of housing services on 07506 851 917 or emaildeborah.good@cih.org

Checkc out the returns on HDN membership here:

HDN-eBriefing-February-2016

More information below on:

• Business Skills Exchange Workshops
• Small Charities Fundraising
• VCSE Strength Checker
• Social Value: Resources and Awards
• 2015 to 2016 Community Life Survey
• Evaluating Youth Social Action
• Nominations Open for Social Investment Awards
• Government announces new clause to be inserted into grant agreements
• Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) call for input into regulatory barriers to social investments
• Get behind the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations
• Community interest companies: forms and step-by-step guides
• Education Endowment Fund

1. Business Skills Exchange: Local Workshops

Cabinet Office is helping the Universities of Sheffield and Hull to run a series of Skills Exchange workshops across the country. The Universities are researching the infrastructure challenges of bringing charities and businesses together. The workshops will involve businesses, charities and brokers and are an opportunity to come together to share experiences and practice. Confirmed events are 18 March in York, 21st April (morning) in Manchester and 26 May in Birmingham. Booking instructions and further details will be available shortly but meanwhile please note the date and contact me directly if you would like to be involved in planning the North West event.
2. Small Charities Fundraising – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/small-charities-fundraising-training-programme-now-open

Charities can sign up for a range of training opportunities through our small charities fundraising training programme.

The OCSI funded programme will provide expert training to small charities from February to June 2016. It will help charities with an annual income of up to £1 million to generate more income to support their vital work.

For information about fundraising training you can:
• find FSI training courses and workshops on a range of fundraising topics
• sign up for one-to-one FSI advice clinics to address a specific fundraising challenge or issue
• be matched with a skilled fundraiser, read about the Small Charities Coalition’s volunteer mentoring service and register your interest:info@smallcharities.org.uk
• sign up for GlobalGivingUK crowdfunding workshops and webinars

3. VCSE Strength Checker – http://vcsestrengthchecker.org.uk/
The VCSE Strength Checker is a free diagnostic tool now available to help organisations develop and improve their resilience. It has been developed by Big Lottery Fund with the Cabinet Office. It will produce a personalised report highlighting an organisation’s key strengths and areas where they could be more effective.

4. Social Value resources updated

The information on the Public Services (Social Value) Act for commissioners and providers of public services, including case studies has been updated and can be viewed at –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-value-act-information-and-resources/social-value-act-information-and-resources

The first Cabinet Office Social Value Awards have been announced – congratulations to our two North West award winners Fusion 21 (Driving Value for Money Award) and Dave Sweeney from Halton (Social Value Leadership Award).

5. 2015 to 2016 Community Life Survey – https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/community-life-survey

The Community Life Survey is held annually to track trends and developments in areas that encourage social action and empower communities.

The Cabinet Office commissioned the first Community Life Survey in 2012 to look at the latest trends in areas such as volunteering, charitable giving, local action and networks and well-being. The aim of the survey is to provide cost-effective data of value to government, external stakeholders and citizens.

This recently published document provides the questions asked in the 2015 to 2016 Community Life Survey – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-life-survey-questionnaire-2015-to-2016

6 Evaluating Youth Social Action – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluating-youth-social-action
This report shows that young people develop skills for employment and adulthood through taking part in social action initiatives.

Updated in January 2016, this final report provides evidence that young people who take part in social action initiatives develop some of the most critical skills for employment and adulthood in the process. It was commissioned by the Cabinet Office and published by the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT).

7.  Nominations open for Social Investment Awards – www.gov.uk/government/news/nominations-open-for-social-investment-awards

The Social Investment Awards, supported by NatWest, celebrate the businesses and people who are helping to solve problems in society.

The social investment market helps ventures that might otherwise struggle to get funding, so that they can grow and make a difference to people’s lives.
The awards aim to highlight the impact that social investment is having on communities, and celebrate the UK’s world-leading social investors and enterprises. This is the second year the awards have been held.

The awards are free to enter and applications are open until 18 March 2016. NatWest will host an event for the winners on 3 May 2016.

8. Government announces new clause to be inserted into grant agreements – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-announces-new-clause-to-be-inserted-into-grant-agreements

Organisations receiving government grants will be banned from using these taxpayer funds to lobby government and Parliament. The website provides more information and interim guidance – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/interim-guidance-on-applying-a-new-clause-in-government-grant-agreements

9. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) call for input into regulatory barriers to social investments – http://www.fca.org.uk/news/call-for-input-regulatory-barriers-to-social-investments

The OCSI Social Investment and Finance Team (SIFT) has been working to grow the social investment market is by working with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) towards a review of regulatory barriers to social investments.

Investors are increasingly keen to make a social impact, but there may be regulatory issues standing in their way. This is what the FCA is trying to find out in this review. The FCA are interested in hearing feedback from social enterprises and those firms, such as financial adviser and crowdfunding platforms, who may market these investments to potential investors.

Comments can be provided by using the online form by 14 March 2016.
10. Get behind the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/get-behind-queens-90th-birthday-celebrations
In January, Communities Secretary Greg Clark urged councils and local people to get behind new projects set up to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.

The Queen turns 90 on 21 April this year and national commemorations will centre on her official birthday weekend in June with a mass street party on the Mall called The Patron’s Lunch, a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral and the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony.

To help people set up their own Patron’s Lunches and street parties across the country the government has today revised and re-launched its street party guidance.

Alongside the Patron’s Lunch, on the 4th to 6th March, up to 1 million people are expected to clean up their neighbourhoods as part of a national clean-up day, Clean up for the Queen.

The government is fully behind this initiative to spruce up Britain’s streets and would urge councils and community groups to get involved. You can register to take part on the Clean up for the Queen website.
11. Community interest companies: forms and step-by-step guides – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-interest-companies-business-activities

Office of the Regulator for Community Interest Companies (CICs) has recently published forms and step-by-step guides which provide information on the processes you need to follow, and the documents you need to submit, when you are a community interest company or you wish to form (or convert to) a community interest company.
12. Education Endowment Fund – https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/funding/

New EEF funding round opens – The EEF has opened its latest grant-funding round to support the evaluation of cost-effective and scalable projects aiming to improve the attainment of disadvantaged children and young people aged 3-16. Round 10 (Spring 2016) is currently open and will close on 1 April 2016.

The EEF are particularly interested in evidence-based ideas that focus on the following issues:
• Early years, including early language development, self-regulation, parental engagement / home learning, and professional development in early years settings.
• Improving literacy outcomes for primary school children which could be tested in the North East. For more information about our North East Primary Literacy Campaign, click here.
• Secondary school subject teaching – EEF receive relatively few applications about improving subject-specific teaching and attainment in secondary schools.

However, EEF remain interested in promising ideas outside these areas too. If you’re thinking of applying please read the guidance notes and Funding FAQs first. You might also find it useful to have a look at some of the 115 projects EEF have already funded.

We all know that social housing general needs rents will go down by 1% a year for the 4 years commencing April 2016.

We know that Supported and Sheltered Housing has a reprive for one year due to the fear that landlords could not afford to implement this and woudl start closing schemes.

This useful advice from CIH might help those thinking about keeping up to date with what is going on and the implementation of changes:

Rent_reduction_brief_revised_040216