CIEH Housing Policy Bulletin #47
1 December 2015
Government
Extending Mandatory Licensing of Homes in Multiple Occupation: Technical Discussion Document
A reminder that there is still time to respond to the DCLG technical discussion paper.
- https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/extending-mandatory-licensing-of-houses-in-multiple-occupation-and-related-reforms
- The deadline for responses is 18 December via the Survey Monkey link in the document set out at the link below:
DCLG recent reports
Tackling Rogue Landlords and Improving the Private rented Sector – Government response
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Homelessness duties – a comparison of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (House of Commons Library Briefing) |
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Fuel Poverty debate in Parliament
Transcript of House of Commons debate on fuel poverty, 24 November 2015 |
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Recent Partner Reports
(3) Housing Solutions in new HNS Guide to improving hospital discharge and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions
NHS England has published a series of quick guides to support local health and care systems. The guides provide practical tips, case studies and links to useful documents, which can be used to implement solutions to commonly experienced issues such as delayed discharges and unnecessary hospital admissions.
Care and Repair England supported the development of one of the guides on Better Use of Care at Home. Produced by United Kingdom Home Care Association, it looks at how to improve the relationships, processes and use of home care and housing support to help people home from hospital and avoid admission. This guide includes examples of Home Improvement Agency and First Stop housing, care and finance advice agencies’ partnerships with hospitals and GPs.
All the guides available from here
The guide to Better use of care at home can be accessed here
(4) Spending Review – some good news on DFGs amid the gloom
Yesterday’s Spending Review included some good news for older and disabled people, with the announcement that Department of Health will continue to fund Disabled Facilities Grants for the next 5 years.
The Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 states:
‘The government will also continue to improve care for older and disabled people and support for their carers. The Care Act reforms introduced in April focus on wellbeing, prevention and delaying the need for social care. In support of these principles, the Spending Review includes over £500 million* by 2019-20 for the Disabled Facilities Grant, which will fund around 85,000 home adaptations that year. This is expected to prevent 8,500 people from needing to go into a care home in 2019-20.’
What this will mean for DFG allocations in the years running up to 2019-20 is as yet unknown. Hopefully the further comment in the statement about increasing the Better Care Fund by £1.5 billion (DFG is included in this fund) might indicate a staged rise.
We will circulate further details as soon as they are available.
* The DH budget for DFG in 15-16 is £220m. Budgets are set locally with the expectation that contributions to the DFG budget will also be made by housing, social care and health (in the past there was a legal obligation to match fund on 60:40 basis)
(5) Kings Fund/PHE recent conference on bringing together housing and public health: conference papers now available
The King’s Fund has published the following report:
The district council contribution to public health: a time of challenge and opportunity
The report was commissioned by the District Councils Network (DCN) and is intended to contribute to the understanding, assessment and development of the role of district councils in improving the health of their citizens and communities. It focuses on district councils’ role in promoting public health through some of their key functions and enabling roles. The report is important in highlighting the role that environmental health, including housing, plays in the context of the public health role of district councils
(6) Residential Landlords Association guide to the Immigration Act and implications for landlords
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