ERoSH issues position statement

ERoSH has released its new position statement (see right) that sets out its views on a range of issues in the light of current pressures on sheltered housing services. ERoSH trustees and members are aware of tensions around user consultation, allocations criteria, floating support and preventative services and hope that this new statement clarifies the ERoSH position on these issues.

2008 is the year for the sheltered and retirement sector. The imminent launch of the government’s Housing Strategy for an Ageing Population, the forthcoming release of Supporting People from ring fenced funding and the ending of the legacy provisions for Supporting People, make our sector and housing for older people a key political issue in the coming year.

Some of you may have seen the story in Community Care magazine (17 Jan 08) that reported the findings of Capgemini’s study of the Supporting People programme (on behalf of DCLG) that conclusively stated that “investing in early preventative support will reduce the need for more intensive care and support.” Investment in sheltered housing has yielded the biggest dividend - £1.1 billion. A powerful argument, indeed.

ERoSH celebrates a range of models, and will outline them in a future web article, but for the immediate future, we believe that this position statement indicates the type of service that commissioners want.