Speaker line up confirmed for 20/20 Housing and Care Forum

Experts and commentators from the health, housing and social care spectrum, the national press and the academic world are due to take part in a unique debate about future housing and care services for older people, on Friday 22 July 2005.

Stephen Burke, Chief Executive of Counsel and Care will chair an Open Forum between delegates and panelists: Alan Clark (Strategic Commissioning Partnerships); Ken Bartlett (20/20 Patron and Chair of Hanover Housing Group); columnist Margaret Hughes (The Guardian); Christine Paley (co-Chair, Association of Directors of Social Services' Older People's Committee); Professor Judith Phillips (University of Wales, Swansea); and Angela Bright (Rushcliffe PCT).

The Open Forum forms the main part of the morning session of the 20/20 Housing & Care Forum, to be held at Eastwood Hall in Nottinghamshire, 10.00am until 3.45pm. Supporting partners of the 20/20 Project and leading specialists and practitioners will facilitate roundtable discussions throughout the day, giving delegates a valuable opportunity to have their say about the seven areas of the 20/20 consultation.

Delegates' views and opinions from the Forum, combined with the responses to the formal consultation, will feed directly into the 20/20 Vision document, to be launched on October 19 2005 at the ADSS conference in Birmingham. The Vision's recommendations will be taken forward with national and local government, campaigning organisations and housing and care providers to ensure it is fulfilled by 2020, and in the interim, for older people's services.

The Forum is therefore a must-attend event for top level and senior professionals as well as frontline staff in health, housing and social care, allowing them to meet to brainstorm and openly discuss ways about current and future housing and care options for older people.

For the brochure and booking form, see http://www.shelteredhousing.org/about/campaign.php