20/20 Project partners have a clear vision for older people's services

'A society where people will be able to access and benefit from the housing support, telecare and health services they aspire to, with a full knowledge of the options available to them now and in the future.'

The 20/20 Project partners - a collaboration of nine national housing and care organisations and charities - have published their manifesto for the future of housing and care services for older people.

The manifesto roadmaps the new initiatives and policies that must be implemented along the way in order to achieve the partners' 2020 Vision. It calls for:

• By 2006, every local authority to have completed a needs mapping exercise for their older population, and then undertake a review every two years to monitor any changing needs
• In 2010, there would be a one-stop information centre on housing and care options for older people in every local authority. These local agencies would work in conjunction with an 0800 national advice line - supported by Government - to refer callers to their local information centre and / or help with enquiries
• In 2015, 'life friendly' housing would be available for downsizing people aged 50+, and will be inclusive of telecare services. All staff working in housing and care sector would be trained with a holistic approach to service provision and carry out Single Assessment Process / reviews with clients.

Speaking on behalf of the partners, Michele Hollywood, 20/20 project manager, said: 'Now is the time for health, housing and social care providers to unilaterally 'think' and 'do' about how we look after our older population. It is crazy in this day and age that we still hear of failures in the system - couples being split up because one needs more care than the other, someone being pushed into residential care because there is not the ready access to the right telecare equipment. Our manifesto, we hope, sets the scene for what older people will aspire to in the future.'

The partners' manifesto, combined with responses to the consultation document and delegates’ feedback from the 20/20 Housing & Care Forum, will feed into the 'Vision' report containing the final recommendations. The report will launch on October 19 2005 at the Association of Directors of Social Services' conference in Birmingham. It will then be taken forward with national and local government, campaigning organisations, and housing and care providers to ensure its implementation between now and 2020.