Housing for Varying Needs Review - Aberdeen City Council

NeedsHousing for Varying Needs Reviewresidents and staff. However, the purpose of the “rating” is to help us toprioritise future decisions.6.11 This will provide the basis for consideration as to the future use for eachproperty, and will enable us to take a more strategic look at how wetackle the issue of low demand in some of our existing sheltered housingblocks, when we are faced with high demand for general needs socialhousing across the city.7 Modernising our Services7.1 In 2007, through the Transformation of Adult Services, Aberdeen CityCouncil made the decision to integrate the former Sheltered HousingWarden Service and the Home Care Service. This allowed us tomaximise resources and provided a framework for improving servicesdelivered to the people who used them.7.2 Housing support services are provided by senior personal carers whoprovide on site services from 8 am – 6 pm. The out of hours service 6pm – 8 am is provided by a mobile warden service who will respond toemergencies, illness and some security issues overnight. Our verysheltered housing services have 24 hour on-site waking-night staff.Appendix 9 provides information on the role of the Senior PersonalCarer.7.3 Housing Support services involves one or more of 21 specified tasks thatare collectively designed to enable someone to maintain their tenancy.A list of the prescribed tasks is attached as Appendix 10.7.4 During the last 4 years, this new model of combining housing with highlevels of care have been developed in the City, has offered a realalternative to residential care homes.7.5 Implementation has reduced duplication and costs, increasedunderstanding between the housing and social care services and hasopened up opportunities for shared learning across health, housing andsocial work services in the design of services to meet the needs ofpeople who use services.7.6 The introduction of small dedicated Care and Support teams in each ofour sheltered housing complexes has provided flexible and responsiveservices which have been beneficial to many of our tenants andsupporting the changing the balance of care agenda. Flexible care andsupport has been shown to support;• Timely hospital discharge• Fewer people moving to care homes17