We have consulted with our residents in a number of areas where the withdrawal of scheme manager service is proposed by Supporting People commissioners. The surveys have revealed an overwhelming approval of the scheme manager service.
We continue to maintain the scheme manager service, irrespective of SP funding. This has meant passing the cost to our residents. The financial effect on the existing residents cannot be ignored. However, we are aware that new residents are choosing to move into our schemes, because we can provide an element of certainty on the scheme manager service.
The comment by Imogen Parry that a third of residents living in sheltered housing did not want the warden service is very unhelpful. It highlights the problem with the debate on the future of sheltered housing. The debate appears to focus on the model of provision within sheltered housing, when we should explore why and how this group of residents ended up in sheltered housing. What about the needs of the two-thirds that want the support offered within sheltered schemes? The phrase ‘throwing baby out with bath water’ comes to mind.
Sheltered housing should remain an integrated housing and support offer. It must be allocated to the very many residents who need and value the services offered by the scheme manager. The scheme manager service is a low-level, high-impact service that gives residents peace of mind to maintain their independent living.
Where commissioners perceive that older people living in other environments need support or assistance, an additional appropriate service including floating support should be commissioned. In some cases where excessive SP funding is allocated to sheltered housing, which suggests an overprovision, commissioners should proactively decommission poor services and substandard sheltered housing, instead of remodelling the scheme manager service in all sheltered housing.
Yinka Bolaji, head of portfolio and business planning, housing services,Anchor Trust
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Readers' comments (3)
DannyF | 24/02/2010 9:21 pm
Anchor Trust and resident consultation all in the same sentence..? in fact Anchor and the word Trust in the same phrase is one hard to swallow. My mother has just left Anchor Trust in protest of the disgusting way they are ousting the resident scheme manager, no doubt in favour of an obliging nodding part time chit, and on the back of this we are fully intending to complain to the TSA and directly to Anchor (for what good it will do), and other ''interested' parties. My mother is articulate outgoing and very intelligent and at no time what she or her neighbours ever consulted on what is happening in their scheme. This overlong comment is nothing more than an exercise to try and rectify some of the bad comments Anchor have been getting, both as I see on here and elsewhere
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vernony | 23/03/2010 9:27 am
At one time Anchor joined forces with Housing 21 to defend the retention of Wardens in Sheltered Housing, they even threatened to withdraw from the NHF if they did not support them. I do not know if they carried out their threat, or not ?
but the NHF have sounded slightly more supportive these latter days.
Readers may be interested to learn that a new acronym is springing up in Sheltered Housing UK circles and it is ERoWiSH. (The Essential Role of Wardens In Sheltered Housing)
Sincerely
Vernon J Yarker
Chairman
The Sheltered Housing UK Association
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M T | 03/05/2010 11:35 am
I was a Scheme Manager for three different Housing Associations and one of them was Anchor Housing. I thoroughly agree that residents/tenants move into these properties as there is a Scheme Manager on site. I have always believed that a Scheme Manager should live on site as I did for the three housing associations but the Scheme Manager has to separate her/his life from the residents lefe after their clsing time e.g. 5 o'clock. I must admit I was ALWAYS there for "My Residents" as I felt and still feel that if you are in employment like this you MUST be able to help when necessary. I am still in contact with many of my ex residents/tenants so I think that speaks for itself. Scheme Managers should BE EMPLOYED on the sheltered housing schemes. No doubt many will disagrree with some of my comments but that is up to them. I am only voiving what I feel is essential on a Sheltered Housing Complex.
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