Eurocarers
European association working for carers
Nottingham Community Housing Association
Summary
Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA) offers a variety of safe, secure and independent accommodation for older people in sheltered housing schemes, including flats or bungalows suitable for single people or couples. A range of telecare equipment is available to service users, ensuring that their individual needs are met: this equipment includes devices which identify falls or inactivity, smoke, gas and flood alert systems, external door controls and visitor monitoring audio. Visual messaging can also be available to prompt or remind service users of appointments or medication times.
The service uses assistive technology, remote monitoring of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and a dedicated support worker team to provide security monitoring and a rapid response service. Service users can call trained and experienced support workers, who have access to support plan details if they have a problem.
The initiative reaches people with varying degrees of vulnerability, including older people who have a low weekly income and who may be in need of social care. Sheltered housing is open to people over the age of 60 years and people over 55 years with a medical need.
Asian Elders projects provide accommodation based care and support in a culturally appropriate environment for people of Indian sub-continent origin aged 45 and over.
The service benefits from public funding but clients pay a nominal weekly rent fee, either through employment or social benefit and the technology is included in the rent fee.
The service involves Social and Health Authorities and professionals and impacts on people’s private lives because it helps them live independently and safely. At the meso level this service helps care-providing organizations optimize resources by avoiding unnecessary interventions. At the macro level it reduces costs for hospitalization and residential care.
Description
refers to the target users, kind of service provided, ICTs typologies and devices used
At the beginning, in 2003, the aim of the service was to enable users to increase their confidence and independence and to reduce trigger events that led to a crisis.
In 2003, the Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA) developed their Support Management and Response Team (SMaRT), in response to feedback from service users and in line with the policy to provide person-centred and individual services. Since then, this service has transformed the way in which care and support is provided to NCHA’s service users. The SMaRT teams’ primary function is to provide direct access to additional support for service users, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
The mission of NCHA is “To provide high quality housing, services and support for more people in need” , according with the following values: meeting customers’ needs, achieving quality solutions, working well together , being adaptable to change and a commitment to the business and its environment.
Care Recipients
Informal carers
Paid assistants
Formal carers
Not available
Independent Living
Information and learning for carers
Personal Support and Social Integration for carer
Care coordination
The services provided help old people living safely and independently in their own house.
The technological supports used by care recipients are: alarm, sensor, inactivity, smoke and gas alert systems and other alarm systems for reminding medication times.
Operational Information
refers to the type of funding, budget, sustainability and organisations involved
Not available
Not available
The Nottingham Community Group of companies is an independent housing and care organization working throughout the 29 local authority areas in the East Midlands.
It has been providing housing and care for 40 years, and it currently manages over 8,700 homes and provide 182,000 contracted hours of care and support to the most vulnerable in the community.
By the end of 2017, the Group will have increased its stock of homes to over 9,400 and will be providing over half a million hours of care and support.
NCHA is committed to providing great services to all our stakeholders and partners and by the end of this plan will have increased the satisfaction rating amongst its tenants and service users to 94% and 97% respectively.
The group of companies is wholly owned by Nottingham Community Housing Association, a traditional, independent, 1974 Act Housing Association with charitable status. Subsidiary companies enable the group to deliver all forms of housing and care provision and through its commercial subsidiary Lets Select Ltd to undertake profitable activity that assists the work of the group.
NCHA employs over 800 staff, has a turnover of over £51m and an asset base of £500m and is committed to using this financial strength to create training and long term employment opportunities within the communities it works with.
NCHA produces a strategic Corporate Plan every five years (NCHA, 2011).
In this moment a sustainability plan is not available.
The initiative will be funded by the out-of-pocket payments of the clients and by additional public funding.
Authorities
Private Care Sector
Health and Social Care Systems
Third Sector
Private Companies
Informal Carers
Health Professionals
Social Care Professionals
Privately-Hired Care Assistants (inc. Migrant Care Workers)
Volunteers
NCHA is managed on a day-to-day basis by the Executive Team, which is made up of a Chief Executive and four directors.
The Executive Team is responsible for the strategy of NCHA including the vision, mission and values, as well as the business planning, risk management and other corporate matters.
NCHA is governed by a Board made of members from the local community.
The Website is the main channel for promoting the service.
Evaluation
refers to the impact of the service on end-users, care organisations and authorities
The service has a great impact on the end-users because it helps them to live safely and independently and give them support in case of necessity.
Every two years NCHA, like most other housing associations, arranges a tenant satisfaction survey which is based on a standard series of questions. Towards the end of 2011, 1460 homes were surveyed on a sample basis, and 571 residents replied. Residents felt that the rent they pay represents good value for money (Green A., 2012). 86% of the tenants surveyed stated that they are satisfied that their rent represents good value for money (up from 77% in 2009) (NHHA Report 2009).
This service impacts positively on private organisations that provide care, because saves costs and optimizes resources (NHHA Report 2009).
This service impacts on public authorities, NHS and social care services, because it helps to save the costs of home caring, hospitalisation and night staff with considerable annual saving.
Although it is difficult to calculate costs saved thank to this initiative, considering that the floating support service supports 420 people, even if it saved just half an hour per week per person, this would equate to an annual saving of around £280k.
NCHA calculated that £303k p.a. for night staff have been saved (NHHA Report 2009).
Strengths
- The service has a capillary diffusion across the territory.
- The service reduces the costs of residential and hospital care.
- The service replies promptly reply to calls for help.
- The service helps families and community save on the costs of caring.
- The floating support model used is cost effective because it avoids unnecessary support visits.
- The initiative has a multi cultural perspective i.e.Asian Elders projects provide accommodation based care and support in a culturally appropriate environment for people of Indian sub-continent origin aged 45 and over.
- The service received the following Awards: “Code of Practice awards: Telecare services; Quality Installation; Response Service -Telecare Services Association” (December 2009) and the “IT Innovator Award 2007: SMaRT project (Housing with Care & Support) Ceretas Awards” (23rd May 2007).
Opportunities:
- Improving the collaboration with other health agencies.
Challenges:
- Continuing using new telecare technology, CCTV and a dedicated support worker team to provide a rapid response service.
- Supporting service users to make their own decisions, take responsibility for themselves and helps them to develop their daily living skills and resilience.
The model could be transferable in other regions but it need the collaboration with other local health authorities.
More Information
includes contacts, publications and accompanying documents
References:
NCHA, Status Survey results (2009) available on http://www.ncha.org.uk/assets/_managed/cms/files/Corporate%20Docs/Status%20Survey%202009%20Results.pdf (Last access: June 2013)
http://www.ncha.org.uk/UI/Content/feedback.aspx#feedback many links are available for giving feedback, making complaints, claiming and reporting anti-social behaviours
Publications:
NCHA (2011), Corporate Plan 2012-2017, available on http://www.ncha.org.uk/assets/_managed/cms/files/Corporate%20Docs/Corporate%20Plan%202012.pdf (Last access. June 2013)
Green A.(2012), NCHA Star 2011 Final report, available on http://www.ncha.org.uk/ui/content/content.aspx?ID=550 (Last access: June 2013)
Resources:
Head office, Housing Services and
Intermediate Housing Team
12/14Pelham Road
Sherwood Rise
Nottingham
NG51AP
Housing services:
Tel: 0044 08000138555/01158443150
Shared ownership/market rents: 0044 08456501204
Premier Sales/Premier Lets: 0044 0115 844 3444