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Valuing retirement housing: exploring the economic effects of specialist housing for older people
- Author:
- LLOYD James
- Publisher:
- Strategic Society Centre
- Publication year:
- 2016
- Pagination:
- 30
- Place of publication:
- London
Drawing on available data and evidence, this report provides an analysis of the economic effects of developing more specialist and retirement housing for older people. To set the context, the report provides data to describe the numbers of older homeowners across the UK, and their living situation. It then considers the potential of specialist housing to influence the health and care costs of older people. It looks both the prevention of need, for example from a reduction in falls, use of home care or residential care; and a reduction in entitlement to local authority funded services. It argues that the development of new retirement housing would also have an effect on housing supply for the wider population, enabling younger people to purchase property and increasing their ability to fund their housing and care costs during retirement. Drawing on drawing on social survey, administrative and population data, the report suggests that one new retirement housing unit occupied by one person for at least 10 years, could potential result in total savings of around £83,100. This includes £9,700 savings in health and care needs and £18,600 saving in local authority social care entitlement. Using these figures the report develops scenarios to explore savings across regions of England. (Edited publisher abstract)
Reforming the precept: a stepping-stone to sustainable care
- Author:
- LLOYD James
- Publisher:
- Strategic Society Centre
- Publication year:
- 2016
- Pagination:
- 30
- Place of publication:
- London
Analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the ‘social care precept’ which enables local authorities to increase council tax in their area to fund social care, and explores how policymakers can build on it to meet England's adult social care funding challenge. The report sets out why the government implemented the social care precept as a response to rising financial pressures on the care system, and the sources of these pressures. It explores the design and operation of the social care precept, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the precept identified by stakeholders. It finds that in its first year of operation, 144 out of 152 authorities with adult social care responsibilities utilised some or all of their social care precept, suggesting the social care precept will raise £382 million in England during its first year. The precept has also resulted in an acknowledgement of the funding challenge for adult social care. Limitations of the precept identified include an inadequate amount of revenue raised, a wide variation in demand for social care and relative value of council tax base, and not being coherent with efforts achieve more integrated health and social care funding and services. The report then puts forward options to policy makers for reforming the precept. It concludes with key messages for policy makers. These include that the social care precept cannot be maintained forever in its current form and that the government should track how the revenue is being used, to identify how best to reform the social care precept and create an opportunity for a long-term, sustainable solution to financing social care in England, (Edited publisher abstract)
Attendance allowance and local government: examining the evidence and the options
- Author:
- LLOYD James
- Publisher:
- Strategic Society Centre
- Publication year:
- 2016
- Pagination:
- 36
- Place of publication:
- London
Explores the government’s proposal to transfer Attendance Allowance (AA) from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to local authorities, as part of its plans to reform local government financing and give councils new spending responsibilities. It describes the operation of the AA system, its recipients and take-up and compares the AA and adult social care systems in England. It then examines evidence on the costs of living with a disability for older people and to what extent the AA and social care system meets these additional costs. The final chapter identifies and evaluates options for the government in transferring AA to local government in England and Wales. Options examined are: transfer AA spending to the local authority adult social care system; administration of AA system by local authorities; and a new universal, disability-related cash payment for older people paid by local authorities. The report concludes with key messages for policy makers and social care stakeholders. These include the importance of understanding the population group that receives AA - who are typically older, poorer, live alone, and with substantial levels of disability - and a recognition of potential additional costs for local authorities following any transfer due to the likelihood of increased demand for adult social care. (Edited publisher abstract)
Rebooting the cap: improving protection from catastrophic care costs
- Author:
- LLOYD James
- Publisher:
- Strategic Society Centre
- Publication year:
- 2016
- Pagination:
- 28
- Place of publication:
- London
The government has postponed the ‘capped cost’ reforms to care funding in England until April 2020. This report explores the options for the government in rebooting the capped cost reforms, arguing that the current pause in implementation presents an opportunity to adapt the reforms to developments in health and social care policy, and address potential downsides to the ‘capped cost’ model. This report outlines the background to the government’s decision to postpone the implementation of the ‘capped cost’ reforms and explores why it is the responsibility of the state to cap people’s care costs, discussing the issues of catastrophic care costs and the difficulties of private insurance companies in protecting people from this risk. It then summarises the ‘capped cost’ model incorporated into the Care Act (2014) and outlines the limitations to the reforms, such as its complexity and potential for unintended consequences. It then puts forward some alternative options for capping care costs that could be implemented during the current parliament. These options relate to capping the years of residential care that people must fund; the cost of care annuities; the scope of social care means testing; weekly expenditure on care; the price of care that people have to pay; the share of weekly care fees individuals must pay; and the costs of providing unpaid care to families. (Edited publisher abstract)
Screened out: meeting the challenge of technology and young people's wellbeing
- Authors:
- CAMERON Gordon, LLOYD James
- Publisher:
- Strategic Society Centre
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 40
- Place of publication:
- London
This discussion paper responds to the findings of research from the University of Essex which found that technology such as screen based media (SBM) and social networking sites (SNS) had a negative influence on the wellbeing of young people. The discussion paper explores the implications of the research findings for public health and evaluates a range of potential policy responses. It begins by discussing the role of wellbeing as a policy goal and presents evidence on levels of wellbeing among young people in the UK. It then reviews quantitative evidence on the correlation between use of SBM and SNS, and levels of wellbeing in young people. Screen based media as defined in the report included computers, computer games, television and smartphones. Some of the explanations suggested in academic research for why use of SBM and SNS may be associated with levels of wellbeing are then considered. These include displacement of face-to-face interaction and physical activity; increased isolation; and sleep disturbance. The paper then develops and evaluates different policy ideas for addressing the challenge to young people’s wellbeing associated with SBM and SNS usage. For each suggested policy option, the evaluation provides details of target outcomes, suitability, feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. The paper then puts forward a series of recommendations including: the development of national guidelines for volume of SBM and SNS usage among young people; public health campaigns to education young people about how SBM and SNS usage may affect their wellbeing; and for more research into the link between wellbeing, SNS and SBN. (Edited publisher abstract)
Older owners: research on the lives, aspirations and housing outcomes of older homeowners in the UK
- Authors:
- LLOYD James, PARRY Will
- Publisher:
- Strategic Society Centre
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 44
- Place of publication:
- London
Using data from the 2011 Census and a nationally representative panel survey, this qualitative research describes the housing wealth, outcomes and lives of older homeowners in the UK. It also looks at older homeowners in relation to key housing policy outcomes. The research covers: the increase of older home ownership; housing characteristics and living situation; income and economic activity; disability, health and caring; issues with the local environment and services; their attitudes to their neighbourhood, and moving plans. Findings suggest that there is a high percentage of under occupancy among older homeowners; between 20% and 40% of older homeowners in the UK may benefit from some form of adapted or specialised housing; and that the majority of owners had strong levels of neighbourhood attachment and planned to remain in their neighbourhood for a number of years. The report also briefly highlights the relevance of the findings to policy makers in relation to housing suitability; housing supply; housing wealth; and intergenerational fairness. An accompanying policy report 'Open Plan: Building a strategic policy toward older owners' considers the implications of the research findings for policy development. (Edited publisher abstract)
Open plan: building a strategic policy toward older owners
- Authors:
- LLOYD James, PARRY Will
- Publisher:
- Strategic Society Centre
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 44
- Place of publication:
- London
This policy discussion paper explores the findings of the Strategic Society Centre's research report ‘Older owners: research on the lives, aspirations and housing outcomes of older homeowners in the UK’ and examines what the research means for the development of policy around older homeowners. Issues discussed include, specialist housing and home adaptations; under-occupancy and housing supply (Edited publisher abstract)
A cap that fits: the 'capped cost plus' model
- Author:
- LLOYD James
- Publisher:
- Strategic Society Centre
- Publication year:
- 2013
- Pagination:
- 76
- Place of publication:
- London
The government has committed to implementing reform of care funding in England in April 2016. However, detailed analysis of the ‘capped cost’ reforms suggests they are unlikely to meet any of their objectives. Consequently, people’s care costs will not be capped; and a market in pre-funded care insurance is unlikely to emerge. Rather than providing peace of mind to the population, annual increases in the ‘cap’ may insttead cause worry and concern. With less than three years until the reforms are due to be implemented, this report examines in detail the issues facing the ‘capped cost’ model’ and identifies the options for policymakers to fix these problems. The report concludes by assembling a range of options into an alternative package of measures that could be implemented in April 2016: the ‘capped cost plus’ model. The model comprises: a ‘cap’ on the assessed care costs that individuals are expected to pay for out of their own pockets; changes to means testing thresholds and the financial support individuals receive, proportional to their level of wealth; and a standardised expected contribution by individuals to ‘living costs’ in residential care. (Edited publisher abstract)
Right care, right price: a discussion paper exploring the way in which the price of care is determined and its implications for social care policy
- Author:
- LLOYD James
- Publisher:
- Strategic Society Centre
- Publication year:
- 2013
- Pagination:
- 36
- Place of publication:
- London
This discussion paper explores issues about the way in which the price of care is determined in local care markets, including local authority monopsony power (that is, the local authority is the only "buyer"). It examines the relationship between price and quality, and identifies how the way in which the price of care is determined affects the broader objectives of social care policy, for example that the public does not understand the price of care or know what local authorities pay for care. The report argues that to correct these problems, the government should:ensure financial sustainability among care providers coherent with investment and quality; strengthen the link between prices and quality across the market; improve the public’s knowledge of the price of care in their area; improve ‘consumer knowledge’ among families paying for care; and improve public understanding of local authority commissioning of care and the prices paid. (Edited publisher abstract)
Who uses telecare?
- Authors:
- ROSS Andy, LLOYD James
- Publisher:
- Strategic Society Centre
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 44p.
- Place of publication:
- London
A research project investigated the prevalence of telecare users and potential users in England in 2008, using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (a nationally representative study of older people in England). This report on the project looks at the potential of telecare and assistive technology in provision of care and support as the population ages. It describes the study data and methodology, and presents and discusses the findings together with statistical tables. It focuses in particular on 2 types of devices identified: mobile personal alarms and alerting devices fixed to the home. It covers demographic and socio-economic characteristics of telecare users, reporting that just over 2% of individuals aged 50 and above used a personal alarm and just over 4% had an alerting device fitted to their property, and that telecare is predominantly used by those in the 70 and over age group and especially by white females. It also covers the housing and homes of telecare users, health and disability of telecare users, and care and support for telecare users. The study included analysis to identify and describe potential telecare users and predict those most likely to qualify for and benefit from the use of telecare. A separate discussion paper (The Future of Who Uses Telecare) provides accompanying policy analysis and discussion.