Habinteg’s response to government announcement on adult social care reform | Latest news

Responding to government announcements on adult social care reform, Martin Warhust, Habinteg CEO, said:

“We strongly welcome the Prime Minister’s pledge to fix our social care system.

“Andy Burnham’s vision for social care centres on proactive, preventative measures, to help people lead longer lives, in better health, while reducing the pressure on social care services and the NHS. Reforms that are aimed at long-term transformation could make a big impact on the lives of older and disabled people but for this to work, it is critical to include housing in the equation.

“New homes must be designed in an accessible, adaptable, and inclusive way, so they support everyone to thrive, whatever their age, mobility, or abilities, particularly for households requiring care at home.

“Homes built to accessible and adaptable standards help disabled people avoid unwanted and costly moves residential care and they can mean less complex packages of home care support too. Even better, their future proof design means they require fewer and less intrusive adaptations when people’s access needs arise, which saves even more from council social care budgets.

“Habinteg’s 2023 study identified a substantial cost benefit for building new fully wheelchair accessible homes for households that need them – it showed that the savings and benefits more than outweigh the additional cost to build in just a few years.

“As a long-term campaigner for accessible homes and as co-chair of the Housing Made for Everyone coalition , we want to see the government amend building regulations so that the M4(2) accessible and adaptable standard becomes the minimum requirement for all new-build homes. We also recommend a requirement that every local plan states its evidenced policy on M4(3) homes and sets a nationally applicable minimum target for Local Planning Authorities that don’t devise their own.

“Inaccessible homes limit independence, raise the risk of trips and falls, can lead to social isolation, and increase the likelihood of unemployment. These factors often create poorer health and higher levels of poverty for people in every region, inevitably increasing the burden on the public purse.

“So we urge Mr Burnham to act now on accessible housing policy. Taking a preventive, long term and inter-departmental approach will strengthen his ability to deliver real lasting improvements in social care for all.”