'News Letter No. 3', is out.
see Official letters page;
50
SHELTERED SCHEMES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE
SEEKING A LEGAL CHALLENGE AGAINST THE REMOVAL OF
WARDENS
We
extend our most grateful thanks for the generosity of the
many people who are helping us to fund our work.
NEW: A European standard for Sheltered Housing ? See the
'CEN 385' Press Release in the side-bar menu
Residents from Barnet placarding opposite No 10 Downing
street on the 18th May.
Left to right
Liz
Fishman, Camden.
Ferguson Aliu, Edgeware.
Vesta Dennis, Edgeware.
Dogulas Turner, Edgeware
The gathering numbered about 30 residents and supporters
and those holding placards are not permitted by the gates
of Downing streets which is on the opposite side of the
road . Also in attendance the Chairman of The Sheltered
Housing UK Association, and Yvonne Hossacks. Demo organised
by David Atkins
Please see the 'Petitions Page'
Reader.
Please run this page off and distribute it in your
Sheltered Scheme
One
person had died and lain undiscovered for 'weeks' . In
another a person collapsed and was not found until
four days later by his family. In yet another a person
died and was undiscovered for days. These are only the
cases picked up by Google, there will be others not
reported ! This article had hardly been published for
a week when yet another story arose, this time in
Birmingham, where an elderly pensioner collapsed and
died having been to collect her prescription. A more
recent case involves a man found dead in his flat and
although his absence was regarded as suspicious and
reported by the residents to the floating service.
their activity was confined to knocking on is door and
then going away because he did not answer it ! He was
found dead the next day.It is noted that if that so
many deaths or mishaps had occurred, in such a short
space of time, any other sphere, where care had been
withdrawn or downgraded, there would be a hue and cry
and serious questions and investigations under health
and safety concerning the competence of the authority
making the changes. Why not, therefore, for the
elderly ? And, now the very latest. Man found dead in
Ipswich Sheltered Home, medical opinion is that he had
been dead for five weeks. Another couple died in
Sheltered Housing in Birmingham and found nine days
later by somebody cleaning the windows. The incidents
go on and on........
MISSION STATEMENT
Although there are approximately 400, 000 residents, in
25,000 Sheltered Housing schemes in the UK, hitherto, there
has been no specific web-site by and for these residents .
As a result rented Sheltered Housing is fragmented in its
response to changes and new ideas with no common voice .
This vulnerability is being exploited by both Government
and housing providers to make changes and savings often
against the best interests of the residents The purpose of
this website , therefore, is to bring together people
throughout the country who are willing to form some sort of
national organisation (Council, perhaps ?) to give voice to
our needs and concerns. Especially important at this time
where Scheme Managers (Wardens) are being replaced by
Floating Housing Officers, very often without consultation
with the residents
THE
BATTLE WE FACE
Until recently the residents of Sheltered Housing, who were
in receipt of benefits, had their Scheme Manager's services
paid for from within those benefits.. However, Supporting
People have now taken over responsibility for the payment
for these services in rented Sheltered Housing, and they
are doing things differently. .They are making block grants
instead of individual benefit payments. They have also
decided that they will only pay for these services if there
is a proven individual need and what is considered 'need' ,
it seems, is a closely guarded secret. Effectively it
translates to: They will not (in most cases) pay for a
static Scheme Manager and these in future will be replaced
by 'Floating Support Officers'. Such staff , as the term
suggests, float from area to area to see those residents on
their visit list. It does not end there. Whereas the
landlord was , in most cases, the employer of the Warden
this is not set to continue and Supporting People will put
the provision of support services out to contract. There is
at least one company advertising on the internet to provide
these services !
These changes are being pushed through often as if the
residents of Sheltered Housing have no say in such matters
. Yet, a very local survey carried out
(see micro survey)
indicates that more than 90% of residents do not wish to
the lose their site based Warden. A worrying statistic
is emerging suggesting that avoidable deaths are
occuring where, if there had been a site based Warden
present, people may have been saved (see avoidable
deaths).
Not all residents of Sheltered Housing are in receipt of
benefits. For these self funders it means the service they
opted into, when they first took up residence, is being
changed without consent from them at all.
Where residents have been asked it is usually through the
process of
'consultation',
in turn often misused to imply or confuse people into
thinking that a democratic process is taking place. This
is not the case, a consultation does not give residents
the power of 'veto'. A consultation is an exchange of
views. The housing provider is not bound by the views
expressed at it by the tenants ! Too often the process
is cosmetic and the outcome of a consultation has
already been decided before it actually takes place.
In updating the, above, information it is worth mentioning
that some providers of Sheltered Housing have decided to
absorb the extra costs rather than turn their units over to
Floating Support. The question must surely be asked: if
these enlightened and dedicated providers can do it, why
can't the others ?
DEMOCRACY
BUT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT TERMS !
Statistics . It is frequently claimed that pilot schemes
running Floating Support have been a success. However, the
success they speak of is that their plans have worked .
This should not be taken to imply it has resident approval
which is invariably never tested in these statements
THIS SITE RECOMMENDS AND SUPPORTS THE PRINCIPLE OF
TACTICAL VOTING BY THE ELDERLY IN ALL ELECTIONS
Sensitive
logos , please click the logo
to connect with the selected site
Write to your MP, or
councillor
Find
their E-mail, or Parliamentary address at
www.writetothem.com
How to address them in your letter:
The Rt Hon (their name) MP,
The House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
THIS SITE HAS BEEN SELECTED TO BE ARCHIVED
REGULARLY BY THE BRITISH
LIBRARY
Photos.
TOP:- Peggy
Wade bravely takes a petition to No 10 Downing Street.
BOTTOM:-
Maria
Hobbs shows the 3000+ signatures that she has collected in
Bridgwater to local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger and resident Mr
Ken Trunks .
Photograph by the
kind permission of the 'BRIDGWATER MERCURY'
(The ladies have shown us how, come on men, something from
you please)
Publicity for your Association/Local newspaper
or send it to your MP or councillor or just hand it out on
the streets. See below
click me page0_4
If this does not work please manually type in
mailbox@shelteredhousinguk.com for the
E-mail address
