It is difficult to imagine a time when social housing providers have faced greater challenges. Increased demand and fewer resources mean that Britain has reached a critical moment in its approach to social services, with efficiency and allocation forming the bedrock of the debate. As austerity bites, it is those in social housing who are likely to feel the pincer effect of personal budget reductions and cuts to social services.
Under One Roof argues that social housing can be fundamental to better channeling of resources. It suggests that a spectrum approach focusing on high through to low needs groups could lead to efficiency gains and investigates the possibility of improving communications between nurses, social workers and voluntary carers in order to provide services that are better suited to the needs of individual tenants.
The report maps out potential journeys of service users, demonstrating how earlier intervention and risk mitigation are integral to the efficient and equitable provision of services. It concludes that personal budgets, localism and community budgets provide a distinct opportunity for increased collaboration between health, housing and care which in turn will generate significant savings and allow for better targeting of services.