Scottish national and regional housing bodies have joined forces to send a strong reminder to the Scottish Government and to social work and health authorities that housing makes a highly significant contribution to enabling people to live at home independently.

Responding to the Scottish Government's consultation on integrating health and social work services, the six organisations have asserted that whilst there is growing recognition of the contribution housing makes, the housing sector has the potential to make a much bigger contribution.

The six organisations are:

• Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers

• Care and Repair Scotland

• Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland

• Scottish Federation of Housing Associations

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• Housing Support Enabling Unit

• Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations

The key messages from the housing bodies are:

• Whether it's providing warm, high quality new-build housing, lower level preventative services such as adaptations and Care and Repair, or building capacity in local communities, the housing sector plays a crucial role in the achievement of national outcomes on health and social care. The proposed integration of health and social care provides a real opportunity to improve understanding about where housing fits in and how important it is.

• Housing can play an increasingly important strategic role in setting out the overall housing needs of older people and others who require care and support. We welcome the requirement that health and social care joint commissioning plans must include a statement outlining the role of housing and housing services in improving health and social care outcomes for people.

• Given the importance of people’s homes in achieving national health and social care outcomes, and the contribution that the housing sector already makes, we are unanimously of the view that the governance and management of the new Health and Social Care Partnerships should incorporate formal requirements for collaboration with housing. We believe this would best be achieved through a non-voting position on the partnership boards, and housing sector representation in local planning arrangements.

(CD/GK)