Dr Jacqueline Aneen Campbell, Shelter Cymru
Rhyan Berrigan, Disability Wales
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Lack of suitable adapted and accessible
properties
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Social housing often ‘falling short’
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Suitable housing needed for disabled people to
have independence, choice and control
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An AHR is a register that:
·
identifies disabled people in need of
accessible homes;
·
identifies accessible properties, their
location and characteristics; and
·
enables effective matching of people and
suitable homes.
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The review was undertaken between July 2012 and
December 2012
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Primary data collection with stakeholders and service
users
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Questionnaires, interviews, focus groups ( social
landlords and wider stakeholders), document analysis
and telephone calls
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Peer Researchers
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All local authorities have a matching process
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Fourteen local authorities told us that there is an
AHR in the local authority area
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Variation – between AHRs and matching systems
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Survey responses
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Variation in interpretation
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Incorporated into the Common Housing Register
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Main rationale was to make best use of existing
resources and being better able to match the
housing needs of disabled people with available
accommodation
Less than two fifths were influenced by Welsh
Government policy
Backing and support across local authority
boundaries using existing good practice.
Mandatory AHR?
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Benefits and impact:
ensuring that adapted properties are retained for
the use of disabled people
ensuring that disabled people are being rehoused
in sustainable tenancies
Ensure disabled people aren’t housed/left housed
in unsuitable accommodation
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AHR:
an effective system for identifying
accessible/adapted/adaptable properties and ensuring
they are available to those who need them
receive specialist training in matching people to their
accessible home and feel more confident in their ability
to do so
consider a range of holistic needs
more joint working between departments and
organisations
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The majority of frontline staff who do not use an
Accessible Housing Register would like to do so in
the future.
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Service users would like to see all social landlords
use an Accessible Housing Register
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Barriers:
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restrictions in public sector spending and Housing
Benefit reforms; the cost and expertise needed;
lack of staff resource; limited housing stock;
managing expectations; lack of leadership on the
issue and changing service user needs.
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Facilitators:
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commitment and buy-in from all partners; good
record keeping and information sharing and strong
partnership working.
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Strong support but barriers identified: landlord
reluctance and security of tenure
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BUT… some success already
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Joint initiatives are needed
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AHRs should be used
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Good practice and specialism already in Wales
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Cross organisation and boundary work
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Link in with other social landlords
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Specialism
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Suggestions for social landlords:
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Service user involvement and the social model of
disability
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Partnership working and effective signposting
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Monitoring for an effective cost-benefit analysis
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Welsh Government should: continue to encourage the
use of Accessible Housing Registers and ensures their
effective operation. Encouraging cross-boundary work
will help to make best use of existing resources and
promote consistency, efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
This also includes encouraging strong leadership across
the sector to support the development of new skills and
understanding.
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Support work in the PRS
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Jacquelinec@sheltercymru.org.uk
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Dr Jacqueline Aneen Campbell
Senior Research Officer
Shelter Cymru
02920556060
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