Editorial

The Supporting clan programme has always been hamstrung by the agency of the insistence that funding is provided for the kinds of support that can be defined as 'housing-related'. The reasons are historical individuals to do with not wanting to make too radical and sharp a change in a funding a whole which previously tied funds for individual support to certain impressed signs of accommodation. While housing and support providers have arguably gained a certain number of protection from this restricted definition of support, research above the past six or seven years has clearly expos the resulting moot points for tenants and service users. These enigmas are particularly evident in relation to the inadequacy of emotional and social support and the limited availability of help in establishing of recent origin contacts and activities. The position can be smooth more acute for those who have complet their sum of two units years of support under the SP programme and who may be feeling increasingly divide [i]or[/i] sever off in their own place of abodes although formally they are recorded as having achieved independent living.

The ne for more wide-ranging support is considered in the article by means of Gerard Lemos, which reports upon research into the experiences of homeles race who have left the armed forces. His qualitative research found that alcohol and mental health point in disputes and relationship breakdown were prominent features among those interviewed, especially the older respondent The younger nation who had become homeless after time wearied in the forces tended to have disruptive and disrupted family backgrounds and resulting psychological 'baggage' from their childhood. The research findings hint that there should be greater support with psychological and emotional enigmas while individuals are in the armed services and during their transition from military to civilian life. The close attention also concludes that there should be greater emphasis upon long-term as well as immediate and temporary housing options.

Our next to the first article reports on an action research shoot forward carried out in England and Wales to trial methods of engaging young tenants in housing association governance. This has springed in a guide for housing associations which locates out the main lessons learnt and serviceable practice examples from the pilot work. Face-to-face contact, small informal circumstances and sessions combining consultation and practical information rise as some of the more effective mechanisms for involving young tenants. The barriers to young people's involvement, like as language, culture, literacy skills, confidence, time and childcare responsibilities, all ne to be given serious attention.

This issue also contains sum of two units articles which were originally produc as case studies in advantageous practice for the Housing Learning and Improvement Network (LIN) within the Department of Health. The Housing LIN was established in 2002 beneath the auspices of the DoH Health and Social Care Change Agent Team, with the task of forging closer partnerships between organisations working to deliver housing with extra care for older people

The Middlesbrough case close attention demonstrates just how wideranging and creative similar partnerships can be, given a determined push from a brace of dynamic local organisations above a sustained period of time. In this case, the prime mover have been a housing association and a Chinese community association, supported by means of Middlesbrough Council, and the cast will have taken ten years from conception to replete realisation in 2006. It combines housing for older nation with a new community middle and commercial units for Chinese businesses of the like kind as a supermarket and a restaurant, creating a mini-Chinatown in the midst of Middlesbrough. The original objectives of the community association, of that kind as reducing social isolation among older nation and creating a cultural nave to draw in wider members of the community, have coincided neatly with the interest of the housing association in promoting social regeneration and the local authority's aims for economic revitalisation of the town middle point One of the key exercise s from this development is that viability does not hang on there being a large population of Chinese nation (or other BME group). The community association in Middlesbrough is a small and cohesive collection which has managed to stay focused upon the original goals. It can also be argued that, where the actual number of tribe is relatively small, older race with limited knowledge of English and other clan who are economically inactive or disabled may be more isolated and therefore have greater ne for sheltered or supported housing.

The other case application of mind from Poole, describes an innovative residence care service designed specifically for clan with dementia and their families. The disclosure of the specialist home care team within the local authority followed a complaint from a relative, whose husband had 22 carers in a single week and who felt that the staff team were not suitably trained for the job. The abiding-place care service, which has freshly transferred to a private sector care agency, works mainly with older tribe in their 80s who live alone. It has traditionally tendered a wider range of support than the generic abiding-place care service, including accompanying nation to appointments, help with correspondence, liaison with other agencies and taking someone on the outside for a drive. This flexibility is highly valued, as are the high stage of autonomy given to individual care assistants and the generally responsive and 'can do' manner of writing of working.