Thought Leadership on Housing and Ageing

25^th April 2013

ResPublica to feature in Hanover Housing's think piece project

To celebrate their 50th birthday, Hanover Housing has invited ten leading think tanks to write a thought-provoking piece to prompt a fresh look on housing and ageing. The ‘Hanover@50 Debate’ will inform Hanover’s new vision – to be launched at the end of 2013.

Authored by Research Associate, and Chief Executive of Shared Lives, Alex Fox, ResPublica’s piece will identify the limitations of service interventions in helping older people to build ‘good lives’. It will argue that the emerging focus on rights and entitlements to resources within the social care system has not yet been matched by recognition of people’s needs to form relationships and to feel a sense of responsibility for others, and that this failure – the failure to recognise the importance of inter-dependence, as well as independence – may have been felt most acutely by older people.

The policy paper, which will include a series of radical and thought-provoking recommendations, will be launched in June of this year, and made available through Hanover Housing’s microsite and as a ‘Green Paper’ available for download from ResPublica’s website.

Join the debate through the #hanover50 hashtag on Twitter, and by leaving a comment on the microsite.

Bruce Moore, Chief Executive, Hanover Housing, said:

“The new social and economic realities of the UK mean we can’t carry on doing what we’ve always done… The Hanover@50 debate aims to face challenges head-on – even if that means asking difficult questions.”

Caroline Julian, Senior Researcher and Project Manager, said:

“ResPublica welcomes the opportunity for thought leadership and debate within such an important area of policy. With reforms to social care well underway, the time is right to critically assess the current system, and profile policy innovations that can truly tailor services to those in need and harness older people’s vital skills and responsibilities.”

For further information about this project, please contact Caroline Julian, Senior Researcher and Project Manager, at caroline.julian@respublica.org.uk.

---