Closed call for evidence

Older People's Housing Taskforce - call for evidence

Published 24 July 2023

Applies to England

Introduction

Currently there are 12.4 million people in Great Britain aged over 65 (18% of the population). By 2041, this is projected to rise to 20.4 million (26% of the population). But many older people live in homes that do not support them to live a safe, healthy and independent later life. We want to address that and ensure that all older people have access to appropriate and attractive housing solutions - now and in the future.

The Older People’s Housing Taskforce has been set up to further understand the market in England for older people’s housing today and make recommendations for shaping it in the future - particularly for those of lower and middle incomes. This includes broadening provision and choice for older people, including supporting them to continue living in their current home if they wish to do so. The taskforce will also examine the issues faced by older people when seeking to move into more appropriate or specialist housing, and how these can be addressed.

The taskforce is chaired by Professor Julienne Meyer CBE and brings together a team of experts to support the development of this crucial work. Read more about the taskforce and its membership.

The taskforce will provide recommendations to ministers in 2024.

Background

We are holding this call for evidence to provide a dedicated opportunity for organisations to contribute evidence, insight and advice on priorities that the taskforce should consider.

We are also asking respondents to share published research and work they may have previously developed.

This will enable the taskforce to develop a broad understanding of respondents’ priorities and the key evidence. We can then follow up with respondents for a more in-depth discussion on key issues where helpful.

This exercise is aimed at organisations rather than individual members of the public. The taskforce will be hosting a range of other work to ensure that the views of people with lived experience are at the heart of its work.

Summary of questions

We have split the work of the taskforce into 3 workstreams:

• people
• products
• places

We welcome your views on each.

1. People

This workstream is focused on understanding what people want, what they prefer, and what concerns they might have about their housing, now or in the future. This includes older people (particularly those of lower or middle income), those approaching older age, and their families and carers.   

We want to understand how this might differ - and what additional barriers might exist - on the basis of (for example):

• financial means
• gender
• race
• religion or belief
• sexual orientation
• those living with dementia
• those in rural communities

We want to generate recommendations for how people can be supported to understand the full range of choices available to them, and are empowered to make those choices. 

In this context you will be asked to respond to 2 questions.

What are the most important issues the taskforce should seek to address? (maximum 250 words)

Do you have specific recommendations for the taskforce to consider? (maximum 250 words)

2. Products

This workstream is examining what ‘good’ looks like in dedicated older people’s housing and how we can make this more widely available - particularly for people of lower or middle income.   

This includes the:

• type of housing
• design quality
• fabric of the home

It also includes the use of smart technology to aid independent living (whether in specialised or mainstream housing). 

The workstream is also examining how we improve consumer confidence with the tenure models they need (at a range of affordability levels). 

In this context you will be asked to respond to 2 questions.

What are the most important issues the taskforce should seek to address? (maximum 250 words)

Do you have specific recommendations for the taskforce to consider? (maximum 250 words)

3. Places

This workstream is examining how to bring together the levers and partners in local systems to make change happen at the local level. This includes:

• how to open up investment to increase the volume and diversity of housing options for older people of lower and middle income
• consideration of wider market conditions that impact investment in housing - for example planning rules and local factors

In this context you will be asked to respond to 2 questions.

What are the most important issues the taskforce should seek to address? (maximum 250 words)

Do you have specific recommendations for the taskforce to consider? (maximum 250 words)

Share supporting research and evidence

The survey allows you to upload published research, reports or case studies which you think the taskforce would find helpful.

Please do not upload information that could identify an individual or member of the public.

How to respond

The easiest way to respond to the call for evidence is by completing the online survey.

If you have any further questions regarding this call for evidence or the taskforce, please contact oph@levellingup.gov.uk. Do not send any personal information or evidence to this email address.

Please submit all responses by 11:59pm on 18 September 2023.

Privacy notice

Summary of initiative or policy

The Older People’s Housing Taskforce has been set up to further understand the market in England for older people’s housing today and make recommendations for shaping it in the future - particularly for those of lower and middle incomes. This includes broadening provision and choice for older people, including supporting them to continue living in their current home if they wish to do so. The taskforce will also examine the issues faced by older people when seeking to move into more appropriate or specialist housing, and how these can be addressed.

We are holding this call for evidence to provide a dedicated opportunity for organisations to contribute evidence, insight and advice on priorities that the taskforce should consider.

We are also asking respondents to share published research and work they may have previously developed.

This will enable the taskforce to develop a broad understanding of respondents’ priorities and the key evidence. We can then follow up with respondents for a more in-depth discussion on key issues where helpful.

This exercise is aimed at organisations rather than individual members of the public. The taskforce will be hosting a range of other work to ensure that the views of people with lived experience are at the heart of its work.

Data controller

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) will be joint data controllers.

What personal data we collect

We will be collecting the following information from respondents:

• what sector they work in
• what organisation they are responding on behalf of
• the name and regional location of the organisation their email address (optional)

How we use your data (purposes)

The personal data we collect might be used to contact respondents individually for further discussions if necessary.

Legal basis for processing personal data

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are:

• Article 6 (1)(e) Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller

Data processors and other recipients of personal data

The call for evidence survey will be run via a third-party platform, SurveyOptic. The data collected by SurveyOptic will not be shared outside the chair of the taskforce and the secretariat of the taskforce. The taskforce secretariat is made up of DHSC and DLUHC members of staff.

International data transfers and storage locations

All data will be stored in the UK. We have security procedures in place to make sure your information is safe and to make sure it doesn’t get lost or accessed by anyone who doesn’t need to see it.

Retention and disposal policy

Data will be retained for the length of this review; it is due to conclude in May 2024.

How we keep your data secure

All data will be stored within the DHSC and DLUHC’s secure systems and in line with both organisations’ data protection rules and security procedures which are in place to make sure your information is safe and to make sure it doesn’t get lost or accessed by anyone who doesn’t need to see it.

Your rights as a data subject

By law, data subjects have a number of rights and this processing does not take away or reduce these rights under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679) and the UK Data Protection Act 2018 applies.

These rights are:

1. The right to get copies of information - individuals have the right to ask for a copy of any information about them that is used.

2. The right to get information corrected - individuals have the right to ask for any information held about them that they think is inaccurate, to be corrected

3. The right to limit how the information is used - individuals have the right to ask for any of the information held about them to be restricted, for example, if they think inaccurate information is being used.

4. The right to object to the information being used - individuals can ask for any information held about them to not be used. However, this is not an absolute right, and continued use of the information may be necessary, with individuals being advised if this is the case.

5. The right to get information deleted - this is not an absolute right, and continued use of the information may be necessary, with individuals being advised if this is the case.

Comments or complaints

Anyone unhappy or wishing to complain about how personal data is used as part of this programme, should contact data_protection@dhsc.gov.uk in the first instance or write to:

Data Protection Officer
1st Floor North
39 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0EU

Anyone who is still not satisfied can complain to the Information Commissioners Office. Their website address is www.ico.org.uk and their postal address is:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Automated decision making or profiling

No decision will be made about individuals solely based on automated decision making (where a decision is taken about them using an electronic system without human involvement) which has a significant impact on them.

Changes to this policy

This privacy notice is kept under regular review, and new versions will be available on our privacy notice page on our website. This privacy notice was last updated on 24 July 2023.