What we will do for Communities and Older People

What we will do for Children and Families
What we will do for Communities and Older People | What we will do for the Economy
What we will do to make the Council more Effective and Efficient
What we will do for our Environment

Developing a 5-year action plan to meet Highland's housing needs

A recent housing study undertaken for the Council has highlighted a chronic and persistent lack of affordable housing in the Highlands. It also shows that due to high house prices and low incomes less than a third of new households in the Highlands (29%) have enough money to buy housing. The Council is drawing up a five-year action plan which will set out how it will tackle this and other challenges. The study highlighted that around 8,000 new houses need to be built over the next five years to house all those who want to make a new home for themselves. If these houses aren't built then this will lead to increased housing costs; people being unable to live in the area (which will weaken our economy and jeopardise jobs) and put more pressure on rented housing. The study also showed that around 4,500 of these new houses need to be `affordable', such as housing association or council rented housing. Nairn, Skye and Lochalsh, West Ross and Mid Ross are under the greatest pressure for affordable housing. Lochaber, Inverness and Badenoch and Strathspey are the next most pressured.

There are more than 11,000 households on Highland's Housing Register. The majority of them have been awarded points because they have housing needs. The Council and Highland's housing associations allocate their houses to people who are in the most housing need. Last year, more than 1,400 households were provided with social rented housing through the register. The Council, with Highland's housing associations, has been one of Scotland's most successful providers, providing 2,000 new affordable homes in communities right across Highland over the last 6 years. Private housing developers have also helped by providing a proportion of affordable housing on their larger developments. However, the Council expects that there will be much less money from the Government and from lenders to build new affordable housing over the next few years.

At Kildary, East Ross, new properties are being built which offer the latest in energy-conscious construction, using sustainable materials and local resources.

Tenant Groups Help to Shape New Strategy for Housing in the Highlands

Tenant housing group representatives from across the Highlands have been working with the Council to produce a new strategy that puts tenant involvement and communication very much at the centre of future housing service delivery and development. The strategy aims to improve opportunities for tenant participation across Highland and develop and maintain effective working relationships to progress the design and delivery of housing services. In the Highlands, there are currently 20 registered tenant organisations. In addition, 200 individual tenants have registered their interest to be kept informed in greater detail of developments and given the opportunity to contribute to consultations.

Return of Council House building?

The Council is awaiting the outcome of a bid to the Scottish Government to reintroduce Council house building after an absence of 14 years. We have submitted a £1.275 million funding bid to support the construction of 51 houses at Caol, Dingwall, Invergordon, Nairn and Tain.

Success of Council's Trainee and Apprentice Scheme

The number of trainees and apprentices employed by The Highland Council is already exceeding the target of 200 set by the Administration for March 2011. 203 trainees and apprentices are now on the Council's books and this number is expected to rise to 231 by the end of next year.

At present, the Council employs 47 full time and 2 summer trainees, 28 apprentices, 18 graduate trainees and 108 probationer teachers and work will continue to develop more opportunities for young people. In total, the Council employs 824 staff under the age of 25.

The Council is keen to recognise the hard work and commitment of trainees and apprentices and has introduced an award as part of its annual Quality Awards event. This year's winner is graduate planner, Simon Hindson.

Caithness Boost

The Council is a key partner in the Caithness and Sutherland Regeneration Partnership and one project under way is at Pulteneytown in Wick, where we have approved £300,000 of funding towards the £1.5 million project to build 11 properties on derelict land. The Town House at Thurso is also proving a huge success in its new role as a visitor attraction and community hub and the regeneration of the town has been enhanced by environmental improvements.

Free Personal and Nursing Care

The Council has confirmed its commitment to the continuing implementation of free personal and nursing care.

The Council will meet recently-issued guidance, which seeks a commitment to deliver personal and nursing care services to older people within a maximum period of six weeks following the identification of need.

Free personal and nursing care, as services to people in their own homes area, are delivered free without financial assessment. Approximately 80% of all care at home is now free personal care.

The Council is also supporting 411 people in care homes with free personal and nursing care allowances at an estimated cost of £3,669,000 per year.

Modernising Care at Home

The modernisation of care at home is a critical element in the enhancement of all community care services presently being led by Highland Council and NHS Highland. We appreciate the value of home care to individuals and their families. We know that most people want to be supported to live healthily and happily in their own homes, rather than move into residential care. We also know that most people want that support to help enable them to do things for themselves, not to have everything done for them. To date, the Council has invested an additional £3m, and it is investing a further £1m next year. This means that big improvements have been made, with 10,000 hours of home care being delivered every week to around 2300 people. That involves an increase of 1800 hours every week over the last 18 months, and increases of up to 15% in evening and weekend provision _ which is when people often need it most. There have also been enhancements in home carers' rates of pay.

There is still much to be done though, involving a further stage of improvements. We are increasing the capacity in the independent sector and streamlining and speeding up assessment processes. We also need to fully develop and put in place new and sustainable staffing and management structures within the local authority.

At the present time, we are in the middle of the change process. In many ways, this is the most challenging of times. Some new systems have been put in place in some parts of the authority, but additional and improved services have still to be established in other areas _ indeed, we now know that to achieve this objective, there will have to be further developments across all of the Council area. We will need to have discussions with staff and the trade unions about this, and we will need to consult with service users and their representatives.

There are some considerable challenges that will have to be addressed. It is important that we establish modernised home care services that meet complex needs and assist people to be supported to live at home. We are committed to delivering this across all Highland communities.