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The Department of Health's Partnerships for Older People scheme has allocated some of its £60m to support councils, working with health and the independent sector, to focus on ways to divert older people from emergency hospital admission.

Former social care minister Stephen Ladyman said half of hospital emergency admissions were of older people and many were avoidable. But the National Service Framework for Older People has been hampered by a lack of funds for prevention until recently.

As a service manager and practice teacher in the care and support sector, I integrate national initiatives into policy that can deliver services which drive forward good practice.

Sheltered housing offers an environment where seven of the eight objectives of the framework can play a significant role in preventive planning. The context can be seen in standard two: "NHS and social care services treat older people as individuals and enable them to make choices about their own care. This is achieved through the single assessment process, integrated commissioning arrangements and integrated provision of services, including community equipment and continence services."

Also sheltered housing, as a community resource, can offer commissioners innovative environments for setting up new service partnerships.

Support workers in sheltered housing often challenge poor practice. At Epic Trust we use the General Social Care Council's code of practice to inform support staff of what can be expected of care workers. We also require support staff to meet the NSF standards to develop a consistency of expectations and accountability. I have found this helps care and support providers to understand each other's roles.


Health and well-being is a key outcome for Supporting People. Effective interagency protocols to enable access to buildings and services bring considerable benefits for service users, for staff and for organisations who are frequently asked to demonstrate joint working.

Support services can be effective for vulnerable older people and can bridge the gap between care and support sectors.

I find that effective co-ordination and interagency working ensures that support, personal domiciliary care, medical care and supported housing can be partners to enable vulnerable older people to obtain community facilities and empower them to have choice, independence and participation.

Putting people first can overcome blockages and make systems work together to drive person-centred individual care and support plans.

Meic Phillips is assistant director of Epic Trust, a care and support provider in London