Stress Awareness Month speaker interview with Jeremy Porteus

Housing as the foundation for improved health and wellbeing

Jeremy Porteus is a Housing 2022 speaker and chief executive of Housing LIN - a leading network for those working in housing, health and social care. In this short interview, he shares best practice insight on supporting the health and wellbeing of residents and colleagues during one of the most challenging periods the sector has ever faced. 

Why is health, wellbeing and inclusivity important for the housing sector?

The housing sector serves a diverse community with different types and levels of health and wellbeing needs. This is particularly important to remember as the pandemic exacerbates inequalities and exclusion experienced in the community. Whether poverty, poor housing conditions, health inequalities or the digital divide, as evidenced by Sir Michael Marmot in ’Build Back Fairer: The Covid-19 Marmot Review’, an affordable, safe and secure home can provide the foundation for improved health and wellbeing.

The negative impacts of the pandemic may have hit older people harder than others - can you share one or more examples of how the housing sector has supported the mental health and wellbeing of older residents?

The Housing LIN has been involved in a Big Lottery funded project that provides a good illustration of how the housing sector has supported the mental health and wellbeing of older residents. Led by the Mental Health Foundation, the ’Standing Together Cymru’ project worked with four housing associations across South East Wales, to support people in later life communities. It explored how residents coped with feeling lonely and socially isolated and the strategies adopted to improve their social networks. For example, to gain a greater level of meaningful activity, a sense of purpose or become more engaged in their local community, especially given the circumstances around the Covid-19 pandemic. It found that a shared experience of a physical condition, common interest or connecting with a group was important to maintaining physical and mental health in later life

What is one thing that you have been able to achieve within housing around mental health/wellbeing that you are most proud of?

Working from home during Covid for our organisation brought significant operational challenges managing and maintaining our network of 20,000+ Housing LIN members. While going digital, the creation of our HAPPI Hour branded webinars and virtual summit have all been a major success over the last 2 years. Team building, improving morale and alleviating stress has been equally important. One of the most adventurous things we used to boost this, when Covid restrictions permitted, was to hire a small ferry for a staff outing for a boat tour of Bristol harbour, seeing the famous SS Great Britain, historic old docks and new residential developments springing up.

What can people expect from you at Housing 2022?

I am excited to be back at this event and will be chairing one of the Specialist Housing stream sessions on technology for an ageing population. The Housing LIN champions the 10 TAPPI (Technology for our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation) principles and it’s vitally important that we embed these co-produced, person-centred principles in the way we plan, design, develop and manage all our housing. I am really looking forward to showcasing examples of innovative tech practice in the housing sector.

Where is improvement most needed in the housing sector? What issues would you like to see addressed at Housing 2022?

The word improvement is in the Housing Learning and Improvement Network’s name! Looking through the lens of housing for an ageing population, our industry needs to improve the range of housing choices for people as they age. From new specialist housing such as extra care housing, developing more age-friendly communities or retrofitting our existing mainstream homes with appropriate technology, adaptations or equipment, Housing 2022 can provide a platform to call for improvements in the quality of our housing stock for both current and future generations of older people.

Jeremy Porteus is speaking on 29 June on "Technology for an ageing population" alongside: 

• Shirley Hall, head of innovation and wellbeing, ExtraCare Charitable Trust
• Natalie Record, housing innovation lead, Connected Places Catapult
• Fiona Brown, representative, North East Association of Directors of Adults Social Care

For more content on Specialist Housing and mental health and wellbeing, view the full programme here. 

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