Tag: Hanover Scotland

Hanover CEO calls for UK budget windfall to fund housing and care

Scottish Government urged to prioritise investment in essential services for older people

HANOVER Scotland’s CEO, Angela Currie, is urging the Scottish Government to allocate part of the new £3.4 billion funding from the UK Budget towards critical investments in social care and housing.

The budget announcement from Chancellor Rachel Reeves marked a significant increase in devolved funds, and Angela emphasises that a strategic portion of this must be directed towards empowering older adults to live safely and independently.

With a rapidly aging population, Angela warns that overlooking these essential services will only exacerbate existing pressures on Scotland’s healthcare and social systems.

Angela said: “Our first priority must be restoring the adaptation budget to its previous levels. This funding is essential for making homes safer and accessible for older adults.

“Secondly is to close the gap in subsidies for new-build social housing, enabling us to construct more affordable homes.

“Lastly, we need robust investment in social care, which is crucial for supporting our aging communities and preventing undue strain on health services.

“Investing wisely in these areas is not just beneficial but essential for a sustainable and compassionate future.”

Angela highlights that this comprehensive approach will have a long-term impact, reducing the costly burden on the NHS and enhancing the quality of life for older adults.

The need for investment is underscored by recent budget cuts that have severely impacted housing adaptation funding. The Scottish Government slashed this budget by 25%, from £11 million to £8.245 million, leaving housing associations like Hanover Scotland in a difficult position.

This reduction means older and disabled residents risk being trapped in unsafe homes or hospital beds, contributing to bed-blocking and intensifying pressure on healthcare services.

Angela said: “The modest investment required to make homes safe pales in comparison to the enormous cost of hospital stays and long-term care.

“Without adequate funding, we risk further overwhelming our health and social care systems.

“Our mission is to empower older adults to live with dignity and independence, but the current funding situation is making that increasingly difficult.

“We are calling on the Scottish Government to act now and prioritise social care and housing. This isn’t just about housing; it’s about health, safety, and the wellbeing of our communities.”

Hanover Scotland, which manages more than 4,500 homes, has been a trusted provider of housing for older adults since 1979. The organisation has been at the forefront of innovation, from pioneering sheltered accommodation to participating in urban renewal projects that promote independent living.

Graceful granny celebrates 70 years of performance

Edinburgh local attends her 18th Fringe Festival after seven decades of performing arts

A CELEBRATED 77-year-old performer is marking a milestone as she gears up for her 18th appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, proving that passion for the arts knows no age.

Elizabeth Frances Dell, fondly known as Lyzzie, has been captivating audiences since she was seven.

Now at 77, she continues to shine, delighting thousands of art lovers annually as a dedicated member of the Edinburgh People’s Theatre.

Despite facing a stroke five years ago, Lyzzie has remained undeterred, continuing to audition and perform.

The former teacher and nurse is set to showcase her talents in the Scottish comedy ‘Ne’er the Twain’ at this year’s Fringe Festival.

Reflecting on her journey, Lyzzie said: “I went to the Stage School of Dance when I was seven and that was when I first started getting involved in the arts, from tap dancing and singing to pantomime and Scots comedy, but I truly love all forms of theatre.

“It must have been about 2006 when I started going to the Fringe shows. Even when I’m not on stage, I’m involved in some capacity.

“I really don’t know how many auditions I’ve done because they’re not always successful and you have to accept that. The director knows who would be best for the play, and it’s about fitting in with the whole picture. So, I’m quite happy.

“If I don’t get the part, I’ll do front of house, backstage, or anything else. It’s the teamwork that makes a play work.”

Her latest production Ne’er the Twain – an historical comedy about the amalgamation of Leith and Edinburgh – is running throughout the Fringe at Mayfield Salisbury Church.

Lyzzie said: “It takes place when Edinburgh is going to be amalgamated with Leith and of course Leith didn’t want it, and I learned the history from this.

“When Edinburgh wanted Leith to join up, there was a referendum in Leith and the Leithers just said, ‘absolutely no chance.’ However, Westminster overruled and that is how Leith became part of Edinburgh

“I play Nellie, she’s the old auntie in it and she’s got wee bit secrets to her bow, but she’s a bit of a rogue.”

Lyzzie also puts on regular community performances from shows for the homeless to routines in numerous churches, as well as outdoor performances such as the Edinburgh Easter Play with Cutting Edge Theatre.

None more so benefit from the Edinburgh local’s creativity than the tenants at Hanover Scotland’s Roseburn Court, where Lyzzie has lived for more than 17 years – making her the development’s longest residing tenant.

Lyzzie added: “I’ve been here 17 and a half years, and truthfully, I didn’t want to come at first, but it was the right thing to do. It’s a lovely place to live and I look right onto Roseburn Park and it’s just a nice place to be.

“I’m very lucky to be here. Anytime I have needed help they’ve been tremendously supportive. That’s part of the joy of living here knowing that if anything happens, I will get help and my family doesn’t need to worry. It takes the worry off their shoulders. It’s lovely.

“They have also allowed me to embrace my creative spirit, I help put on regular performances for the other tenants that live here and it really does create a closeknit community.”

Lyzzie hopes that she can continue entertaining people on the stage in whatever capacity she can. She said: “As long as somebody wants me, I’ll do it.

“Whether I am out there performing or helping with props or costumes I just love being involved and putting on a show. Drama is just a very special place to be, it’s just full of amazing characters.”

Tickets for Ne’er the Twain can be purchased on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival website here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/ne-er-the-twain

Hanover Scotland, a pioneering non-profit organisation founded in 1979, empowers independence by providing safe and secure social housing, enabling residents to live fulfilling, independent lives.

With more than 4,500 homes throughout Scotland, Hanover Scotland supports older adults in vibrant local communities.

Guided by values of respect, accountability, collaboration, and inclusion, Hanover Scotland continues to provide excellent, affordable, and modern housing services to meet the diverse needs of its tenants.

To find out more about Hanover Scotland, please visit: https://bit.ly/HanoverScotland

To find out more about Edinburgh People’s Theatre, please visit: https://ept.org

Housing associations ‘an untapped resource’ in delivery of health and social care

A new report has concluded that housing is an untapped resource which could help Health and Social Care Boards engage better with older people, delivering more effective services as a result.

In the report published today, one of Scotland’s leading housing associations outlines the importance of going beyond traditional methods of engagement.  Instead, it highlights importance of understanding the emotional needs of people and the networks which exist within communities.  This information helps achieve better outcomes such as increasing happiness and reducing loneliness and isolation.

Hanover Scotland has published the report, Connecting Communities, after completing an action research project to understand how the organisation, staff and residents can work with local communities to help people live the lives they want.

It comes just a few weeks after a report by Audit Scotland highlighted that “More work needs to be done to engage with local communities when making changes to health and social care services.”

Hanover believes the methodology and findings of its own research could provide a template for use in health and social care and wants to see housing organisations more closely involved in the process in future.

As part of the research, a group of Hanover staff were trained to use a relationship-centred approach as developed by Professor Mike Nolan at the University of Sheffield.  This describes the need for a sense of security; a sense of continuity; a sense of belonging; a sense of purpose; a sense of fulfilment and; a sense of significance.

Using these principles, the Hanover research team, led by the Chief Executive, was able to gain an insight in to the networks and connections that exist in local communities and what prompts positive emotional responses from people.

The relationships that have been formed and the information gathered will be used to shape Hanover’s future work and demonstrates how housing organisations could be a gateway for health and social care bodies to improve their own engagement and deliver better outcomes.

The four conclusions of Hanover’s report were:

  • The home is fundamental to the wellbeing of people and the sustainability of communities. Housing is key to all efforts to integrate and improve health and wellbeing.
  • Engagement with older people when shaping services must improve and consider the emotional motivations and needs of individuals to better understand the networks and support which exists within communities.
  • Housing organisations are an untapped resource without which it will be more difficult for IJBs to achieve better health and social care outcomes as outlined by Audit Scotland.
  • It is essential that housing organisations be offered the opportunity to be fully included in the ongoing integration of health and social care.

Helen Murdoch, Chief Executive of Hanover Scotland, said: “Housing organisations are the gateway through which health and social care bodies can provide outcomes to help people live the lives they want.

“For 40 years, Hanover Scotland has pioneered progressive models of housing and care that support older people to enjoy full and active lives and I am very proud that our team was able to undertake this research throughout our anniversary year.  It has taken us across Scotland to speak to people and to a global conference where we were invited to share some of our early findings.

“What our detailed discussions with our residents have given us is a deep understanding of what kind of service they want from us and how we can go about doing that.  As a result, this research is going to shape Hanover’s services for years to come.

“We do not pretend to have all the answers but it seems clear to me that were housing organisations included more closely in the integration of health and social care in the future, we could use this kind of model to improve engagement with local communities and deliver better, more effective services across the country.”

First for Scotland as Hanover launches online discussion group?

hanover

Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association has launched a new Facebook group for their residents, their friends and relatives to share news, views and useful tips and to ask any questions they may have about Hanover’s services.

‘Hanover Blether’ went live on Monday 29 August 2016 and was made a reality after a resident suggested it would be beneficial to have an online ‘hub’ to connect with other Hanover residents and to share their experiences, news about the local community, events and group activities as well as allowing their friends and family to easily interact with their loved ones.

The group is thought to be the first of its kind in Scotland and although it is maintained jointly by Hanover staff and Hanover residents, the group is completely independent and residents are encouraged to share their views on the organisation and about life in Hanover properties, good or bad.

The group also provides another, more informal, way for residents to get in touch with Hanover directly and to ask anything about the organisation and their tenancy. Hanover noted that the group was not to be used in emergencies or to report a repair, when the usual channels should be used.

Hanover resident, Patrick O’Shea, the brains behind the group said: “I thought it would be a good idea to give Hanover residents a platform to raise issues that they may have and to find out about the problems and experiences of other residents. I also felt that there are many good reasons for staying in Hanover and we should talk about those as well.”

Helen Murdoch, Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association Chief Executive, said: “I’m absolutely delighted Hanover Blether is up and running and look forward to seeing the tremendous benefits it will bring to both ourselves and to our Facebook users.

“Resident engagement is a key strategic priority for Hanover. More and more of our service users, their carers and their relatives are online, and Facebook is a great way to communicate, which will in turn help us to work closely with those people we engage with to improve our services. It will also provide a great forum for our residents to share tips and get to know each other.”

Social housing boost as Hanover secures bank deal

Hanover Scotland secures £40m in first-of-it’s-kind deal

rose park

Hanover Scotland has secured a £40m funding facility in an innovative agreement which is the first of its kind in the social housing sector. The transaction, which combines a linked revolving credit facility and private placement, was arranged by Bank of Scotland.

The funding will be used to support the ongoing development plans of Hanover, which manages 5,000 properties on 200 developments across Scotland, with a particular focus on housing for older people. Hanover’s business plan includes a goal of building at least 40 new units each year.

It has secured a new five-year, £20m revolving credit facility (RCF) from Bank of Scotland, with whom it has had a relationship for almost 20 years.

At the same time, the housing association has also agreed a £20m private placement, funded by an institutional investor. This finance, which will be drawn down in 2018 and mature in 2048, will be used to repay the RCF, which will itself be adjusted to £5m in 2018.

The structure of the facility is the first of its kind in the social housing sector as the RCF and private placement are formally linked and share the same security. Meanwhile, the mix of short-term funding from the RCF combined with a longer-dated private placement provides Hanover with a flexible finance package tailored to its ongoing needs.

helen murdoch

Helen Murdoch, Chief Executive of Hanover Scotland, (pictured above) said:  “The versatility of the structured borrowing fully meets our planning requirements. Hanover has an established history in providing high quality affordable housing for the elderly and this funding will enable us to continue to meet our ambitions to provide much needed new homes.

It is clear that Bank of Scotland fully understand our sector. We believe that our arrangement provides good value for money for our existing and future residents, which is extremely important and is our ultimate goal.”

The RCF was arranged by Bank of Scotland’s dedicated social housing team, while the private placement was handled by the bank’s debt capital markets team.

Marc Ward, relationship manager in the social housing team at Bank of Scotland, said: “This is a tailored, innovative solution which meets the long-term funding needs of Hanover Scotland while also providing short-term liquidity to support its development goals. We believe the structure – combining a conventional revolving credit facility with a private placement – is the first of its kind in the sector.

“Meanwhile, the dual role on this transaction played by our sector-focussed social housing team and our colleagues in debt capital markets demonstrates the breadth of our offering to clients.

“These are transformative times for housing associations as the funding environment continues to shift around them. This deal, which includes securing funding from a blue-chip institutional investor, underlines that the investment community continues to place great value on the social housing sector and the crucial role it plays in the UK.”

Hanover was founded in 1979 and is today Scotland’s leading housing association for older people, with local developments in Stockbridge and Trinity. Its head office is in MacDonald Road and it also has offices in Glasgow and Elgin.