Housing services and integrated health and social care: housing advice note

1. Introduction

1.1. The Scottish Ministers consider it essential that housing services are coordinated with health and social care in order to achieve joined-up, person-centred approaches.

1.2. The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 establishes the legal framework for integrating health and social care in Scotland. The Act requires each Health Board and Local Authority to delegate some of its functions to an Integration Authority. One of the aims is to address challenges associated with the current health and social care system in Scotland, including the need to respond to an ageing population which will put increasing strain on demand led services and budgets. A key aim of integration is to shift the balance of care from acute to community-based settings, and to ensure services and resources can be used more flexibly to better meet need, including through earlier intervention to take future demand out of the system.

1.3. Secondary Legislation and Guidance, including advice notes, support the arrangements for integrating health and social care, in order to improve outcomes for patients, service users, carers and their families. This Housing Advice Note ( HAN) is statutory guidance to Integration Authorities, Health Boards and Local Authorities under the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 . It applies especially to the preparation of Integration Authorities' Strategic Commissioning Plans, which must include a Housing Contribution Statement (see section 7). It is also of relevance to Local Authorities in their role as the strategic housing and planning authority, and to other housing organisations such as Housing Associations ^[1] .