Who we are About Us About Us Care & Repair England has now closed down and this website is an archive. for details see here The closure of Care & Repair England has absolutely no impact on the continuation of local Care & Repair Agencies, which are all separate legal entities -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Care & Repair England was a national charitable organisation which believed that all older people should be able to live independently and well in their own homes for as long as they choose. We know that many older people need practical help with home repairs and adaptations and so one of our aims is to increase the availability of local, practical housing services that can make living in a decent home possible for everyone. Our special focus is on older people living in poor or unsuitable homes which they own We promote provision of practical housing services that can improve health, wellbeing and independence We work with, and not just for, older people We seek to improve housing and related policy and practice by working with older people themselves to influence change Care & Repair England is a small, independent, charitable society [Registered Society with Charitable Status No. 25121R] which operates on charitable grants and donations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our story We were set up in 1986 by Shelter and the Housing Associations Charitable Trust (Hact) to improve housing for older people and we are still working towards that aim. During the 80s and 90s Care & Repair England took the 'Home Improvement Agency' model of delivering practical housing help for older people from a fringe activity to mainstream provision. Since then Care & Repair England has continued to pioneer and promote a wide range of housing help for older people e.g. Grants for home adaptations - provision of Disabled Facilities Grants Financial help with essential home repairs - introduction of means tested grants for both larger works of renovation and minor works for low income home owners during the 1990s Handyperson services - innovative model of providing older people low cost help with small jobs, run by local agencies. Impartial information & advice about housing, care and finance - ranging from adaptations to moving home options. Housing and Health linked services - an early pioneer of integrating housing help into health and care systems and settings. At a policy level Care & Repair England has played an important role in development of national legislation that has helped low income older owner occupiers, including well-targeted grants and loans for home renovation, minor works assistance, home adaptations and community equipment. It has also helped to secure policy recognition that the majority of older people live in mainstream housing and most wish to live for as long as possible in ordinary homes, usually their current home, and made the crucial connections to health and care policies.