MoU on Health and Housing

Under the Care Act there is a requirement for closer cooperation of services that support the health and wellbeing of those who may be in need of care and support. An emphasis is placed on greater integration between health and social services to deliver more person-centred outcomes.

As part of a drive for more integration, a pioneering Health and Housing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between government departments, its agencies such as NHS England, Public Health England and the Homes and Communities Agency, was signed in 2015 by sector professional and trade bodies, including Foundations. Three years on, a new MoU was published in 2018.

Foundations provides the secretariat for the MoU – arranging and minuting meeting and providing the impetus for ongoing collaboration.

The MoU details areas of improvement where organisations will work together to:

• Establish and support national and local dialogue;
• Exchange information to support decision-making across government, health, social care and housing sectors;
• Coordinate health, social care, and housing policy;
• Enable improved collaboration and integration of healthcare and housing in the planning, commissioning and delivery of homes and services;
• Promote the housing sector contribution to addressing the wider determinants of health; health equity; improvements to patient experience; and
• Develop the workforce across sectors so that they are confident and skilled in understanding the relationship between where people live and their health and wellbeing and are able to identify suitable solutions to improve outcomes

> Health & Housing Memorandum of Understanding 2018