Anchor (housing association)
Anchor is England’s largest not-for-profit housing association, providing housing, care and support to people over 55 years old. Registered as a charity, it is one of the largest in the UK, with a turnover of £286.5 million in 2009/10.[1]
Anchor is headquartered in central London, with main offices located in Newcastle and Bradford. It employs over 10,000 people nationwide, and was awarded Investors in People status in March 2006.[2]
Its patron is Princess Alexandra.
History
Anchor was established in 1968, as Help the Aged (Oxford) Housing Association, to provide sheltered housing to older people. By 1972, the organisation had completed its first new-build properties and begun diversifying into both leasehold and rented accommodation.
The organisation became Anchor Housing Association in 1975, and launched its first care homes in 1982.
Anchor has since continued to grow its existing services and diversify into new services such as care at home, retirement villages and extra-care housing, becoming a thought-leader in caring for individuals with dementia and promoting equality for minority groups, such as LGBT groups.[3]
The organisation rebranded from Anchor Trust to Anchor in 2010, adopting a new logo and refreshed brand image to reflect the range of services on offer.
Services
Anchor currently offers four main services:
- Retirement properties to rent - Anchor lets a range of property, typically either bungalows or flats, at more than 700 sites across England. Each site is overseen by a manager, and has access to a 24-hour emergency call system. Anchor also provides a number of extra-care properties, which provide a balance of care between the standard retirement property and a care home, and 14 almshouses.
- Retirement properties to buy - Anchor manages a portfolio of more than 300 leasehold properties, with the individual owning the property and Anchor providing the necessary property management service. Anchor has in recent years responded to the growing demand for higher-quality retirement properties, with the launch of the award winning Denham Garden Village, in South Buckinghamshire, and The Laureates, in Guiseley, near Leeds.[4] The sites include a number of innovative features for retirement housing, such as spas, swimming pools, salons and cafés.
- Care homes - Anchor operates a number of care homes across England, each providing trained 24-hour nursing support. Anchor advocates the personalisation of care provision and has been politically active in promoting person-centred dementia care, for which the organisation provides specialised dementia care homes. [5] These specialised dementia homes use the latest techniques and understanding to assist individuals living with dementia, such as sensory gardens and contrasting colour schemes. 80% of Anchor’s homes were recently rated as being ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ by the Care Quality Commission.[6]
- Care at home - Anchor also runs a domiciliary care service, providing care and assistance to individuals over 50 who wish to remain living at home. Local teams of trusted carers provide a 365-day-a-year care service directly in an individual's home. Each carer is employed directly by Anchor, as opposed to being outsourced to an agency or other third party.
Governance
Anchor is governed by a trustee board of nine non-executive directors, and an executive management board of four executive directors. Anchor’s current Chief Executive, Jane Ashcroft, who also chairs the English Community Care Association, was awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Social Care award at the Great British Care Home Awards 2010 in recognition of her "...[leading] the agenda on developing quality care services across the continuum of care." [8]
The non-executive board members are:
- Aman Dalvi, OBE – Chairman. Aman Dalvi is also the Corporate Director of Development and Renewal at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and is a board member of the Olympic Park Legacy Company. [9]
- Graham Watts - Vice-Chairman, Chairman of Audit and Risk Committee
- Paul Doona - Trustee Director
- Angela Horsman - Trustee Director
- Lesley James - Trustee Director
- Chris Wood - Trustee Director
Anchor’s services are regulated by the Care Quality Commission and the Tenant Services Authority.
In 2010 the high salaries of housing association executives drew criticism from the incoming government, in particular that the highest paid executive at a housing association was the chief executive of Anchor, earning £391,000 per year.[10]
Agenda and Influence
Anchor has frequently sought to use its profile to draw attention to issues within the care environment. The organisation has published white paper documents investigating ageism on television,[11] lobbied parliament on the importance of older people's issues,[12] and sought to underline the importance of person-centred care.[13]
The organisation has recently campaigned to highlight the importance of retaining residential scheme managers at retirement properties.[14]
Anchor’s specialist Dementia Team - headed by Victoria Metcalfe, previously Care Advisor to the Alzheimer’s Society - has provided advanced training for staff. Of the Department of Health’s stated goal of 3,000 Dignity Champions nationwide, Anchor has more than 500.
As well as recognition for this training, Anchor has also received praise for its work in palliative care,[15] and nutrition and catering.[16]
References
- ^ "Anchor Trust Financial Statement 2009/10", pp. 7. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
- ^ "Stakeholder Interview - John Belcher, Anchor Trust". ePolitix.com, June 2008. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
- ^ "Show a Little Love". London: Inside Housing, October 2008. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
- ^ "Denham Green (sic) Village scoops Daily Telegraph Award". London: Housingnet News, March 2008. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
- ^ "Dementia Care Homes", anchor.org.uk. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
- ^ "Anchor Trust Annual Report 2008/09", p13. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
- ^ "Winners of the Great British Care Home Awards Announced". Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ^ "LSH's Philip Lewis appointed to board of Olympic Park Legacy Company". Retrieved 2010-11-30.
- ^ Robert Winnett, Andrew Porter, Holly Watt (2 June 2010). "Housing association chief on £400,000 a year". Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/7795905/Housing-association-chief-on-400000-a-year.html. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ^ "BBC One 'should have more over-50s', report says". London: BBC News, March 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
- ^ "Grey Vote Holds the Key to Power". Sunday Express, April 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
- ^ "Dementia Expert Victoria Metcalfe's Tips for Dealing with Dementia". London: Community Care, January 2009. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
- ^ "The Supporting People Programme". London: Communities and Local Government Committee, October 2009. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
- ^ "Building on Firm Foundations - Improving end of life care in care homes: examples of innovative practice". London: The Department of Health, June 2007, pp. 10. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
- ^ "Fresh Inspiration". London: The Guardian, May 2006. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
External links