PAPER C
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ADULT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES SELECT COMMITTEE – 18
NOVEMBER 2004 SUPPORTING PEOPLE FIVE YEAR STRATEGY REPORT OF THE
PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR ADULT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES |
REASON FOR SELECT COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
1.
It is a condition of the Supporting People (SP) grant
conditions that local authorities develop a 5 year Supporting People
Commissioning Strategy. This report
provides a position statement as to the progress in developing the strategy and
the main elements that will be contained within it.
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ACTION REQUIRED BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE Members are asked to note the current
approach to the development of the Supporting People Strategy and to review
the arrangement for a member champion for Supporting People. |
BACKGROUND
2.
The SP regime has been in operation since April
2003. Its introduction had the effect
of consolidating a number of diverse funding stressing streams for
accommodation with added support. The
SP programme is eligible only for housing-related support, rather than care-related
support.
3.
The Isle of Wight benefited significantly from the
introduction of the SP regime, with the £7.1 million provider grant represented
almost a doubling of the funding for supported housing. This has enabled the provision of services
to approximately 1300 people, through contracts with 50 providers. The funding for the costs of delivering SP
is through a combination of ODPM and Council funding. The net cost to the Council approximates to £84 per service user,
which equates to good value for money.
4.
In the relatively short time the SP programme has been
in operation, a significant amount of the team’s resource has been expended in
establishing an adequate funding framework according to the very specific requirements of the ODPM. This has more recently been extended to
include the delivery of a three-year review programme for all providers to ensure
they comply with required standards of probity, quality and effectiveness.
5.
This has required the implementation of a
sophisticated software package to adequately deliver the data requirements of
the ODPM. Although this has proved a
problem to date, this will be imminently resolved with the introduction of the
SP package from Oxford Computer Company (SPOCC).
6.
The ODPM has now indicated that all local authorities
are required to produce a 5-year strategy/ business plan by March 2005. This will be a key document which will set
out the commissioning priorities and expectations for providers and
stakeholders.
RELEVANT PLANS, POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
7.
The Council have been successful in achieving a Housing
Strategy which is deemed fit for purpose by GOSE. This forms the overarching strategy for
housing and housing-related support services on the Island. There are also three detailed service
strategies which feed into this document, which outline detailed need and
delivery issues. These are, the
Homelessness Strategy, Housing Renewal Strategy and the Supported Housing
Strategy.
8.
The first two of these have already been approved by
members; the third is currently in preparation and is directly relevant to this
report. The SP Strategy is itself, part
of the Supported Housing Strategy. The
difference is that SP relates only to housing-related support and to the
implementation of the Government’s regime.
The Supported Housing Strategy will, in addition to reflecting the SP
programme, also cover aspects of housing where residents require higher care
and support.
9.
SP is a programme with enormous potential to improve
and sustain the quality of life for the most vulnerable of the Island’s
community. There is a focus on a number
of key factors:
(a)
prevention services,
(b)
quality
(c)
cost effectiveness and
(d)
new models of service provision.
10.
The key aim
of the SP strategy is to ensure that the commissioned services fully reflect
the aims of the SP strategic commissioning partners (Isle of Wight Council, PCT
and the Probation Service). This will
be achieved by the strategic proposals being drawn up in full consultation with
key stakeholders, providers and service users.
11.
As part of
this process, a Special Needs Housing Survey has been commissioned which will
involve a comprehensive mapping exercise of supply and demand on the
Island. This will enable the
development of strategies which include priorities and action plans fully
reflect the needs of the Island community.
This survey is due to be completed by the end of December 2004.
12.
The scope of
the strategy encompasses:
·
The future overall
direction of the Supporting People programme on the Isle of Wight
·
The mapping
of unmet needs for housing related support,
·
A vehicle for
obtaining additional revenue funding for the Supporting People programme by
demonstrating gaps in services and unmet need in housing related support
services
·
Where
appropriate, to propose increases in the supply of housing related support
services for vulnerable people living on the Isle of Wight
·
A framework
for the promotion of partnership working with a range of stakeholders to enable
people to live independent and fulfilled lives within their communities
13.
The SP Strategy also complements other Isle of Wight
and broader strategies. These include, Valuing People, the National Standards
Framework for mental health and older people, initiatives through the DAT,
Domestic Violence Strategy group and Crime and Disorder Strategies. Links have also been made to the work of
Connexions and with the Learning Disability partnership Board housing strategy.
14.
Issues which will be covered by the SP Strategy
include:
(a)
A reconfiguration of sheltered housing
(b)
A reconfiguration of floating support
(c)
Review of hostel provision
(d)
Key priorities for future funding
(e)
An analysis of the care market in terms of value for
money
(f)
Strategies for responding to future budget changes.
15.
The importance of the SP strategy is three-fold:
(a)
It provides a partnership platform for the delivery of
housing which reflects health and social care needs on the Island.
(b)
It will be the basis on which the Government
determines future SP funding.
(c)
It will form a template for the SP Inspection, which
is due in late 2005.
CONSULTATION
16.
The Supporting people Commissioning Strategy involves
(a)
The Supporting people Commissioning Body – the
Strategic partnership of health, probation and the Local Authority
(b)
The Supporting people Strategic core group –
membership is drawn from all areas of the Administering Authority, probation
and health (PCT) and providers are represented on this group.
(c)
The Supporting people Inclusive forum – Provider led
(d)
Individual Needs Groups – i.e. – mental health,
learning disability etc – clients are involved in these groups and have a
direct influence on the direction of service development
(e)
Once completed the Supporting people 5 year
Commissioning Strategy will be available on the ODPM “knowledge web” (www.spkweb.org.uk) and on the Isle of
Wight Council web site for wider consultation.
17.
The final SP strategy will be subject to consultation
with all of these groups before being finally recommended to members.
FINANCIAL, LEGAL, CRIME AND DISORDER IMPLICATIONS
18.
The Supporting people grant is a ring fenced grant
specifically for the commissioning of SP services. All service development or re-engineering must be managed within
the ring fenced grant. However, the
grant nationally is under pressure and the Administering Authority will need to
make difficult commissioning decisions in over the next 5 years. The Commissioning Strategy, which will be
agreed by the Commissioning Body, will set out the framework for this.
19.
The ODPM issue an administration grant that part funds
the business functions of the Supporting people Team; currently the directorate
match funds the administration grant in order that the programme can meet its
obligations under the grant conditions and statutory guidance.
20.
It is a condition of the Grant Conditions and
Statutory Guidance that the Administering Authority develops the Supporting
people 5 year Commissioning Strategy.
APPENDICES ATTACHED
None
There are four legal documents which
underpin the Supporting people Framework and have been used in preparation of
this report.
The Supporting people (England) Directions
2003
The Supporting People Programme Grant &
Grant Conditions
The Supporting People Grant Guidance
The Local Authorities (Charges for
specified welfare services) (England) Regulations 2003
In addition the following documents have
been used in the preparation of this report.
Supporting People – Policy into Practice:
DTLR: January 2001
Supporting People Administrative Guidance:
DTLR: October 2001
The Interim Financial Package: ODPM:
October 2002
Contact Point : Yvonne
May, Supporting People Manager, ' 550471
e-mail [email protected]