Supporting People

Supporting People broadly works in three areas:

1. Strategic Partnership

Supporting People aims to take forward and enhance working partnerships of local government, service users and housing and support providers and provide a co-ordinated approach to the planning and provision of housing and support across Leicestershire. Appendix One gives details of the Supporting People structures in place to implement this Programme.

Partners have to agree a Five Year Strategy which builds on the previous “Shadow Strategy” for Leicestershire, agreed in October 2002, which outlined immediate priorities and plans for the Supporting People programme. The Five Year Strategy will build on this work by critically examining the services inherited by Supporting People from the previous funding streams, and focusing on local need and strategic priorities.

2. Quality of services

Supporting People aims to deliver high quality and planned services, which are needs led, cost effective and reliable, and complement existing care services.

A programme for reviewing individual schemes is in place, and housing and support providers are also asked to submit information on performance on a quarterly basis. Service users and carers are included in the review process, and also have their own Supporting People forum (see Appendix One).

3. Funding Housing and Support services

The Supporting People Grant is paid direct to providers of supported housing through Contracts. As part of the Contract, providers have to agree to take part in the quality, review and value for money elements of the Supporting People Programme before receiving payments of the Grant.

Tenants in long term accommodation will be charged for Supporting People services, however all tenants are eligible to apply for a Fairer Charging Assessement. Anyone in receipt of housing benefit has the charges covered, and is not required to pay for Supporting People Services.

Supporting People