This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Supporting People website launched
28/03/2002
A new online resource for professionals who provide
housing support to vulnerable people was launched
today.
Deputy Social Justice Minister Margaret Curran unveiled
the website at a new project for homeless young people in
Edinburgh.
The
Supporting People website contains comprehensive guidance for agencies
that will implement the programme from April next year. It
has been revised to make it easier to navigate and includes
interactive features so that people can share information
and good practice.
Under Supporting People, housing support services will
be funded on a contract basis by local authorities. These
services are currently funded largely through Housing
Benefit and grants from Communities Scotland.
Ms Curran said:
"There is now only one year to go. Everyone concerned
needs to make sure they are well informed about Supporting
People, and that they contribute fully to the partnership
arrangements which will deliver effective and responsive
services.
"The transfer of responsibility and funding to local
authorities is a big change for everyone involved in
housing support services. A lot of work has been done, but
there is still a lot to do to ensure a smooth
changeover.
"The new Supporting People website offers great
opportunities for sharing information. I hope everyone will
use this resource to help us all make Supporting People a
success, one year from now."
Ms Curran launched the new look website at the handover
by Dunedin Housing Association of new, purpose-built
premises for Stopover, a project to support homeless young
people run by Edinburgh Campaign and Services for Homeless
People (ECSH).
The Deputy Minister praised the partnership approach
taken by Dunedin and ECSH, and their commitment to
including vulnerable young people in the community. She
said:
"Stopover is one of a range of services provided by ECSH
to help homeless people in Edinburgh. It provides safe
accommodation to vulnerable young people and helps them
learn to deal with all the responsibilities of living
independently in a supportive environment. It will help
participants to move on to manage their own homes - these
people are the tenants and home owners of the future."
The Stopover project accommodation forms a
self-contained part of a new development providing 11
ordinary flats for Dunedin tenants. Stopover will be
eligible for Supporting People funding from 1 April
2003.
Supporting People is a new integrated
policy and funding framework for housing support services,
which will be introduced from April 2003. The aim is to
provide good quality services, focused on the needs of
users, to enable vulnerable people to live independently in
the community, in all types of accommodation and
tenure.
At present, housing support services are funded from a
number of sources, including Housing Benefit (the
Transitional Housing Benefit Scheme), Special Needs
Allowance Package (SNAP) and Resettlement Grant. From 1
April 2003, these resources will be transferred to local
authorities, who will be responsible for the new
arrangements. In partnership with health boards, housing
associations, other service providers and service user
organisations, each authority will plan and commission
services in a strategic way to meet the needs of local
people. Services will also, for the first time, be subject
to quality monitoring, through registration by the Scottish
Commission for the Regulation of Care, and contract
compliance procedures.
All those involved in housing support services need to
be well informed about Supporting People. There is also a
great deal of good practice to be shared.
The website houses guidance, consultation papers and
other information about Supporting People in
Scotland, together with a discussion forum for sharing
ideas, and areas where other organisations and groups can
make their papers available.