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Supporting People - Supporting Independent Living: Folder 2 - Part 3: Operational Guidance and Part 4: Financial Guidance
PART 3: OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE
This section of the final guidance package contains guidance on the operation of Supporting People at a practical level. It is anticipated that additional operational guidance will be added to this section over time.
1 Introduction
1.1 Supporting People is a policy and funding framework for people in supported accommodation or in receipt of floating housing support. The programme was introduced throughout Great Britain in April 2003 in order to support vulnerable people in different types of accommodation and tenure in ways responsive to their needs.
1.2 Who will Benefit from Supporting People?
1.2.1 Examples of people who will benefit from the programme are those requiring support who:
- are vulnerable due to their young age;
- are affected by infirmity or ageing;
- are experiencing psychological trauma (including that caused by domestic violence);
- are vulnerable due to substance misuse;
- have mental health problems, including dementia;
- have a learning disability;
- have a sensory impairment;
- are chronically ill;
- have been homeless or sleeping rough;
- have poor social skills or disruptive behaviour;
- have refugee status;
- have behaviour that puts them at risk of offending; or
- are leaving institutions (including ex-offenders released from prison whose accommodation is not provided through the Offender Accommodation Service);
- are gypsies/travellers;
- have a physical disability.
1.2.2 This list is not exhaustive, nor does it imply that all people who fit these descriptions will necessarily have housing support needs. Some people may fall into more than one category, such as older people with learning disabilities.
1.3 The Underlying Principles of Supporting People
1.3.1 The aim of providing good quality services will be achieved by:
- focusing provision on local need by introducing a more systematic and strategic process to analyse needs and supply of support services in local areas and make provision accordingly;
- improving the range and quality of services by developing a wider range of support services more geared to the needs of the people receiving support, and based on informed good practice. In particular this will enable the introduction of more flexible support where appropriate;
- integrating support with wider local strategies particularly within local authority social work and housing departments and, where appropriate, the health service;
- introducing effective decision making and administration by making arrangements for funding and managing the provision of housing support services in a way which leads to transparent decision making and cost effective administration; and by
- monitoring quality and effectiveness in a more structured way through integration with the Best Value regime and the role of the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care in ensuring the national care standards for housing support services are met.
1.4 Final Guidance
1.4.1 This guidance package is the culmination of three years' preparation for the introduction of Supporting People. During this time much of the guidance was open to extensive consultation by a wide variety of interested parties. This final guidance package, in three folders, sets out the detailed arrangements for the operation of the programme. The first folder contains residual interim guidance which will be required until April 2003 and strategic guidance for use from April 2003. The second folder contains operational guidance and financial guidance. The third folder contains related guidance, relevant legislation and shared practice. Guidance is advisory except where otherwise indicated.
1.5 Operational Guidance
1.5.1 This section of the final guidance package contains guidance on the operation of Supporting People at a practical level. It is anticipated that additional operational guidance will be added to this section over time.
1.6 Financial Guidance
1.6.1 This section of the final guidance package contains guidance on financial issues surrounding Supporting People. Some of this guidance relates to interim tasks and activities that have to be undertaken in order to arrive at grant and contract values. Other elements of the guidance, such as that on VAT and Procurement, will continue to be relevant after the introduction of Supporting People.
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