A new Smart Home was put on show in Grimsby. Developed by the charity Carelink in association with Shoreline Housing Partnership, North East Lincolnshire Council and Attendo Systems, the home showcases equipment that supports the vulnerable in a community, in their own homes. Features include social alarms, pull cord systems and associated equipment.
Suffolk County Council warned housing associations that it will stop paying for community alarms from April 2006. The Council, which won praise for the quality of its Supporting People service, blames a predicted 5% cut in budget. A number of housing associations have already appealed against the decision and the ODPM has expressed its concern at the move.
Durham County Council took the decision to terminate all Supporting People service contracts with sheltered housing providers and hand the responsibility for running the programme to three local authority lead providers. The Council also announced its intention to cut the cost of sheltered housing schemes by refusing to pay for on-site wardens. Instead, it is proposed that sheltered housing schemes should be equipped with emergency call out systems linked to a mobile support service.
This special feature article, by Tamsin Stirling, takes a close look at Supporting People in Wales.
Although Supporting People is a UK policy, there are significant differences in how the agenda is being implemented in Wales. Below are brief summaries of some of the key differences, along with links to sources of further information.
In Wales, Supporting People is split into two parts:
Supporting People Revenue Grant (SPRG) provides revenue funding for services for vulnerable people in temporary and permanent accommodation. These services are designed to help people develop the skills and confidence necessary to live independently without support, or to maintain independent living with ongoing support. The range of people eligible to receive these services are:
The Welsh Assembly Government administers these funds to Accredited Support Providers (although the intention is to transfer this funding to local authorities in 2008, providing local authorities demonstrate they are capable of administering it effectively).
Supporting People Grant (SPG), administered by local authorities, provides funding to meet the needs of service users in community care projects, allowing them to live independently and maintain a home. This includes older people and people with learning difficulties. SPG funds housing-related support with a focus on independence, and authorities are supposed to set eligibility criteria for SPG services and implement them.
General information about Supporting People in Wales is available online at www.housing.wales.gov.uk.
Detailed Assembly guidance to local authorities on Supporting People is available online at www.housing.wales.gov.uk/pdf.asp?a=k6.
Supporting People Revenue Grant is implemented using a system of tariffs that set benchmarks for the cost of different types of supported housing projects that will be funded by SPRG. The changes for 2006/07 include:
The total Supporting People budget for 2006/07 in Wales is £129.2 million, compared to the 2005/06 budget of £126 million, representing an increase of £3.2 million.
The Treasury passed on a cut of £1.8 million to Wales, which would have had the effect of reducing the total budget to £124 million. However, the Minister has prioritised supported housing within the Social Justice and Regeneration portfolio and in addition to allocating the £4 million announced earlier in February 2006, has decided to top this up with a further £1 million.
The total budget for SPG would have been £66.8 million if the Assembly had chosen to pass on the Treasury's reduction. Instead, the Minister has added £3.4 million to the SPG budget to bring it back to the same level as 2005/06 - £70.2 million.
The future of Supporting People in Wales will see a number of developments:
Cymorth Cymru represents the interests of supported housing providers in Wales. Information about the organisation and its work is available online at www.cymorthcymru.org.uk.