A new report found that the Supporting People programme, designed to help people with a wide range of needs to lead more independent lives, has had mixed success so far. The report, Supporting People - Promoting Independence, by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), looks at the social care aspects of the Supporting People programme.
The report finds that many people are benefiting from the Supporting People programme, which provides funding for councils to co-ordinate support services and arrange the most appropriate housing provision. Councils and their partner agencies have been able to provide a wider range of support services, promote people's independence and focus on preventing people from needing higher levels of care. But, halfway into the five-year £8 billion programme, the impact has been inconsistent across different groups of people and different parts of England.
The report concludes that:
Adults with mental health problems now have more opportunities than before to live independently and manage their own tenancies. But there are still gaps in services. For example, some are placed in accommodation for homeless people because there is not enough supported housing. Also, the availability of specialist support services to aid people's recovery, and move-on accommodation for those who need less support is patchy.
Adults with learning disabilities have also gained more independence, although some services have not made the "cultural transition" from residential care to supported housing. There are gaps in meeting complex needs and there is an insufficient supply of supported housing to meet current demand.
Frail older people have been helped to live independently by the development of extra-care housing, but older people with mental health problems do not yet have the same opportunities.
Insufficient attention has been paid to the needs of young people and their families in some areas.
CSCI Chief Inspector David Behan said: "The Supporting People programme has made a real difference by placing housing centre-stage in meeting people's needs, and improving joint working across housing, health, and social care services.
"Effective housing support can reduce the incidence of personal harm and the dependence on statutory health and social care services.
"Now the challenge is for councils and their partners to tackle the inconsistencies in provision and to deliver the best quality of care in every part of the country and for every group of people who use their services."
The Supporting People programme relies on partnership working between housing departments, health providers, social services, and the probation service. The CSCI report is based on 40 local inspections carried out jointly with the Audit Commission.
The report highlights excellent initiatives across the country. But it says more work needs to be done in some areas to address local priorities and ensure fair access to services. Proportionally, there has been too much investment in 24-hour supported accommodation and not enough attention given to people living in a range of other accommodation, including homeowners and those in privately-rented properties.
Services in some areas are not sufficiently flexible to respond quickly when people's needs increase or when they need less support or want to move to another area.
The report warns that, as Supporting People funding reduces year-on-year, some councils will need to replace it with funds from their mainstream budgets or ensure their resources are targeted on priority areas.
