Communities and Local Government published its first Disability Equality Scheme, setting out in detail how it will improve equality of opportunity for disabled people. This responds to the Disability and Discrimination Act 2005, which places a requirement on all public authorities to produce a Disability Equality Scheme every three years.
A consultative process ensured that an action plan focused on understanding the priorities of disabled people and examined what would make a real difference to their lives. There is a focus on five key areas:
Improving housing opportunities: The Department will ensure that increasing numbers of people can live in more accessible homes. By 2010, most new social housing provided by the Housing Corporation will be built to the Lifetime Homes Standard.
Encouraging inclusive environments: The Department will promote Inclusive Design Principles to improve disabled people's use of and access to local built environments.
Encouraging engagement in public life: The Department will seek to raise the profile of disabled people in public life and in policy making. Disabled people will be involved more in the policy making process.
Increasing the accessibility of communications: The Department will make its internal and external communications easier for disabled people to use. Its website will be made accessible and web-based and other documents will be made available in alternative formats on request.
Improving employment practice: Communities and Local Government's employment practices will be improved to better meet disabled people's needs.
Additional funding of up to £13 million this year from Communities Scotland will allow local authorities to target improvements in the homes of people with disabilities in Scotland. The extra funding will help up to 4,000 disabled people in need of support, either through a grant or through their local Care & Repair service.
The funding is part of a range of executive commitments to support disabled people with their housing needs, including the help for tenants in the private rented sector given by the Right to Adapt provisions of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, announced in December 2006.
Communities Scotland is working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and individual local authorities to allocate the funds in the best way and target those who can benefit in this financial year.
The additional funding brings the amount of money available in 2006/07 to local authorities for supporting homeowners to £78 million throughout Scotland, up from £65 million.
Announcing the additional funds, Malcolm Chisholm said: "Everyone living in Scotland has the right to live in a decent home.
"This additional Private Sector Housing Grant funding of up to £13 million will allow local authorities to raise the standard of living for some of the country's most vulnerable residents.
"I have asked them to target the adaptation of the homes of disabled people to better meet their needs."
An innovative programme by a housing association in South Ayrshire is helping vulnerable tenants to manage and enjoy their own homes. The Tenants Welcome Programme is run by Ayrshire Initiatives, part of the Ayrshire Housing Group. It will help vulnerable tenants settle into their homes and overcome any difficulties, which could otherwise lead to the loss of their homes.
The programme will work with the most vulnerable tenants including:
The Tenants Welcome Programme will provide practical support and encouragement to vulnerable new tenants to help them decorate and care for their new homes.
Roger Popplewell, Communities Scotland's area director for South West Scotland, said: "This is an excellent example of a housing association working with partners to help people in their communities beyond simply delivering good housing services.
"Many of these tenants will already be receiving housing support. The programme will give them practical advice and support where it is necessary to help keep their homes and to have pride in them."
Communities Scotland is contributing £68,000 to the Tenants Welcome Programme initiative from its Wider Role Fund, which supports housing associations to help their tenants and communities in addition to their housing services role.
A major new drive to help prevent victims of domestic violence being forced out of their own homes, causing them and their families to be uprooted and made homeless, was unveiled.
Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly announced that she wants every local authority in the country to offer Sanctuary Schemes to their residents, as one of a range of options to support women's choices. Ms Kelly has published new guidance explaining how these schemes can be set up and is writing to local authorities across the country.
A Sanctuary Scheme provides a safe room, or sanctuary, within a home fitted with safety measures, including the installation of:
This gives the victim the confidence and security to stay in their own home if they wish and where the partner no longer lives there.
The addresses with a safe room will be flagged on police computers to ensure a swift response if an incident occurs. The Courts can help with Non-molestation Orders, Occupation Orders and transfer of tenancy. This is part of a comprehensive strategy, which also includes an increase of prosecutions of perpetrators.
Domestic violence is a factor in one in eight of all new cases of homelessness - accounting for around 13,000 homeless households a year.
Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly said: "The Government is determined to do more to prevent victims of domestic violence being driven from their own homes as well as stepping up prosecutions of perpetrators.
"Sanctuary Schemes have been proven to prevent homelessness, by giving people the security and confidence to stay in their own home, where it's their choice and police experts agree it's a safe option.
"It is not right that victims should have no other choice but to go into temporary accommodation or refuges, which can feel unsettling and cause family upheaval at the worst possible time. That is why I want to see more local authorities provide the option of a Sanctuary Scheme."
Currently less than a third of local authorities (around 120) offer Sanctuary Schemes. Where they have been tried, they have been proven successful. According to an early evaluation of the initiative, around 90% of victims of domestic violence believe Sanctuary Schemes are a good idea.
The new guidance makes clear Sanctuary Schemes should only be provided where it is the clear choice of the victim, where it has been assessed as safe and appropriate for them to remain in their own accommodation, and where the perpetrator no longer lives in the home.
Other issues concerning Sanctuary Schemes covered in the guidance include:
