Vulnerable People

The Supporting People programme funds housing related support services that contribute in three important ways to addressing need in our communities. Firstly, services assist vulnerable people to live independently in the community. Secondly, they play a key role in homelessness prevention and thirdly they contribute to community safety by assisting in the resettlement of ex offenders and those who may pose a risk to community safety.

Five Primary aims were identified in our 2007/8 Supporting People Operational Plan. These aims were:

• Continue to develop Needs Planning Partnership and monitor numbers of assessments received
• Work in partnership with SPIN and local Planning Groups to agree a model to determine Strategic Relevance
• Develop Service User and Stakeholder consultation Policy and Procedure
• Establish and implement methodology for Planning Groups to determine planning priorities
• Complete implementation of revised Supporting People Team Structure as agreed by Supporting People Planning Group

The Supporting People programme is not meant to meet the short-notice needs of people with accommodation and/or support needs. Services however, such as emergency hostels or other support schemes, which can sometimes provide a rapid response can be developed using Supporting People funding.

Who runs the scheme

The Supporting People Team within Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council is responsible for overseeing the scheme, and provides a structure for identifying needs, planning for new services and ensuring that existing schemes are regularly reviewed and monitored. The Supporting People Team also pays providers for the Supporting People services they provide. The team offers its service to Joint Planning Groups rather than directly to individual Service Users, and our work needs to be closely linked to relevant Strategies and Plans such as the Homelessness Strategy and the Health, Social Care and Well-Being Plan.

Funding

Since April 2003 there have been two separate funding channels within the Supporting People Programme:

• Supporting People Grant (SPG). Applies to Community Care and Older Persons’ services. Based on Transitional Housing Benefit (General Counselling and Support) levels at 31/3/03, these sums were transferred to local authorities from April 2003.
   
• Supporting People Revenue Grant (SPRG). Applies to all other eligible supported housing projects. This fund will be administered by Welsh Assembly until April 2006 then passed over to the Authority. April 2005 will see the introduction of a Tariff system which provides a level of funding depending on the type of accommodation and support.

Access

Access to a Supporting People funded service will generally be via Care Managers (Social Workers) or the relevant Joint Planning Group.

In the shorter term, clients can be referred to an existing scheme. Care Managers may make referrals direct to providers.

People may join a Supporting People Scheme as long as there is a space.

If there is no space or the existing services cannot meet the need, the matter should be referred to the Planning Group.