HSEU research into housing support funding levels and service volume in Scotland from 2007/08

The Housing Support Enabling Unit is conducting a national survey of housing support services to find out:

• If individual local authorities in Scotland pay the full cost of the housing support services they commission
• If the amounts of housing support local authorities purchase changes as the new funding arrangements take effect.
• If the number of small packages of support lessen as funding is diverted to those with high support needs

Why we want to find this out

Over the last 5 years there has been considerable public spend on housing support under Supporting People – just over £400million in its last year.  The programme has achieved a great deal: services have expanded and increasing numbers of service users have had access to them.  Most importantly housing support has had a positive impact on people’s lives.  Housing support has also been shown to save money in other areas of public spend such as health and homelessness.

There is great concern amongst service providers and other stakeholders that housing support should continue and that it should be funded in a sustainable way.  In particular there is concern that:

• the SP ring fence removal will impact negatively on funding levels as local authorities face competing pressures on their budgets
• less housing support services may be commissioned in future

How we intend to find this out

In 2007/08 providers of housing support will be asked a series of questions about their funding levels and service volume.

During May 2008 the HSEU intends to contact each service manager registered with the Care Commission to ask them to fill in an online survey. The survey consists of 12 questions about service volume and funding.

In subsequent years these questions will be asked again so that the findings can be compared and conclusions can be drawn.

More information

Throughout May the HSEU will start the process by getting in touch with service managers to find out about their service volume and funding. In the meantime if you would like more information about the survey (or wish to make any comments) please contact Moira Weir.

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