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Supporting People In England
Local Area Agreements in EnglandLocal Area Agreements (LAA) have been developing in England since 2005 when the first pilots took place. In 2008/09 a third round of local authorities – ‘pathfinders’- are piloting their use. The LAA is funded by pooling a number of funding streams, including Supporting People. The SP grant is a major element of this funding – 40% in some cases. More detail about this ‘pathfinder’ project can be found here. The ‘pathfinders’ are viewed as the first step to removing the Supporting People ringfence in all areas in 2009/10. The 2007 Government White Paper : Strong & Prosperous Communities states its intention that Supporting People will be delivered through this new local government framework. How are LAAs developed?The LAA is developed by Local Strategic Partnerships which include local authorities as well as provider representatives through Voluntary Community Services. Housing support providers have not necessarily had links with their VCS in the past but if they want to have an impact on LAAs this is becoming necessary. What will LAAs consist of?The LAAs consist of a series of outcomes and national indicators. There are 198 National Indicators 2 of which refer to housing support per se as well as others that refer to support of specific clients groups. Each LAA is expected to include up to 35 national indicators. These are considered to be ‘stretch targets’ ie areas of service where an improvement is being aimed for. Who and how will LAAs be monitored?The Government will monitor all 198 national indicators through Comprehensive Area Assessments. The White Paper says of the new Comprehensive Area Assessment approach that it ‘will be a more proportionate risk-based regime which will cut bureaucracy and allow more targeted support or intervention when things go wrong.’ Does Supporting People have a national profile anymore in England?Supporting People was the subject of the Governments strategy document in 2007 Independence and Opportunity. The strategy acknowledges the achievements of Supporting People but also highlights areas to be improved including value and reducing bureaucracy. The document points to LAAs as the future strategic and performance framework within which Supporting People will sit and emphasizes the importance of locally directed provision based on consultation with service users. It also confirms that there is no intention at this stage to introduce a statutory duty on councils to provide housing support – this was something the Government considered in response to stakeholder concerns. Increasingly Supporting People will have a local rather than national profile in England. Research into the financial benefits of the Supporting People programme.This research was carried out in England by Capgemini for the Department of Communities and Local Government and the report Research into the financial benefits of the Supporting People programme was published in January 2008. This research was able to estimate a net financial benefit from the Supporting People Programme in England of £2.77 billion per annum for the client groups considered. This can be set against an overall investment of £1.55 billion. In an accompanying statement the DCLG makes the following observations: ‘Investing in early preventative support will reduce the need for more intensive care and support. The figures outlined in Capgemini’s report should be treated as indicative rather than absolute, but the key message is clear – there are large financial benefits associated with investment in housing support services.’ The full statement can be viewed here. How does the future of Supporting People look in England - December 2007?Ringfence removal by 2009 There are two SP related indicators within the National Indicators:
These are situated within the Handbook of Definitions within the section called Adult Health & Well-being and Tackling Exclusion & Promoting Equality or can be seen here. Procurement in England: evaluation of Value Improvement Projects
SP Strategy in England – 2007The Department of Communities and Local Government launched its latest Supporting People strategy document in June 2007 - Independence and Opportunity, our strategy for Supporting People. The strategy comes ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review and does not deal with future funding levels for Supporting People. One of the major themes of the strategy is the recognition of the importance of the role of providers in the Third Sector. The strategy states that LAs are expected to comply with the compact and enter into 3 year SP contracts. Good quality providers should be able to compete fairly for services and there is an expectation that providers will form partnerships themselves to deliver value for money eg through a consortia approach. The strategy also lays out a commitment to deliver SP ' in the new Local Government landscape' with the introduction of a new 'area based grant' by April 2009. Under the 'new area based grant' local authorities will have more flexibility to spend the funding how they wish as long as they are working to achieve the targets agreed with the government under the Local Area Agreement. It is not clear yet the extent to which SP will be included in this grant or exactly when it may happen. It states that some authorities will be permitted to deliver SP within their Local Area Agreement in 2008/09 and an evaluation will then take place before a decision is made about whether to pursue this as a vehicle for delivering SP. Outcomes pilotAn Outcomes framework pilot was undertaken in England in 2007.The tool is now in use and is being reported on. The Centre for Housing Research in St Andrews manages the information for the Department of Local Government and Communities and produces reports on it. The outcomes tool and resulting reports can be found on the Centre’s website. |
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