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Supporting People Programme
Supporting People (SP) is a government initiative to promote and improve the quality of housing related support services. It is aimed at enabling people to live independently in the community and is designed to complement existing care services, not replace them. Without the support offered, a person might be unable to manage their accommodation on their own.
SP is managed centrally by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Local authorities are the Administering Authority (AA) and are responsible for local implementation.
Since the introduction of SP, FAHL and AHL have developed a range of services using this funding and we currently receive grants which are divided across the following areas;
- approximately 965 sheltered units (including extra-care)
- 112 spaces within hostel accommodation
- approximately 105 clients in floating support (such as the Eastleigh Accommodation Support Team – EAST)
- approximately 70 units of temporary accommodation provided on behalf of two Borough Councils and
- 25 individuals within a refugee housing support service .
What is ‘housing related support’?
Housing related support includes a wide range of activities. Generally speaking, it is related to assisting the service user to achieve something for themselves. Such tasks include:
- help in managing finances and benefit claims
- help setting up and maintaining a tenancy
- help in maintaining the safety and security of the dwelling
- help in establishing personal safety and security
- developing domestic/life skills
- advice and support on repair work
- access to local community organisations
- ‘sign-posting’ service users to seek further help and advice from more specialist agencies.
Housing related support tasks do not include:
- personal care
- cleaning, laundry or shopping
- medication management
- cooking meals
- organising social activities.
Housing related support plans
All service users have an individual support plan, drawn up following a full assessment, which identifies specific tasks and activities appropriate to their individual needs. An initial plan will normally be completed during the first week of support and this will be reviewed periodically.
Funding
SP usually funds all service users who are in receipt of Housing Benefit (HB). Those who are not in receipt of HB can apply for help with paying for their support services.
What next?
If you live in one of AHL's sheltered properties, speak to your Local Estate Warden when they next visit for more information on SP.
If you live in one of our hostel schemes, speak to your Project Worker for more details on SP.
For details on the service offered by EAST, call 023 8068 4363 or email eastteam@atlantichousing.co.uk.
SP - what did he say?
For an explanation of some of those words and phrases used with Supporting People, please click on the link on the left-hand side of this page.
More in-depth information on SP is also available at www.spkweb.org.uk. To browse the Supporting People Directory of Services, please log on at www.spdirectory.org.uk.
