Oxfordshire County Council

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Oxfordshire County Council

• Oxfordshire Supporting People Partnership
• Audit Commission Inspection Preparation
• West Oxfordshire District Council Briefing
  Booklet
• Sept/Oct 2005

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What is Supporting People?

• Working together to prevent and address housing
  crisis and to enable vulnerable residents to live
  independently
• Supporting People is a national government
  programme which went live in April 2003.
• Its aim is to fund and improve housing support
  for all vulnerable people, including older
  people, people with learning disabilities,
  teenage parents, homeless people, people with
  mental health problems, ex-offenders, substance
  misusers, young people at risk, and women at risk
  of domestic violence.
• Each administering authority is given a budget by
  central government to fund and administer the
  service. Nationally, the total budget is 1.8bn
• Oxfordshires funding from the government was
  21m in 2004
• The programme is administered by Oxfordshire
  County Council, but is a working partnership of
  many different public, private and voluntary
  organisations across the county
• A strong partnership culture is paramount in
  order for the programme to be successful.

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What support is available?

• The Supporting People programme pays for various
  services, for instance, those provided to people
  who live in supported and sheltered housing, plus
  community alarm systems, home improvement
  agencies and floating support provided to people
  wherever they live.

• Community Alarms
• Community alarms enable vulnerable people to get
  help easily and provide reassurance to people who
  are frail.
• Currently over 3,500 people have community alarms
  in Oxfordshire. About 1,200 have the cost of
  their alarm paid by Supporting People
• Sheltered Housing
• This term describes a wide range of housing
  mainly aimed at older people
• It includes groups of bungalows and flats with a
  resident or visiting warden.
• All sheltered housing services funded by the
  Supporting People programme provide a 24-hour
  alarm service as part of the overall support
  package.

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Floating Support

• Floating Support is the name given to a service
  which offers housing-related support to enable
  you to live as independently as possible,
  whatever kind of accommodation you live in.
• Floating Support is usually intended to be
  relatively short-term in duration (from 3 months
  -18 months) to help people over a period of
  particular difficulty. Alternatively a person may
  have been unwell for a period and this has made
  it difficult to cope with certain everyday tasks
  at home.
• The intention is that the support will float
  off to be available for someone else when it is
  no longer needed.
• Examples of floating support help
• Help in setting up and maintaining a home
• Learning to plan meals, shop, cook and other
  domestic skills
• Help in managing finances and benefit claims
• Help in establishing social contacts and
  activities
• Help in establishing personal safety and security
• Help in gaining access to other services e.g.
  health services
• Emotional support
• Advice and advocacy

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What is the Audit Commission Inspection?

• The Audit Commission is in the process of
  inspecting all Supporting People Administering
  Authorities nationwide.
• Inspectors will be visiting Oxfordshire from 28th
  November to 3rd December 2005 as part of their
  Inspection of the Oxfordshire Supporting People
  Partnership.
• The Inspectors will ask two key questions
• How good is the service?
• What are the prospects for improvement?
• The result of the inspection will have some
  impact on the future funding of Supporting People
  in Oxfordshire.
• We would like as much as is possible, to use the
  inspection as a learning exercise and it provides
  an opportunity to improve the Supporting People
  programme in Oxfordshire to the benefit,
  ultimately, of the people who use the services.

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How does Supporting People work with the District
Councils?

• West Oxfordshire District Council and the other
  district councils in Oxfordshire are all
  represented alongside other partners (Primary
  Care Trusts, the National Probation Service,
  service providers and Oxfordshire County Council)
  on the Supporting People Commissioning Body and
  the Core Strategy Group.
• Partnership is paramount for the programme to be
  a success and the role of the district and city
  authorities is vital in ensuring delivery of the
  programme to benefit Oxfordshires housing agenda
  as a whole.
• The District Councils are responsible for Housing
  in Oxfordshire, so the role of these authorities
  is pivotal to the partnership.

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How does Supporting People benefit the agenda of
the District Councils?

• The first point of access for most vulnerable
  people in need of housing-related support will be
  through Housing teams, responsible for delivering
  the housing register, homelessness and housing
  advice services.
• An integral part of the housing need assessment
  is the identification of any possible
  housing-related support needs. Where support
  needs are identified, the housing team can then
  refer the applicant to the appropriate Supporting
  People service.

• We cannot achieve the vision of Supporting People
  in Oxfordshire if we do not provide services
  which meet the actual needs of vulnerable people
  living in our county. It is essential we first
  identify what those needs are in order to deliver
  services strategically.
• The needs information the district councils
  collect is of huge strategic importance, due to
  the fact most applications for referrals to
  services are made by Housing. Needs information
  is used to inform how services will develop in
  the future and plays a big part in shaping the
  Supporting People strategy.

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Example of a Supporting People funded service in
West Oxfordshire

• The Stonham Hedgerows Project, Witney
• This service provides 4 units of accommodation
  and is primarily for people with mental health
  problems. Day-time staff are on site to deal with
  any emergency problems
• The service offers
• Access to local community organisationsAdvice
  and support on repair work/home improvement
  workAdvice, advocacy and liaisonDeveloping
  domestic/life skillsHelp finding other
  accommodationHelp in establishing personal
  safety and securityHelp in establishing social
  contacts and activitiesHelp in gaining access to
  other servicesHelp in managing finances and
  benefit claimsHelp in setting up and maintaining
  home or tenancyHelp maintaining the safety and
  security of the dwelling

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Example of a Supporting People funded service in
West Oxfordshire

• Witney Foyer Cherwell Housing Trust
• This service provides accommodation for young
  single homeless people aged 16-25, and aims to
  develop their skills necessary for further
  education and employment. There are 2 x 3
  bed shared houses in Witney, and accommodation
  comprises a shared kitchen, bathroom, lounge and
  the homes are furnished. There is low level
  support provided by staff based at the Corn
  Street office training centre. The length of
  stay for residents is usually between 12 and 24
  months

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Example of a Supporting People funded service in
West Oxfordshire

• West Oxfordshire Families Floating Support
  (Stonham Housing Association)
• This scheme provides an innovative Floating
  Support Service to families with children,
  including both single mothers and single fathers
  with children. The service can benefit parents,
  carers and guardians of children up to the age of
  16 years, by providing support and assistance in
  order to prevent tenancy breakdown. In addition
  the Floating Support Service offers help to
  families living in more rural areas where
  registered social landlord accommodation has been
  provided.

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Case Study Supporting People is benefiting real
people in Oxfordshire

• Service Used Connection Floating Support
• Miss T has suffered from severe depression and
  panic attacks due to long term mental and
  physical abuse.
• She says her support worker has helped me with
  many things, including help with grants, filling
  in forms and emotional support. I dont think I
  could have coped with all the strains of a new
  home without her help
• In the future she hopes, in her words, to
  become a happier person and start to live a life,
  and being settled into my new home will be the
  first step in achieving this

• Service Used DISH
• Miss L has been homeless long term and suffers
  from addiction problems and depression that she
  says spiralled out of control when I was
  homeless
• She says the service helped her to deal with her
  depression and prevented her going into hospital
  by providing hope and emotional support. She was
  then given a flat after the council had refused
  her and this, she says, opened many doors for
  me.
• She says the support she received reduced her
  drug use to almost nothing, and she felt that
  people cared about what happened to her. I
  received help with benefits, money management and
  budgeting, and I learned how to speak to people
  on the phone so now I can sort out my own
  affairs She says The support I have received
  has really turned my life around and I feel
  accepted into society without the anguish of drug
  use and being homeless

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Why does the Supporting People inspection affect
me?

• Supporting People encourages collaborative
  working between stakeholders of the programme no
  single stakeholder can deliver its challenges
  alone. Partnership is paramount. There is a
  strong need for multi-agency working to develop
  and continue the successful delivery of the
  programme through links to partners mainstream
  agendas and strategies.
• Supporting People is still quite a new programme,
  and it is important as many people as possible
  know what Supporting People is and the benefits
  it brings.
• We want to build a strong partnership in
  Oxfordshire and as an employee of West
  Oxfordshire District Council or resident in the
  district, you are a stakeholder in the programme.
  Though you may not directly be involved in the
  inspection, we cannot build a strong programme
  for the future or a strong partnership culture
  without the co-operation of partners.
• You are helping by simply being aware of
  Supporting People! We never want to tire of
  telling people what Supporting People is about.
  This helps towards ensuring a healthy future for
  the programme in Oxfordshire.
• The result of the inspection will have an impact
  on Oxfordshires future Supporting People funding
  from central government.

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The language of Supporting People

• Here is a quick guide to some of the terms used
  in the world of Supporting People
• Commissioning Body The Commissioning Body is a
  partnership of local councils, NHS primary care
  trusts and the probation service. Rules for the
  Oxfordshire Supporting People Commissioning Body
  are set out in a memorandum of understanding
  between the partners. The Commissioning Body
  meets quarterly.

• Core Strategy Group - The Core Strategy Group is
  a partnership grouping, comprising
  representatives from Housing, Social Care,
  Health, Probation and service providers. This
  body oversees the development of the programme
  and makes proposals to the Commissioning Body. It
  meets monthly.

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The language of Supporting People

• Home Improvement Agency (HIA) -These agencies
  enable vulnerable people to retain their
  independence in their chosen home for the
  foreseeable future. Vulnerable people may include
  older people on low incomes, people with
  disabilities and other groups determined by local
  circumstances. The homes would usually be in the
  private rented, leasehold or owner occupied
  sector. In Oxfordshire these agencies are often
  referred to as Staying Put projects.

• Inclusive Forum - The Forum has a central role in
  working up the priorities of the Supporting
  People programme. The forum includes carers,
  service users, providers and commissioners. In
  Oxfordshire the forum is usually a half-day event
  and is held twice a year.
• Service Review - A service review is undertaken
  prior to the expiry of the contract for any
  service funded by Supporting People. The purpose
  of the review is to decide whether the service
  should continue, and if so, on what terms.

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Further Information

• Lesley Sherratt is Head of Housing at West
  Oxfordshire District Council and is a member of
  the Supporting People Core Strategy Group.
• Lesley can be contacted on 01993 861151or via
  email
• lesley.sherratt_at_westoxon.gov.uk
• For inspection information or further general
  information on Supporting People please contact
  Mark Stephenson - Oxfordshire Supporting People
  team
• mark.stephenson_at_oxfordshire.gov.uk
• Or telephone [phone]
• More inspection information will be distributed
  as the inspection draws closer.

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Feedback

• If you have any other comments or feedback about
  Supporting People, we would like to hear from
  you.
• Please contact the team on 01235 469765
• Or email mark.stephenson_at_oxfordshire.gov.uk
• Alternatively, write to
• Oxfordshire Supporting People Team, Foxcombe
  Court, Wyndyke Furlong, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 1DZ