COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT News Release (288) issued by COI News Distribution
Service. 26 November 2008
Communities
Minister Baroness Andrews has today confirmed that councils in
England are to receive £1.66bn Supporting People Programme Grant
funding - as an unringfenced named grant.
The Supporting People programme helps around a million vulnerable
people each year to live independently in their homes or safely
within supported accommodation - including older people, victims
of domestic violence, teenage parents and those with mental health problems.
Since its launch in 2003 Supporting People has been paid as a
ringfenced fund for councils, to be spent according to specific rules.
However next year, for the first time, Supporting People will be
allocated to councils as a non-ringfenced named grant, paid
separately to, but with the same financial flexibility as, Area
Based Grants. This removal of the ring fence provides councils
with the opportunity to come up with new and innovative ways to
support vulnerable people in a range of different situations.
To ensure a smooth transition to the new system, in 2009/10
Supporting People funding will continue to be paid to councils as
a specific named grant, but with the same financial flexibility as
the Area Based Grant.
At over £1billion, Supporting People is the largest single grant
in the financial settlement for local government. The changes are
part of a wider commitment that by 2010-11, £5billion funding will
have been moved into non-ringfenced Area Based Grants - delivered
in one single payment to councils each month.
Communities Minister Baroness Andrews said:
"I am delighted to be able to confirm that councils in
England will receive £1.6billion Supporting People funding next
year, to help the most vulnerable people in their communities to
live independently and break the cycle of deprivation.
"But, based on successful pathfinder pilots, we have now
offered councils new freedom of funding. This along with the
first-ever three-year financial settlement, gives councils the
flexibility and security they need to manage their budgets
effectively - and the ability to find new innovative ways of
working to deliver much-valued local services efficiently and effectively.
"Councils will now have greater flexibility to build on
this excellent work and improve the support on offer to those
people who need it most in their communities, and how they work
with key local partners including the voluntary sector."
A package of measures is being developed to support the sector
during this period of change. This includes a new financial
modelling tool, to be published next year, which will provide
evidence at a local level on the financial benefits of investment
in housing support.
Guidance has been published to support councils as they assess
the need for housing-related support in their local area.
And discussions will continue with commissioners and
practitioners of Supporting People services to further develop the
transition package as they deliver housing related support with
increased flexibility.
Supporting People will be included in Area Based Grant from 2010/11.
Councils' performance in delivering housing support will
also be measured through the new Comprehensive Area Assessments,
and through two key performance indicators in the slimmed-down
national performance framework - ensuring that the changes in
funding lead to improved services for vulnerable groups.
This year the Government has been working with 15 local
authorities, as well as providers, service users and stakeholders
within those authorities, to examine how the delivery of housing
support could be affected by financial flexibility.
Councils in the study have already found new and effective ways
to help vulnerable people with Supporting People funding. For
example, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has established a
new tenancy support service for young parents. And Bournemouth
Borough Council has used its non-ringfenced funding to pay for a
prison transport service to help ex-offenders make their
appointments and turn up at arranged accommodation.
Notes to editors
1. The provisional local government settlement for 2009/10 is
published today and can be found at: http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/0910/grant.htm
2. Provisional Supporting People funding was announced as part of
the first-ever three-year funding settlement for councils
announced on 6 December 2007. Details can be found at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/576681
3. Communities and Local Government is collaborating with the
Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of
Social Services on a forthcoming conference on Supporting People -
details will be announced shortly.
4. Housing, care, support: a guide to integrating housing-related
support at a regional level is published today and can be found
at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/housingcaresupportguide
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