Contact: Alan Hagger, (01962) 847063; [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 Supporting People (SP) went live in April 2003. At that point Hampshire took responsibility for the funding, contracting and monitoring of services for 25,000 people in over 1000 services.

1.2 The Hampshire Supporting People pot is now £35 million

1 The Programme Ahead

1.1 Although arrangements for payments, a comprehensive supply database, and the required decision making process, are in place, there is still a great deal to be achieved.

1.2 The Hampshire SP team are required to review each service within the programme before April 2006. The reviews, which have now begun, examine value for money, performance and the strategic relevance of each service.

1.3 In the event of savings being required this can only happen through the review programme.

1.4 All stakeholders in the SP programme are invited to provide representation in order to facilitate a partnership approach to the overall process.

2 The Supporting People Constitution

2.1 Supporting People investment decisions are made by an inter agency "County Core Group" (CCG). Membership of the group comprises Hampshire County Council; Hampshire's eleven district councils; the National Probation Service; and the Health Authority.

2.2 Hampshire County Council is also the Supporting People Administering Authority (AA). The AA is responsible for payments., maintaining a database of services; contracts; and quality monitoring.

2.3 Details of the relationship between the CCG and the AA are described in the Memorandum of Understanding. A copy of the MOM can be found at http://www.hants.gov.uk/housingsupport/memoofunderstanding.html

3 The Five Year Strategy

3.1 The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) requires each administering authority to produce a five year strategy in November 2004.

3.2 This strategy must be agreed by each member of the SP Commissioning Body. In Hampshire this is known a the County Core Group (CCG), and was set up in its current form, by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Authority Association.

3.3 Membership of CCG includes Hampshire County Council, Hampshire's district councils, The National Probation Service, and the Health Authority. The strategy is a County level strategy that aggregates the eleven district level strategies that focus on local priorities.

3.4 The CCG have adopted a short and long term County Steer. The SP County Steer can be found at http://www.hants.gov.uk/housingsupport/countysteerpage.html

4 The Independent Review

4.1 When SP was first conceived the size of the national SP pot was estimated as being no more than £800 million. Since that time the pot has grown dramatically and now stands at £1.8 billion.

4.2 The Government has set up an independent Review to look at why this has happened and to assess if other agencies or government departments have unreasonably shifted funding liabilities to SP that should have remained outside the programme.

4.3 Because it is believed that eligibility for SP funding had become too loose, the ODPM have said that they intend to redefine eligible services more narrowly than is currently the case

4.4 Many people are concerned that this will result in pressure on Social Services who are the agency most likely to be required to make up any shortfall.

4.5 The consultants, Robson-Rhodes are expected to publish their findings on December 19^th 2003. Ministers will consider their report and the result will determine the governments approach to SP funding in 2004/5.

5 SP Policy

5.1 Although SP will be sure to face many difficult decisions over the next three years it is still a very exciting programme that gives stakeholders the potential, to increase the quality of services and their flexibility and responsiveness.

5.2 One pre-requisite of this is already in place. CCG have a agreed a clear strategic direction for future funding. CCG looks forward to services that are funded and provided separately to the funding and provision of people's housing.

5.3 This will enable individuals who have support needs to live where they choose rather than in designated Supported Housing schemes. More details of this policy and information on funding priorities can be found in the SP County Steer 2004/5.

6 Reasons

6.1 This item supports aims 1, 4 and 5 of the Corporate Strategy by providing people with support and working as a partnership agency.

7 Conclusion

7.1 The SP programme is currently on track and even with the possibility of cuts in funding work is in progress to ensure we can support people where they want to live.

Recommendations -

1. The Policy and Review Committee note this report

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The Following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt of confidential information as defined in the Act.