APPENDIX 1
AUDIT COMMISSION SUPPORTING PEOPLE NATIONAL
STUDY OCTOBER 2005—RECOMMENDATIONS MADE AS PART OF THIS
STUDY
The Audit Commission recommends that central
government, in its review of the Supporting People programme,
should develop a refreshed national vision and associated strategy.
This should:
— link Supporting People policies, programmes
and performance management frameworks across all relevant government
departments;
— contain a long-term financial framework
to underpin planning and investment by providers and local partnerships;
— ensure that implementation of any grant
redistribution takes account of the difficulties involved in reshaping
provision;
— establish who should benefit by enabling
minimum provision and outcome requirements for all areas, utilising
local area agreements where there are effective partnerships to
reinforce the delivery of Supporting People strategies ;
— set out the connections between national,
regional and local policy development, administration and regulation;
— provide a clear framework for allocating
and linking capital and revenue budgets for new schemes, making
explicit the role of regional housing boards in future planning;
and
The refreshed strategy should also take action
to promote a healthy provider market, including:
— ensuring that appropriate consideration
is given to special needs housing and housing-related support
in regional housing strategies; and
— working with the Housing Corporation
and regional housing and planning boards to ensure appropriate
regional capital allocations for special needs housing, with clear
bidding arrangements that connect capital and revenue budgets
where necessary.
Recommendations for administering authorities:
— develop and maintain clear local agreements
on eligibility within any national framework, coupled with joint
budgeting and commissioning arrangements where these best fit
the needs of individuals;
— ensure that local working practices involve
local strategic partnerships to produce integrated and seamless
service provision;
— support greater involvement by service
users and their carers;
— promote a better understanding of provider
risk by involving providers in the development of local services;
and
— maintain a continual focus on improving
value for money, including joint work at regional and local levels
to deliver economies of scale for both commissioning bodies and
providers.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
THE AUDIT
COMMISSION
The Commission will seek to improve the regulation
of local commissioners and providers with government and partners
in the Local Services Inspectorate Forum to reduce and rationalise
demands through:
— a review of the current regulatory framework
for Supporting People;
— a review of the value of detailed performance
information returns;
— more automatic passporting arrangements
for providers operating in more than one authority, linked to
an effective moderation system; and
Link to Audit Commission Supporting People Report
Oct 2005
39. Abbreviations used in this document:
|
| ALA | Administering Local
Authority
| MAPPA | Multi-agency Public Protection
Arrangements
|
| AO | Accountable Officer |
QA | Quality Assurance
|
| CB | Commissioning Body |
QAF | Quality Assessment
Framework
|
| CLG | Communities and Local Government
| SP | Supporting People
|
| CSG | Core Strategy Group |
SPLS | Supporting People Local
System
|
| DAAT | Drug and Alcohol
Action Team
| VCS | Voluntary and Community
Sector
|
| EU | European Union | VFM
| Value for Money |
| FACS | Fairer Access to Care
Services
| YOS | Youth Offending Service
|
| LAA | Local Area Agreement |
| |
| LSP | Local Strategic Partnership
| | |
|
| May 2009 | |
| |
|
