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Memorandum from Hampshire Supporting People County Commissioning Group (CCG) (SPP 71)
Summary · Since
2003 the Supporting People programme has established itself as an exemplar in
many fields · Despite
a reducing budget Hampshire Sp ahs developed excellent partnership working
including with the Third Sector and service users · We
believe that the developing Local Area Agreement provides further opportunities
to continue with this work and widen its remit · We
are concerned at any moves which will lead to the lowering of the profile or a
diminution in the role of housing support · In the current economic circumstances we believe it is essential that stability of funding is provided for all administering authroities
Background
1. With the active engagement and commitment of all stakeholders; the County Council, the eleven district and borough councils, Hampshire Probation, and Hampshire NHS, service users, and third sector providers the Supporting People partnership has successfully delivered a diverse range of services to vulnerable individuals across Hampshire. With a current grant allocation of £31.009m (09/10) it commissions services that support over 14,000 individuals to maintain and develop their independence.
2. The Hampshire Supporting People programme was the only SP programme operating in a two tier authority to be rated as delivering an 'Excellent service with Excellent prospects for Improvement' by the Audit Commission.
3. Despite a reduction in real terms in government funding of 20% (12% in cash terms) since initial allocation in 2003, service capacity and service quality has improved.
4. Over the last three years alone, by introducing a process of strategic reviews, the overall capacity of services has been increased by 6.9% whilst funding has been reduced in cash terms by 7.2%.
Delivery on the objectives set in 'Independence and Opportunity: Our strategy for Supporting People'
Keeping people that need services at the heart of the programme
5. In Hampshire service users are involved at all levels of the programme; at an individual level through involvement in their support plans, at a service level through individual service providers involvement forum, and at a strategic level through the SP Service User Reference Forum (SURF) and by having a seat on the County Core Group (The Sp Commissioning Body). On an ongoing basis service users are involved in all aspects of the development of the programme including being full members of all tendering panels.
6. Hampshire SP have also established a Service User Seal of Excellence (SUSE) under which service users are trained and supported to undertake inspections of individual services, reporting on them from a service user perspective.
7. The introduction of the SP outcomes framework, has been a welcome development that has provided a wealth of data, which when combined with local performance data has both informed local strategic commissioning decisions and has been publicised more widely to assist service users in making informed choices when choosing a service.
8. Further information to inform strategic commissioning decisions and ensure that resources are targeted in areas of greatest need is obtained from a network of supported housing panels that have been developed in Hampshire.
9. With all authorities in the south east suffering from reducing SP grants meeting the needs of more mobile groups, and those for whom there is not a critical mass within one authority has proved more of a challenge. With funding continuing to be reduced at a local level, and no new money available nationally (or regionally) there are concerns that the needs of these clients will not be fully addressed at the appropriate geographical level.
Enhancing partnership with the Third Sector
10. Hampshire SP have a strong commitment to working with the Third Sector. ROCC, a local third sector umbrella group is funded by SP to organise and facilitate local, district based inclusive forum to enable the views of the third sector to be represented within SP. As representatives of the Third Sector, ROCC sit on all local SP commissioning bodies (District Core Groups) and on the County Commissioning Body (the CCG). Additionally ROCC sit on all tender panels to ensure impartiality, and are also part of interview panels for staff recruitment.
11. Since the inception of SP Hampshire have always issued three year contracts to all SP providers, and have paid an inflation uplift in all years apart from 2004. This has been achieved by developing three year financial strategies, and making use of the ability to carry forward planned under spends from one year to the next. Uncertainty regarding the levels of future funding, and the forward period for which funding will be announced, may lead to such practices being reviewed. Whilst it is recognised that they have offered great stability to the third sector, this has to be balanced by being affordable in the long term by the authority, and being seen to be an acceptable risk.
12. Partnership with the third sector has been a cornerstone of the procurement approach adopted. Providers of good services (as assessed against set criteria) are rewarded with the award of new three year contracts, whilst any failing services, and all new services are competitively tendered for. In developing a competitive tender process, consideration has been given to minimising the impact on third sector organisations, and ongoing support offered to assist with the development of smaller providers to ensure the maintenance of diversity of provision.
13. Evidence gathered from the re-commissioning of continuing services and the tendering for new services, is that value for money can best be achieved by a combination of both approaches. Hampshire SP have listened to the views of stakeholders and service users, and has aimed to maintain diversity of service provision and choice for service users, by offering locally based contracts. There is no evidence that such an approach has had any negative impact on value for money.
Delivering in the new local government landscape
14. Hampshire SP have taken the opportunity of the development of the Local Area Agreement to widen the scope of services that it funds, and the objectives that these services meet.
15. We welcome the inclusion of NI 141 and NI 142 within the new national indicator set for local authorities, and NI142 has been included as one of the Hampshire LAA targets.
16. In recognition of this widening of the context in which SP now works, from 1st April 2009 all SP contracts for Older Persons services are outcome focussed. A defined list of eligible tasks has been dropped from these contracts, being replaced for each service with a clear objectives they are expected to deliver on, including a numeric improvement target in respect of their performance against NI 142.
17. Work is ongoing with providers of all services to identify the contribution that they make to the wider preventative agenda, and also which of the National Indicators, other than NI141 & NI142 there service can contribute to the achievement of and how they can evidence and demonstrate this.
18. We see a clear role for SP in the development of the LAA with its emphasis on partnership working and commissioning to meet identified need, both in terms of the breadth of services that SP delivers, and also in the local processes that SP has developed.
19. In particular the performance and quality monitoring frameworks developed by the CLG within the SP programme, provide a clear basis that can be adapted for use across a wider range of services within the LAA.
20. Within 'Independence and Opportunity: Our strategy for Supporting People' CLG considered the issue of placing the provision of SP services on a statutory basis, concluding that "we do not at this stage , consider it appropriate to introduce new legislation around housing support" para 4.37). Given the current economic climate, and the impact that this is having on increasing numbers of individuals on maintaining their housing and independence we consider that the time may be right for this issue to be considered again.
21. Whilst we recognise that the overall level of funding available to SP nationally are matters to be determined by the Comprehensive Spending Review, we are concerned at the way in which CLG have chosen to allocate this funding to authorities.
22. We accept, and fully support the argument that additional resources should be allocated to authorities on the basis of identified need. We do however have serious concerns as to the impact on existing well established and needed services if such an approach to the distribution of funds is continued with regard to exiting allocations.
23. In the light of the moves to un-ring fence SP funding and include it within the Area Based Grant, we consider that there is no logic or rationale for continuing to apply the SP distribution formula, and would suggest that its application be suspended forthwith.
Increasing efficiency and reducing bureaucracy
24. We believe that nationally, and in Hampshire, SP has been at the forefront in identifying ways of delivering services more efficiently, and in reducing the bureaucratic burden on providers, whilst at the same time ensuring the safeguarding of vulnerable individuals, and maintaining effective contract monitoring.
25. Nationally the Value Improvement Programme provided a clear focus for innovation and the dissemination of good practice. We were disappointed that this was not developed further by repeating the exercise.
26. Locally in Hampshire we have continue to encourage the development of innovative services, and have established a small 'Innovation & Good Practice Fund' to assist this process. The fund is open to application from providers for funds to develop new ideas, removing the fear of contractual failure. We would suggest that this is an idea CLG could consider nationally
Implications for the removal of the ringfence
27. As an 'Excellent' authority (as assessed by the Audit Commission under the Comprehensive Performance Assessment framework) since 2003, the SP grant paid by CLG to Hampshire County Council, has always been subject to a lighter touch than for the majority of authorities, and without the constraints of the SP ringfence.
28. Funding granted to Hampshire CC by CLG under section 93 of the Local Government Act 2000 under the 'Supporting People Programme Grant for Excellent Authorities' has however been fully utilised in the provision of housing support as determined by the Commissioning Body (CCG). On the basis of a clear legal agreement between Hampshire CC and its partner agencies.
29. In these circumstances the removal of the ringfence is not per se considered as a matter of concern. The increased flexibility that has been given to authorities, including Hampshire within the 'Pathfinder' project since April 2008 has enabled us to develop a wider range of services than previously existed. We have used this increased flexibility to develop amongst others:
a. A Home from Hospital aimed at
assisting people in making the transition form a stay in hospital back into
their own home, by assisting them with a range of activities they may identify. b. A Support & Rent Bond service to assist with resettling ex
offenders into the private rented sector c. A gardening service for older people to enable them to remain in their own home (irrespective of tenure) when maintenance of their garden becomes to much for them, or presents a perceived safety threat.
30. We believe that the lifting of the ringfence can have a positive impact in the development of outcome focussed services such as these which can have a direct impact on the lives of individual vulnerable people.
31. We are concerned however that the loss of the ringfence, combined with a continued reduction in funding, and the reduction in profile of a distinctive Supporting People programme within the CLG will lead to an overall reduction in the priority given to the SP programme.
Conclusion
32. Since the establishment of the SP programme in 2003 a new priority has been given to the provision of housing support. Strategic commissioning, performance monitoring, and the involvement of service users have become established facts within the sector.
33. In many areas including Hampshire the Supporting People partnership has become a model of best practice, both in terms of the partnership structures and working it has developed, and in terms of the real differences it has made to the lives of vulnerable people. As a partnership SP makes a significant contribution to a wide range of its partner agency objectives, ensuring that the needs of vulnerable individuals are met in a holistic way.
34. We are concerned that at a time of heightened economic uncertainty, that anything is done that will destabilise the services which SP provides for some of the most vulnerable people in society.
35. We would therefore ask that the CLG actively use the remainder of this year in the run up to April 2010 to develop a transition package (as outlined in the letter of 28th November 2008 from Mark Carroll to Chief Executives) that ensures that vulnerable individuals continue to be offered the services and protection they require.
May 2009
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