Thank you for providing the opportunity to
submit evidence to the parliamentary enquiry, and the key issues are detailed
below. Further details around the four themes identified in 'Independence and
Opportunity: Our Strategy for Supporting People', can be found in Appendix One.
1. The pathfinder status has enabled Supporting
People to run pilots which demonstrate the ability to deliver wider series of
outcomes for service users without the strict Eligibility Criteria.
2. The movement into the Area Based Grant
clearly supports the focus on wider outcomes and benefits to the wider community,
rather than to individual service users with statutory needs. Concerns remain that once the ring fence is
removed then current economic conditions, increasing demography and
expectations will result in the Area Based Grant being skewed to meet statutory
needs. The specific National Indicators linked
to the Supporting People programme within the Area Based Grant, should remain
to preserve this strength of the programme.
3. The Partnership Board and other partners
remain concerned over the significant reduction in budget planned for
Gloucestershire, and in particular the impact of managing the reduction over
such a short time scale. How this reduction will affect the market place and
the delivery of services and the impact on vulnerable service users.
4. The challenge to the removal of the ring
fence is to continue to ensure that the aims and objectives of the Supporting
People Programme are not lost within the wider and competing objectives of the
Area Based Grant. The Supporting People programme provides services to many
vulnerable people who do not have statutory needs, or are socially or
politically isolated. Concern remains that increasing budget pressures on Area Based
Grant or a failure to invest in universal and preventative services will take
services away from these groups.
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Keeping people that
need services at the heart of the programme
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1.
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Supporting
People Gloucestershire has been instrumental in introducing peer reviews to
both Supporting People service reviews and reviews within domiciliary
care. We have worked closely with
service users to deliver training on Protection from Abuse, Keeping Safe and
the Supporting People review process itself. This process has helped service
users develop skills, improve, independence, confidence which contribute
towards their ability to seek employment. There has been excellent feedback
on services, which have subsequently been changed as a result of the
feedback.
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2.
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Service
users have been empowered to review policies and procedures and have
developed a service user approved stamp on those documents. It is also planned that they will review
the risk assessments and support plans that are being used by providers.
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3.
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A
policy is being developed to allow service users to take an active role in
the tendering process. Supporting
People are continuing to identify other ways in which service users can
continue to be involved in the strategic development of services, to ensure the
level, type and location of services are correct.
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4.
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The
removal of the ring fence will allow more flexibility around the Eligibility
Criteria and allow services to become more outcome focussed in line with the
National Indicators and work towards the Putting People First agenda and
individual budgets.
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Enhancing
partnership with the Third Sector
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5.
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Supporting
People has developed our partnership working with the voluntary and third
sector. The relationship has developed to be open and honest and is maturing.
Providers are kept aware of changes to the Supporting People Programme, via
email, the website or via service specific Thematic Group's and Inclusive
Forums, which meet regularly. Members
of the Provider Steering Group sit on the Core Strategy Group, and last year
a provider representative chaired the Core Strategy Group. An annual meeting
between Core Strategy Group, Partnership Board and the Provider Forum are
held for strategy development. We have established regular opportunities to
discuss and involve the sector in service development, and to include
representation on project, steering or working groups. This is proving beneficial
as we move forward in modernising services, and has resulted in positive
developments rather than opposition to change, and a shared understanding of
the issues.
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6.
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Providers
are encouraged to respond to an annual questionnaire on Supporting People,
and responses form an Action Plan that is
monitored by the Provider Steering Group.
This has help to shape and improve the Supporting People Programme,
and identifies opportunities to build on their expertise.
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7.
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Supporting
People link with the County Councils Training Department so that providers
can get access to local training events.
The Supporting People Team also provides a number of training courses
for providers to develop good practice within the sector.
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8.
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Probation
has recognised the importance of the Supporting People work in the wider
reducing re-offending agenda.
Offenders are not always identifiable as offenders within generic
services, but good Supporting People services identify and work appropriately
with them, in conjunction with other agencies. Thereby meeting the remit of Supporting
People and also helping to protect the public and reducing re-offending.
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9.
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Supporting
People work within the guidelines of the Gloucestershire Compact when
commissioning new services.
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10.
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Supporting
People are still working to fill the gaps within services for those groups
that are classed as 'hard to reach' or are small in numbers. Contracts have recently been set up for
floating support to deliver services to gypsies, travellers and show people
and people with HIV/Aids. This support
is being provided by small specialised organisations from the charitable or
not for profit sector.
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Delivering in the
new local government landscape
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11.
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The
strength of both Partnership Board and Core Strategy Group is the commitment
to the overall aims of the programme. These Groups link to Strategic Boards at
both county and district city levels. We
are reviewing the governance arrangements in light of funding moving into the
Area Based Grant, in order to keep Supporting People on the wider agenda and ensure
that it receives the priority required.
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12.
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The
Supporting People Team interacts and jointly commissions cross departmentally
with Children and Young People, Probation and Housing Departments. There is
joint commissioning in place/in development for Learning Disability services,
Home Improvement Agencies and Domestic Abuse services.
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13.
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A
Supporting People task group has been formed, which will include providers,
to look at specifically identifying outcomes in line with the National
Indicators and to work these outcomes back to ensure that they are mirrored
within the support plans and contracts.
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14.
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Increasing
efficiency and reducing bureaucracy
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15.
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Supporting
People are using the information from contract monitoring to renegotiate
contracts in line with lower demand to reduce spending.
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16.
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Supporting
People jointly funded a Central Referral and Allocation Point for people
fleeing domestic abuse to have one point of access for referrals into
services, thereby reducing bureaucracy.
It is planned to expand this service to cover all client groups and
create one access point for all service users requiring support, avoiding
duplication across agencies.
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17.
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Supporting
People work with the South West Regional Implementation Group to set regional
benchmarks for services to ensure that the market remains stable and
competitive, and provide consistency.
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18.
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Supporting
People are looking at the use of technology to help provide additional
support to Older People and to extend support into the community.
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19.
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A
Project is well advanced to streamline the Home Improvement Agencies within
Gloucestershire. This will allow for a
cohesive service and Supporting People are working closely with all partners
to achieve this aim.
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