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Objective 1: To shape the future of the housing support service in Medway
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Actions
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Measuring outcomes
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Developing an understanding of need by: improving our needs analysis; agreeing on common data collection across all agencies; developing a common referral and nomination process and procedure which is based on priority needs for all supported housing allocations including services which are not accommodation based.
Providers will be contractually obliged to take a percentage of nominations to all services from Medway Council.
Compliance to contractual obligations to be measured as part of review and monitoring process.
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Future needs mapping based on analysis of data.
Allocations to services made on the basis of those in priority need.
Allocations to services are as agreed under terms of individual contracts.
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Providing clarity to partners and service users of the parameters of Supporting People (SP) funding and ensuring the principles of the SP programme are adhered to.
Providers and key partners are stakeholders and are aware of the boundaries of the programme. This will be supported by a developed understanding of the housing/support matrix.
Working in partnership with the SP team, Community Services and Health to assess support/care needs which are not eligible for SP grant.
Working with key partners, stakeholders and providers to adapt and develop services in accordance with local strategies.
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All SP services are legitimately funded in accordance with grant conditions and local advice of SP team.
Service users care needs assessed appropriately.
Joint working initiatives established with key partners to ensure appropriate development and funding of services.
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Providing clarity to partners about gaps in service provision and objectives for future service development.
Shift in emphasis away from high needs to medium to low needs services.
Where priority need is identified, joint commissioning of services with statutory and other funders.
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15 per cent of budget redistributed to medium and low support services.
SP Funding limited to a maximum of 16 hours per person per week.
Services jointly commissioned and developed.
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Developing an understanding of supply.
Reviewing schemes that do not meet our priorities.
Building an understanding of available provision through information-sharing with other local authorities.
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Schemes which do not meet priorities should be decommissioned or restructured.
Clear structure for identifying cross authority needs provision.
Joint working cross authority initiatives and funding to meet demands.
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Objective 2
To develop and promote effective services that benefit clients and make a difference
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Actions
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Measuring outcomes
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Getting more for our money.
Assessing individuals in high needs services to identify most appropriate funding sources and where appropriate other statutory agencies can provide a top up to SP funding.
Working with key partners to consider option to spend to save by transferring funds from expensive residential schemes.
Working with providers to remodel services as appropriate to meet strategic priorities.
Working with specialist providers to deliver services to service users with complex needs.
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Shift in emphasis to decrease in high support schemes and increase in medium to low support schemes.
Increased provision through jointly-commissioned initiatives.
Effective, strategically relevant services procured and delivered.
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Developing a broad range of options to suit the needs and preferences of individual clients.
Expanding the programme through increased investment from others.
Shifting the balance from institutional to greater independence.
Developing greater range of support options especially for older people and floating/outreach support services.
Increasing floating support across sectors.
Encouraging Home Improvement Agencies
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Expansion of the programme in accordance with needs-based analysis on local priorities.
Jointly-commissioned initiatives in place for high needs schemes.
An assessment and support package in place for every client prior to placement.
More resources to extra care and Tele care services.
Phase out subsidy contracts in warden-assisted housing; funding of sheltered housing based on needs.
Savings used to invest in floating/outreach support options. Use efficiency and service restructure savings to increase floating support across sectors.
Increase in Home Improvement agency activity.
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Developing ongoing user consultation to inform future service development.
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All core client group user forums attended by SP team.
Specialist user forums developed where groups are currently lacking.
Include service user representation on Cross Strategy Development Group (CSDG).
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Putting a robust review process in place.
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Annual review of services to assess quality, effectiveness and continued strategic relevance.
Where services do not perform robust action taken to resolve.
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Effective and appropriate procurement of services.
Developing an effective and consistent procurement of services policy and procedure which includes the need to ensure services are of good quality, continuously improve in service delivery, are of good value for money and are of strategic relevance.
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Services procured in a consistent manner.
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Improving performance and promoting continuous improvement
Establish Performance Indicators (PIs) for individual providers to ensure good performance and improved service delivery.
Supporting continuous improvement.
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Providers meeting agreed PIs.
Increase in quality demonstrated through scheme review programme and delivery of agreed PIs.
Action plans for improvement established and carried through in all services.
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Objective 3
To develop and promote accessible services which meet the needs of diverse groups
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Actions
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Measuring outcomes
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Providing effective move-on, resettlement and ongoing support.
Developing a move-on strategy which includes focus of priority need and measurable outcomes for service users.
Improving relationship between providers and other agencies to ensure increased awareness of housing option.
Encouraging the restructuring of services to include move on options.
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Effective move on strategy in place.
Greater use of available housing and support options.
Increase in move on options for service users/
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Maximising nominations to Supported Housing schemes and floating support services.
Referrals to supported housing services, including sheltered and floating support services, must require some form of support.
Quotas for some schemes where services are unfairly excluding specific client groups.
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Referrals to services made appropriately and matched with aims of the service and needs of service user.
No client group unreasonably excluded fro services.
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Objective 4
To develop and promote multi-agency strategic partnerships at all levels.
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Actions
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Measuring outcomes
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Developing partnerships at a strategic level.
Continue to ensure Commissioning Body (CB) retains key members and proactively monitors the programme.
Improve attendance at Core Strategy Development Group (CSDG). Increase membership of CSDG to include other partners, providers and service user representation.
Review terms of reference of above groups.
React positively to external scrutiny and inspection
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Fully integrated and engaged approach to SP programme with statutory and key partners, providers and service users
CB and CSDG to monitor key objectives and outcomes
Improvement plans addressing concerns put in place.
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Developing partnerships at an operational level:
Develop shared allocations processes
Improved operational links with key partners.
Facilitate access to support services particularly floating and outreach support services including profile raising.
Multi-agency prevention strategy for young people at risk
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Effective nominations and allocations process in place
Clear operational links and joint protocols in place.
Increased awareness of the programme and support opportunities.
All young people to be assessed by YPLO
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Objective 5
To develop and promote effective monitoring, review and administration of the Supporting people programme
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Actions
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Measuring outcomes
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Continuing to develop an effective team performance.
Developing team skills as appropriate.
Streamlining the payment processes and procedures and clarify payment issues e.g. the position with regard to payments of SP to people who come off benefit and ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act
Developing steady state contracts in time for the procurement of new contracts and agree long-term procurement procedures.
Developing an annual SP business plan to drive the strategy and steer the work of the team.
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Team performing to required level.
All payment processes in place are effectively used.
Steady state contracts negotiated with providers as appropriate.
Formal memorandums of understanding in place.
Achieve outcomes identified in annual business plan.
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Ensuring consistent and fair charging for SP services.
Ensuring that the charging policy and procedure is fully implemented and reviewed on a regular basis.
Policy and procedure communicated to all concerned.
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Effective cross linkage with other internal departments and external organisations.
Improving communication between the SP Team and other colleagues including social services and homelessness to ensure that provision and funding are co-ordinated
Developing a communication strategy aimed at ensuring that providers/ users/ care managers and the rest of the Council are kept informed about developments.
Encouraging strong linkage between housing based support services and specialist care services to establish a continuum of support ranging from intensive support through to a light touch.
Maintaining and developing linkage role in South Eastern Regional Implementation Group (SERIG) and Cross Authority Group (CAG) to agree joint initiatives, improve consistency, improve understanding and mapping of supply and share good practice.
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Joint protocols and arrangements in place.
Regular meetings with partners.
Effective communication strategy in place.
Joint working arrangements and regular meetings in place.
Terms of reference at groups reviewed and yearly priority targets established.
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