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The national agenda
The table below sets out the wider context of the national agenda in relation to Supporting People.
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Key aims
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Consistency with Medway's Supporting People Strategy
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Crime Reduction Strategy
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Targeting seven key areas for crime reduction, including support for victims of crime
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Reducing the risk of re-offending via appropriate service provision. Addressing the housing support needs of victims of domestic violence.
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Homelessness Strategy
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Prevention of homelessness via planned services and increased support provision
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Support services for homeless households, reduced use of bed and breakfast (B&B) and unsuitable temporary accommodation.
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Drug Strategy
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Includes better targeting and strengthening the capacity of agencies working jointly to tackle the most severe problems
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Quality supported housing services for problem drug users. Focussed floating support services.
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Strategy for Older People
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Maintaining independent living in the community
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Offer a range of support services in sheltered accommodation, dealing with alcohol problems, self-neglect, mental health. Provide viable alternatives to residential care. Provide long- term housing solutions through the provision of extra-care schemes.
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Mental Health Strategy
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Ensuring the needs of people with severe mental illness are met, including mentally disordered offenders
Partnerships with Housing Associations and 24-hour support schemes
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To increase the supply of appropriate supported housing provision to meet current need. To develop viable alternatives to residential care.
To introduce innovative ways in which Supporting People services can do more to help people with mental health problems into some form of work and increased levels of social inclusion.
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Valuing People
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More choice and variety of accommodation and support for people with learning disabilities
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Pilot for an innovative model of supported housing for people with learning disabilities. Developing alternatives to residential care and a programme of resettlement into more independent housing options. Better engagement and information to service users.
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Domestic Violence Strategy
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Supporting the victims of domestic violence
Reducing re-offending
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The strategy will address the support needs of victims of domestic violence.
The strategy will address the support needs of offenders, including those who may be excluded from mainstream accommodation.
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Tackling Health Inequalities: A Programme for Action (2003)
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Supporting families, mothers and children.
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Housing-related support for teenage parents, people suffering from mental health problems and people with drug dependency problems. Improved access to primary healthcare services for homeless people.
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The social exclusion agenda
The government’s Social Exclusion Unit published a report in June 2004 entitled Mental Health and Social Exclusion. The report defines the scope of the problem and sets out a strategy to facilitate increased opportunities for people with mental health problems. The key themes focus on employment and social participation.
The report acknowledges that access to decent housing and support systems is fundamental to improved outcomes for this client group.
The report sets out a 27-point action plan to bring together the work of government departments and other organisations with an emphasis on the community and voluntary sector.
The action points fall into six categories:
- getting the basics right (this includes access to housing);
- stigma and discrimination;
- the role of health and social care in tackling social exclusion;
- employment;
- supporting families and community participation;
- making it happen.
Previous reports from the Social Exclusion Unit on teenage pregnancy and rough sleepers have paved the way for increased funding and opportunities for development in the supported housing sector.
The National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal
This deals with a range of issues including housing, community cohesion, employment, skills and knowledge, health and drugs. A strategic link into this agenda could help to profile the Supporting People programme and enable new effective community partnerships to develop.
This idea could be developed, for instance, where Supporting People projects have been started on estates and could involve establishing links with the local community. Examples are Elizabeth Court, Wayfield and Prospect Lodge.
The local agenda
Medway Council has adopted six core values and several of these integrate with the Supporting People vision:
- promoting physical, social and economic regeneration;
- improving the environment;
- realising everyone’s potential;
- equal opportunities and access;
- fostering citizenship;
- giving value for money.
The More to Medway Partnership (Medway's local strategic partnership) has developed a community plan whose key objectives are to secure:
- a safe and secure Medway;
- a prosperous Medway;
- a healthy Medway;
- transport in Medway;
- Medway - a place built for the future;
- learning for life in Medway;
- a community involved and engaged.
One of the most significant factors influencing local demand and the level of need in the area will be the Thames Gateway development. The addition of up to 30,000 new homes will result in an increase in population to 250,000 – 300,000 over the next 10 years.
Affordability of local housing will be an important factor, especially as it is likely that the development of a new university in the area will lead to an increase in the student population and even greater competition for housing in the private sector. Inevitably, additional need in the area will result in a demand for additional support services which current budgets will be unable to meet.
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Document
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Key aims
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Consistency with the Supporting People Strategy
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Medway’s Homelessness Strategy 2003 - 2008
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- To provide alternatives to bed and breakfast (B&B).
- To improve move-on.
- To improve prevention and support vulnerable people in tenancies.
- To improve multi-agency working arrangements.
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- Having researched the specific support needs of people in B&B, Medway will develop appropriate provision and support vulnerability through effective assessment and referral processes.
- The strategy looks at improving move-on through effective resettlement and floating support services.
- Floating support and tenancy sustainment are important elements of the SP programme.
- These arrangements will be equally important in the delivery of Supporting People.
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Medway’s Housing Strategy 2002 – 2007
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By 2004, ensure that all people in Medway have a range of choice in housing provision.
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This range of choice also applies to provision of supported housing accommodation and provision of independence.
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Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Strategy for Housing
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To make fair and effective use of social housing, promote equal opportunities, recognise diversity and provide culturally sensitive services.
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The council has been proactive in researching the views of BME people and hard-to-reach people in the development of this strategy. The BME Housing Strategy group has been consulted in the production of this strategy.
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Regional Housing Priorities – Regional Housing Statement 2002/2005
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- Priority 4 – to meet the needs of those who require supported housing.
- Priority 5 – to meet the needs of BME people and asylum seekers.
- Priority 9 – to support crime reduction through housing provision.
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All three of these priorities are reflected in the strategy and implementation plan.
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Teenage Pregnancy Strategy
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Any teenage mother who requests help will be able to access housing appropriate to her needs and receive a range of relevant support from professionals.
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The council will provide a range of support, including floating support and continuous care from temporary through to permanent housing. These issues will be addressed in section 7 of this report.
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Local Strategic Partnership – Community Plan
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Assess the need for temporary accommodation, including the needs of the homeless and those with mental ill-health or drug dependency and identify a partnership strategy to meet these needs.
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This strategy looks at the support needs of homeless people and those at risk of homelessness, available provision and gaps.
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Housing Provision for Vulnerable Young People in Medway – 2003
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The report set out the need for a greater supply of supported housing in the area and calls for agencies to work together more effectively.
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This strategy looks at need and available provision for this client group and sets out plans for future service development.
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Supporting People Five Year Accommodation Strategy – Kent Probation Area
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To meet the support needs of offenders, including those who may be excluded from mainstream accommodation. Production of robust needs information about offenders.
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The strategy will draw on the support needs of offenders identified in this report.
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Sure Start
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Emphasis on health and family support to improve their health and well-being.
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Locally, Sure Start offers family support, improving self-esteem and using adult education classes to develop confidence to seek employment.
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Intermediate Care Strategy for Medway and Swale
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To: - prevent unnecessary hospital admissions;
- support timely discharge;
- reduce avoidable long term care;
- maximise independent living.
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The supply and demand for appropriate accommodation for this group is included in the strategy.
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Medway Health Inequalities Report
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- To reduce the social exclusion of teenage parents by increasing their involvement in education, training and employment.
- Treatment to enable people with drug problems to overcome them and live healthy and crime-free lives.
- Better access to health care for both priority and non-priority homeless people.
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- To be addressed in section 7.9 of this report.
- To be addressed in 7.8 of this report.
- To be addressed in 7.6 and 7.7 of this report.
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Substance Misuse Plan 2003/2004
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- To target young people with drug dependency problems.
- The plan includes the introduction of an assessment tool and targeting young people.
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- Provision of appropriate supported housing and support.
- The strategy will look at the use of assessment tools to assess need and facilitate referral and support.
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Crime and Disorder Strategy
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- To support the victims of violence.
- To reduce the risk of re-offending.
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- The strategy will address the support needs of victims of domestic violence.
- The strategy will address the support needs of offenders, including those who may be excluded from mainstream accommodation.
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Medway Youth Justice Plan
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Plan and develop a range of flexible accommodation packages, improved assessment processes and IT infrastructure to enable identification, referral and tracking to reduce criminal behaviour.
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This strategy recognises the gaps in current provision and the high levels of need for this group. These issues will be addressed in section 7.2 of this report.
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Leading Urban Renaissance is part of the local Public Service Agreement for Medway Council for 2002 - 2005 and its conclusions and challenging targets are important in the context of Supporting People. Target 3 is to reduce the number of older people entering residential and nursing home care and the length of time people ready for discharge from hospital have to wait for rehabilitation or care placement.
The target for admissions of supported residents aged 65 or over to residential or nursing care is to reduce it to less than 36 per 10,000 of the population aged 65 or over by 31 March 2005. This issue will be addressed in section 7.4 of this report.
The target in Medway will be to reduce waiting times for discharge to 30 days by 31 March 2005. A section on provision for people being discharged from hospital is therefore to be included in this report.
In addition, a PSA target has been set for the number of households accepted as homeless in B&B accommodation. This figure is to be reduced to zero by 2004/05. The council's strategy specifically focuses on assessment of the support needs of people in B&B and the available provision and processes that are in place to move them on into more suitable accommodation or prevent them from becoming homeless in the first place.
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