Adebowale urges Supporting People to be moved from ODPM

The government should consider moving the Supporting People
programme out of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, according
to a national charity boss, writes Simeon
Brody.

Turning Point chief executive Lord Victor Adebowale told a
conference this week that the programme, with its social care
focus, may be more at home in the Department of Health.

Speaking at the National Housing Federation housing care and
support conference Adebowale said he was concerned that the
connection needed to be made between Supporting People and the
emerging social care agenda.

While stressing he was not “having a pop” at the
ODPM, he said: “A large proportion of ODPM’s activity
is about regeneration of areas as opposed to regenerating
people.”

“I do wonder whether it’s in the right department as
a fund because health and social care is a DH challenge and if we
want this fund to add value I just wonder if it’s in the
right place,” he added.

Adebowale told the conference it was “outrageous”
that Supporting People commissioners in one authority were imposing
local connection restrictions on a hostel for refugees.

Community Care reported last week (news, page 10 July 7) that up
to half of local authorities were imposing local connection
conditions to their Supporting People programmes.

Adebowale also said the Supporting People cuts were having a
“massive effect” on the supported housing sector, with
some organisations having to make 10 per cent of their staff
redundant.