Supporting People shake-up plan

Parts of the Supporting People programme could be transferred
out of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, a government
official has said.

Programme manager Jane Everton said the ODPM had been speaking
to other departments about the future of Supporting People and did
not rule out a possible move.

Speaking after a conference presentation on the future of the
programme, Everton said the outcome of a forthcoming strategy
consultation would decide where Supporting People was best
situated.

Everton told the Supporting People Advisory Network conference
that the strategy would move the programme away from a focus on
particular groups to an approach based on outcomes.

An outline strategy, expected by October, will focus on the
outcomes the programme can achieve for people based on their needs
such as long-term care, crisis intervention and promoting
independence. 

 “The strategy will look at what the funding does for the
different needs and how that’s best delivered is something we will
be looking at through the strategy,” she said.

Everton told the event in Harrogate last week that the programme
would also incorporate issues raised in the adult green paper, such
as greater choice and control for individuals and a focus on
prevention.

She said the ODPM was working with the Department of Health and
the Department for Work and Pensions to develop pilots to test
individual Supporting People budgets and integrated assessments,
initially for older people but with plans to include other groups
later.

Everton confirmed that local area agreements, where councils are
given non-ringfenced funding but agree particular outcomes with the
government, could play a large part in the future of Supporting
People.

She also hinted after the speech that the consultation on
funding for the programme in 2007-8 would not involve the
controversial distribution formula. She said longer-term funding
options would be included in the strategy.

Everton said the outline strategy would be a “fairly open paper”
and, following consultation, a final strategy would be produced in
spring next year. 

 

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