Shift to give cash to ‘less’ popular groups

More Supporting People funding is expected to go to “unpopular
groups” following the introduction of new key performance
indicators from next year.

Ethnic minorities and other groups the Audit Commission claims are
not sufficiently provided for, such as people who misuse drugs and
alcohol, are set to benefit from the change.

Other targets councils will be asked to provide data on include
preventing homelessness and helping older people live
independently.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said Supporting People
teams should work in partnership with health and social services to
fund full packages of care for groups with other needs beyond those
that are housing-related. This was suggested in an independent
review into Supporting People commissioned by the ODPM in
February.

“We cannot continue to fund inappropriate services that are not
relevant or do not represent value for money,” an official
said.

Nigel Rogers, director of Sitra, which provides support services to
voluntary organisations and housing associations, said services for
people with learning difficulties were more likely than those for
people with mental health problems to be affected by the change.

“There is a case for rebalancing funding and social services should
pick up more of the bill,” he said.

But the new measures come at a time when councils face cuts to
their individual Supporting People allocations for 2005-6 of up to
7.5 per cent. The ODPM confirmed this week that 118 of the 150
English councils faced cuts of 5 per cent or more.