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Supporting People

In the South West

Helen CourtisCommunities and Local Government

22nd November 2007

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National data and evidence

• From April 2003 the Client Record System has recorded data on new clients accessing SP services.

• Information on most common client groups:

• However, it is important that clients with complex vulnerability are not overlooked by this analysis. More than half of clients are defined with one or more secondary need each year.

Client group Local investment in services

Number of household units

Single homeless with support needs £233,623,677 40,989

Women at risk of domestic violence £61,645,319 8,660

Mental health problems £239,590,853 36,396

Homeless families with support £48,722,386 12,651

Young people at risk £115,955,181 16,596

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National data and evidence

o The number of women has increased steadily.

o The number of rough sleepers and refugees has decreased steadily, and a smaller proportion of clients with drug problems was recorded this year.

o Floating support services have steadily increased, and attract more female clients than male.

o Non-host referrals are decreasing reflecting either decreasing client mobility and/or tendency on the part of services to accept fewer non-host clients.

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Outcomes

• Outcomes data has been collected since May 2007, recording information on how successful SP services have been in helping vulnerable people achieve greater independent living.

• This data already indicates the positive contribution SP makes.

• Professor Joe Doherty from St Andrews University, recently stated that the Outcomes data system is widely recognised in the field as being ‘one of the most innovative across Europe’.

• Both Client Record and Outcomes data is available on our website: www.spclientrecord.org.uk. Alternatively, more detailed analysis can be commissioned from St Andrews university.

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Diversity

• Nationally, floating support services were provided to 60% of female clients. The opposite is true of supported housing schemes, which were used by 60% of male clients. 75% of males accessed direct access accommodation compared to 25% of females.

• In addition, young services users (16-24 years) are more likely to be female, but as age increases the majority of clients tend to be male (25-74 years).

• Ethnic minority clients tended to be younger than clients of White-British origins, and made up 19% of all clients recorded in 2006/07. Black African clients accounted for over half of refugees while the largest client group among Black ethnic groups were single homeless clients.

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The need for regional commissioning in the South West region

• There are 4 primary client groups which consistently record approximately 100 clients or less in a year, representing less than 0.6% of total clients. These are:o Older people with mental healtho Mentally disordered offenderso People with HIV/AIDso Travellers

• In 2006/07, the frail elderly client group also recorded very few new clients in SW.

• These figures will be negligible at an AA level (there are 15 AAs in SW) so there is a risk that the support needs of these clients will not be provided for effectively at an AA level.

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Cross-authority referrals

• Approximately 15% of referrals (representing around 2,500 clients) made in SW are ‘non-host’ each year i.e. they referred clients living in one AA for support in another AA within the same region.

• The three highest importers of clients in 2006/07 were Bournemouth, Gloucestershire and Bristol; the three highest exporters of clients were Dorset, Bristol and Devon.

• The SW region is a net importer of clients, and recorded the highest net import ratio – almost twice as many clients enter the region as leave it.

o For example, in 2006/07, out of 20,189 referrals, 1,281 were cross-authority referrals within the same region, 883 were referred from another region and 452 migrated to another region.

o Women at risk of domestic violence and single homeless people make up majority of the movement.

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Regional Housing Strategiesand Housing Support

• Non-host referrals are reducing, nationally and in SW.

• Outlined in strategy we expect authorities to work collaboratively – to plan for services at a regional/sub-regional level.

• Regional Housing Strategies to consider how services will need to respond to local demographic changes, utilising SP 5 year strategies.

• We are currently commissioning research to identify best practice for ensuring including SP (and social care) priorities are addressed at a regional and sub-regional level.

• Sub-national review – will change the current structure of how housing and housing support is planned and commissioned. This will be addressed in the research.

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Future needs

Ageing society• Some areas within the SW region already have high

concentrations of older people.

• Housing growth driven by growing older population. 48% of all new households will be older to 2026.

Data collection• Understanding the baseline data is critical for understanding what

work needs to be done going forward. Without this any forward looking plans will be flawed from the start.

• Local areas should ensure they fully understand the needs and expectations in their areas, before thinking about how forces such as demographic and planning changes will impact the need for housing support.

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Over 85s up 85% by 2031

National picture hideslocal pressure points…

Actual change in numbers over state pension age by area (1991 - 2001)

Source: Office for National Statistics

…some areas are likely to see very rapid increases

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Delivering the Local Government White Paper

• The Local Government White Paper sets out the policy and performance framework we now work in.

• National priorities Government wants to achieve in the next spending period (2008-2011) are set out in 30 Public Service Agreements (PSAs). • Each PSA is underpinned by a Delivery Agreement, shared across all

contributing departments, which outline the national performance indicators that will be used to measure progress towards each PSA.

• Each Government department has Departmental Strategic Objectives (DSOs) with performance indicators, linked to the PSAs.

• Each Administering Authority will agree 35 local targets in its Local Area Agreement (LAA), which represent local priorities.

• 198 National Indicators set forms basis of the Comprehensive Area Assessments (CAA) so risk is assessed on each indicator.

PSAs DSOs LAAs

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How housing support fits into this approach

• Of the 198 National Indicators, 2 specific indicators are drawn from SP relating to housing support:

1. The percentage of people achieving independent living 2. The number of vulnerable people who are supported to

maintain independent living

• There are around 20 indicators in the 198 which relate to vulnerable people. The National Indicators set forms basis for assessing risk.

• The inclusion of the two SP indicators has put the delivery of housing support within the local government mainstream.

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Independence and Opportunity: Our strategy for Supporting People

Four key themes:

• Keeping service users at the heart of the programme

• Enhancing partnership with Third Sector

• Delivering in the new Local Government Landscape

• Increasing efficiency and reducing bureaucracy

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Going Forward

• Opportunity to build on lessons of Supporting People

• Know housing support works• Prevents crisis• Individually focussed• Saves money

• Built partnerships across statutory and voluntary sectors• Focus on most vulnerable and excluded• Positive – rebuilds lives• Build on inspection programme to improve delivery at all

levels