Individual Budgets
The Individual Budgets pilot in B&NES is proceeding well and
the SP Commissioning Body recently approved the integration of a
small amount of SP grant into the pilot budget. This money will be
targeted towards younger disabled adults in the pilot group and a
short assessment tool has been developed to assess eligibility for
SP funding. Further SP resource will be made available for people
with learning difficulties in the pilot group, several of whom were
previously supported with SP Direct Payments. Overall 116 people
have been recruited to the pilot and this figure includes 57 older
people, 30 people with learning difficulties and 29 people with
physical or sensory disabilities. Some of these individuals will be
‘live’ IB recipients whereas others will be in the comparison group
only. For further information about Individual Budgets please
contact dawn_gillard@bathnes.gov.uk.
Focus On Value For Money
From April 2007 the SP team will be extending the original work
done on value for money during the service reviews. Providers
have given useful feedback on the proposed work, and the resulting
VfM Policy aims to ensure a consistent approach across all
providers and service sectors. It recognises that a wide
variety of factors will influence value for money including the
size, location and type of service, levels of support needs and the
outputs and outcomes achieved etc. All of these factors
will be taken into consideration. Link officers will work
closely with Providers to gather and interpret the required
information and VfM assessments will be carried out on a
sector by sector basis to facilitate comparisons.
We are interested in the financial picture of the complete
service, not simply the support element. This is not only on
the grounds of transparency, but also so we can clearly understand
the type of service we are purchasing and service users are
receiving. We will be asking Providers to supply us
with their complete actual annual accounts for 2006/07 and a simple
proforma has been designed to facilitate like for like
comparisons. For accommodation based services in particular,
we are hoping that this will enable Providers to demonstrate how
they are continuing to invest in their services thereby driving
forward the quality for service users. For further information
please contact rebecca_potter@bathnes.gov.uk
on 01225 477972
Sheltered Housing Sector Review
The SP Team is due to carry out a review of sheltered housing
services across the Bath & North East Somerset area. This
will provide an opportunity to develop a more strategic approach to
commissioning sheltered housing and to focus resources on those
with greatest need.
We aim to build up a profile of the sheltered sector as it
currently stands:
- strategic relevance of stock and type of accommodation
- profile of tenants
- void levels
- cost and value for money
The review will then aim to identify gaps in provision and
potential opportunities for development and look at options for the
future delivery of services. For further information please contact
Rebecca_potter@bathnes.gov.uk 01225
477972 or Ann_robins@bathnes.gov.uk
01225 396288
Inflationary Uplift
Inflation at 2.5% has been implemented from April 2008 for the
2008/9 financial year.
Further good news for the SP Team and for providers is that the
administration grant for the SP programme will remain the same in
2007/8 which will afford us the stability we need in order to
continue to deliver a high quality programme. The programme
grant also remains at the same level and DCLG have confirmed that
savings achieved through ‘careful management’ can be rolled forward
for re-investment in the programme.
Offender Needs Mapping Survey
Avon & Somerset probation Service, North Somerset, South
Glos, Bristol & B&NES SP teams have joined together to
carry out a survey to assess the housing and support needs of
offenders across the region. Nicholas Day Associates have been
commissioned to carry out the survey and have collected the
information through individual questionnaires completed by service
users & a series of focus groups. 3 focus groups were held in
B&NES at Julian House night shelter, probation and the Youth
Offending Team. Initial findings of the survey are being revealed
at the beginning of March and the full report is expected at the
end of March 07. For further information please contact Rebecca_potter@bathnes.gov.uk
01225 477972 or Ann_robins@bathnes.gov.uk 01225
396288
Supporting People & Supported Living Charging Policy
A number of long term SP services have always been chargeable
under the SP Charging Policy which was developed at the start of
the programme however the policy has never been applied to a number
of services with the exception of sheltered housing. Packages of
care and support commissioned by Social Services, or ‘Supported
Living’ packages, are also chargeable under a separate policy
although difficulties with streamlining the two policies and lack
of resources have meant that this policy has not been applied
either. Streamlining difficulties have now been overcome and the SP
Team is working with colleagues in Social Services Finance Team to
apply a joint charging policy, initially to individuals with
learning difficulties in receipt of long term SP or supported
living services. Charging income for this group will be collected
from July 1st 2007 and this will be followed by a process of
financial assessment for individuals with mental health problems
and physical or sensory disabilities in receipt of long term
services with the aim of income collection starting later in the
year for these groups. For further information please contact
Rebecca_potter@bathnes.gov.uk 01225
477972 or Ann_robins@bathnes.gov.uk
01225 396288
The Supporting People Team has been leading on a comprehensive
review of how homelessness services are delivered in Bath &
North East Somerset. The team has developed a map of service
providers, identified current funding streams, value for money and
how services prevent homelessness and increase independence.
On 6 February, a meeting of the Abbey Homelessness Initiative
was presented with the first draft of the Review Report, including
the draft recommendations for future service provision. The draft
report set out a strategic direction for homelessness services
which worked towards three aims:
- Increasing available accommodation
- Sustaining tenancies
- Reducing exclusion
A range of specific actions and outcomes were recommended which
aims to contribute towards delivery of these targets. The
Supporting People Team received initial feedback from providers and
asked for more comprehensive feedback by 28 February. The final
draft of the review report is anticipated at the end of March.
Copies of the draft review report are available from Ann_Robins@bathnes.gov.uk
on 01225 396288.
