“Supporting People” Strategy Document

The Minister for Local Government (Mr. Phil Woolas)
I am today placing in the Libraries of both Houses copies of the strategy document “Independence and Opportunity: Our Strategy for Supporting People” and an associated impact assessment and equalities impact assessment.

The strategy document is the culmination of an extensive consultation with local authorities, service providers, service users and representative bodies on the future effective delivery of housing-related support.

The document focuses on four key delivery issues:

Keeping the needs of service users at the heart of the supporting people programme, by ensuring their involvement in the planning, design and delivery of services; and by encouraging choice and control over services, and by rationalising needs assessment for individuals.

Enhancing our relationship with the third sector, who deliver the majority of housing related support services, by ensuring they have the capacity and tools to compete fairly for contracts to deliver services.

Delivering housing-related support services effectively in the new local government performance landscape, that is through the local area agreement framework.

Maximising efficiency and minimising bureaucracy through a national value improvement programme, which will assist in rationalising processes such as procurement and contracting.

The strategy aims to provide additional clarity and focus to an already successful programme that helps a million people per year to attain or maintain independent living in their own homes.