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Archived Supporting People News Stories
4 March 2008
Seminar - The Changing Context of Supported Housing Regulation
This half-day seminar’s theme was the changing face of regulation in the context of supported housing. It helped to clarify the links and differences between all the regulatory regimes and took place on Wednesday 9 April 08 at Malone House, Belfast.
3 & 5 October 07
PoCVA & Supporting People
NIFHA and The Council for the Homeless (CHNI) held two meetings recently which included Housing Associations, Supported Housing Providers and PoCVA Representatives to discuss the delays experienced with clearance times for PoCVA checks. This may continue, or even get worse, as the number of organisations required to make checks (and referrals), as well as those choosing to do so as a safeguard, is likely to expand considerably in the very near future. More..
10 September 07
Joint Working in Supported Housing - a seminar
NIFHA, in conjunction with the Council for the Homeless NI (CHNI), held a half-day seminar on 10 September 2007 to discuss “Joint Working in Supported Housing”. For full details, please click here.
29 June 2007
Floating Support - important changes
Direct support ‘tolerance’ levels to increase to 75%. Contracts to be based on number of support hours. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) will be writing to all providers with implementation details soon.
Supporting People Team Restructuring
The Supporting People Team clearly indicated at a recent presentation to the Floating Support Forum that they will be restructuring internally in the autumn. The proposal is to set up devolved multi-functional area teams which will be co-terminus with the NIHE’s own regions.
31 May 2007
Supporting People Outcomes framework launched – England
CLG has developed a consistent national approach to outcomes measurement for England. The CLG Outcomes framework for short-term services has been available for use since 31 May 2007. The framework for long-term services will be available later in the summer.
CLG is not in a position to mandate the use of the CLG Supporting People outcomes framework by AA’s. However they are strongly recommending that all AA’s use it. Any AA that chooses not to use the CLG outcomes framework will need to inform the CLG as a matter of urgency why they will not be using it. The value of a consistent national dataset will be seriously undermined if there is limited coverage across AA’s and regions and CLG has stated that it will be of great concern to them if this happens.
A 63-page word document called "Guidance Manual for the Outcomes Form for Short Term Services" can be downloaded from here.
Given the evidence-based approach needed to support applications for strategic funding for Supporting People under CSR it is our opinion that it is likely that an outcomes model will be developed for NI.
15 May 2007
Service User Involvement
The Supporting People Team appointed a new full time member of staff, Eamonn Mullen, to take forward proposals for involving service users and / or their advocates in Supporting People service development and implementation. The aim of this initiative is to improve the planning and commissioning of services.
01 April 2007
Housing Corporation Revised Design Standards
Following a review the Housing Corporation has revised the design and quality standards they expect for the homes they fund in England – including development standards for supported housing. A PDF document of the Housing Corporation's Design and Quality Strategy may be downloaded from here and the Design and Quality Standards document may be downloaded as a PDF from here.
Supported Housing Development Programme
From 01 April 2007 operational responsibility for the management of the social housing development programme, including the supported housing development programme, transferred from the DSD to the NIHE. For futher information click here.
28 Feb 2007
Supporting People Budget 2007/08
At its board meeting on 28 Feb. the NIHE Board approved the financial aspects of the Supporting People programme. Subject to confirmation from the Department for Social Development, the Supporting People budget for 2007/08 will be £60.97m. This makes provision for an inflationary increase of 3% on existing Supporting People contracts. To read the full contents of the briefing pertaining to this meeting then click here.
