14 July 2006
Social landlords have welcomed plans for a national strategy to support vulnerable people, but are continuing to demand firmer assurances over funding.
Having seen Supporting People budgets cut for the past two years, housing associations were this week hoping that local government minister Phil Woolas would guarantee them a brighter picture during the next three.
But, speaking at the National Housing Federation's care and support conference on July 11, Woolas stressed the government's commitment to Supporting People without indicating how it might fare in next year's Comprehensive Spending Review.
Describing the programme as the 'spine around which we must wrap all the other support services', Woolas said it presented the government with an opportunity to 'invest to save' and help people who do not contribute to their community either socially or economically.
Presenting the responses received to recent consultations over a national strategy, he promised that the ring fence surrounding Supporting People services would not be removed and said the Department for Communities and Local Government was considering a federation proposal to make such services statutory.
But details of a national strategy must wait, he told delegates at Loughborough University.
'Through the CSR, we are able to look more closely at how we can best line up Supporting People and the other resources needed to deliver for vulnerable people,' he said.
The programme's budget has been cut from £1.8bn to £1.68bn in the past two years.
Fahmeeda Gill, policy leader at the NHF, said it should not be seen as peripheral. 'Unless we get an announcement on future funding soon, there will still be anxiety in the sector,' she told Public Finance.
David Orr, the federation's chief executive, told the conference that Supporting People had not had the impact that it should because of funding problems and poor contract management.
'There are encouraging signs that the DCLG is getting to grips with the problem,' he said. 'The challenge is getting the rest of the government to recognise its value.'
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