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Archived Supporting People News Stories
Supporting People Stakeholder Events
Supporting People (SP) plans to organise annual events in each of its five areas. These local events will target those organisations and services which work on the ground in each of the NIHE SP stakeholder areas. If your organisation cannot be represented in one stakeholder area, you can attend the event in another area. Dates which have been set so far are:
Belfast Area Stakeholder Event
The Belfast stakeholder event will take place on Thursday 23 April 2009 at the Radisson Hotel, The Gasworks, 3 Cromac Pl, Ormeau Road, Belfast.
Other Stakeholder Events
Dates for other event will be placed on the website as soon as they are known. Supporting People also publish details on the NIHE website.
20 November 08
Vetting and Barring Scheme – FREE Information Sessions Reminder
The new Vetting & Barring Scheme, established under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups legislation, will be fully operational from 12 October 2009.
In order to prepare employers, organisations, regulatory bodies and workers to undertake their responsibilities and requirements under the new scheme, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has commissioned the Volunteer Development Agency (VDA) to deliver a series of Information Sessions between October 2008 and October 2009.
To book a place online please go to: www.volunteering-ni.org. Book early to avoid disappointment. Most sessions will run from 9.30am to 1pm.
If you do not have access to the internet, or have difficulty withonline booking, please contact:Julie-Ann Asheat VDA on 028 9081 8316 or julie-ann@volunteering-ni.org
31 October 2008
A Powerpoint update is available to download as a PDF by clicking on Supporting People Modernising Services & Business Improvement Project.
16 October 08
SP Payments backdating reduced
Click on this PDF of a letter from SP for information on changes to SP payments back-dating rules. This PDF link leads to additional notes (PDF 23.1kb)
26 February 09
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (NI) Order 2007
The Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) is in the process of implementing the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (NI) Order 2007.
Employers and Human Resources Managers with responsibility for employee vetting should take particular note of its arrival. Please click on circular, for further information regarding the changes coming into effect on 13 March 2009.
If you have any questions of queries, please contact a member of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Order Implementation Team
E: svgni@dhsspsni.gov.uk T: 028 9052 8223 / 028 9052 3173.
11 February 09
New Housing Support Forum
The Supporting People Support Group has been incorporated as a formal NIFHA forum and re-designated the Housing Support Forum. It will be a self-administrating forum.
Housing Support Forum Appointments to NIFHA Housing Operations Committee
Under the new NIFHA committee structures each forum is entitled to formal representation on the appropriate NIFHA Committee.
28 January 09
Calling all participants in the NI Support Benchmarks Project.
By now you should all have received a feedback questionnaire from SITRA asking for an evaluation of the project.
If you have not already done so, please take a minute to complete and return the form. We would especially urge you to do this if you thought the project was useful and worthwhile. It will be possible for SITRA to analyse the NI feedback separately from the England feedback.
The more positive feedback we receive the greater the chance of persuading NIHE to subsidise the project again next year.
07 November 2008
CSHS launches revised Code of Practice for Housing-related Support services
The single most significant advance in the Code’s history
From Monday 10 November 2008, Supported Housing services and those providing Floating Support can take advantage of this “kitemark” of excellence. The newly revised Code also includes Extra Care services both when provided alongside other support services and for Extra Care-only providers.
Previously, the CSHS Code of Practice was relevant only to Sheltered Housing providers, but after nearly two years of work, and consultation with providers and other stakeholders, the Code’s Practitioner Working Group and board of external Advisors and Assessors have given their go-ahead and all providers of long-term Housing-related Support can now gain accreditation, regardless of how they deliver their services and the tenure of their service users.
Successful pilot scheme
Testway Support recently piloted the revised Code, using it to accredit their floating-only support services. Testway reaped the benefits of working towards and achieving a nationally recognised quality award, just as many Sheltered Housing providers have done since 1993.
Christine Walker, CSHS Director, is quick to point out however; the broadening of the Code to Supported Housing providers and Floating Support does not lessen the achievements of the 84 Sheltered Housing providers already accredited by the Code. She said, “We are extremely proud of what the Code has achieved and represented for sheltered housing and will continue to support the development of quality services within this sector. However,” she continued, “given the continued changes within the sector, we felt it was appropriate to enhance the Code to pass on its many benefits to all providers of housing-related support services.”
Imogen Parry, Director of Policy at ERoSH commented “The Code continues to have important relevance to Sheltered Housing providers. It’s good to see others are now able to work towards this level of excellence and that has to be good news for service users in the Supported Housing sector, too.”
Domini Gunn, Lead Housing Inspector at the Audit Commission added, “The Audit Commission mission is to be a driving force in the improvement of services by promoting good practice and helping those providing services to achieve better outcomes for citizens. We support high standards in housing and welcome the revised CSHS Code of Practice that now allows it to relate to a greater number of service providers and users.”
The Code provides organisations with a structured, consistent framework for the delivery and continuous improvement of services to any vulnerable client group. It also benefits from links to the Supporting People Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) and can allow achievers to be passported through the QAF review.
The Code determined the nature of, and specification for, a quality sheltered housing service for several years before the Supporting People QAF and will continue to be a benchmark for quality in the delivery of housing-related support services. This review has not only broadened the scope of services able to gain accreditation, but has ensured that the Code continues to meet the changing needs of the sector and maintains its standing as an award for quality services to vulnerable clients.
Organisations interested in applying for accreditation should visit www.cshs.co.uk or call Melanie Haynes on 01905 727 266 for the new application form.
30 October 2008
NI Support Benchmarks Project
The deadline for the NI Support Benchmarks Project has been extended to Monday 17 November 2008. This has been agreed with the facilitators SITRA, Housemark and NHF. This extension is to provide a longer application period to promote submission of proposals from as many interested applicants as possible.
The guidance and application materials are available on the Internet via www.sitra.org. If, after reading the guidance you still have any queries you can email: sitrahelpline@sitra.org
There is no charge to providers for taking part this year as the NIHE is funding it. There is no guarantee though that they will fund it in future years. They may be more likely to do so if there is sufficient participation in this year’s project. It is important to note that, although they are funding it, the NIHE will not have access to reports provided to participants. A central element of the benchmarking project is provider confidentiality.
The project is managed through a partnership of SITRA, Housemark (CIH), and NHF. It has been running successfully in England for four years where the organisers have received positive feedback from participants. There were positive testimonials at the launch event from several providers who participated in the pilots for the project in Northern Ireland. It has been endorsed by NIHE, CHNI and NIFHA.
21 October 08
NI Assembly Private Members' Business: Supporting People
Anna Lo MLA Belfast South raised a discussion under Private Members Business relating to the Supporting People Fund. Read the full debate online by clicking on Supporting People.
06 October 08
CRISSP Response to SP Baselining
This PDF document (73kb) is the CRISSP response to Programme for Government.
Supporting People - a Communications Strategy
You can download the Supporting People's draft Communications Strategy as a PDF document and a copy of the joint response from NIFHA and CHNI.
03 October 08
NI Support Benchmarks
The NI Support Benchmarks project for 08-09 was officially launched on 02 October 2008. This tool can measure cost, performance, quality standards, and user satisfaction (as measured in your organisation).
All supported housing services are invited to take part in the project this year at no charge. This tool can help organisations to –
- Develop their understanding of the balance between costs and quality
- Scrutinise their costs more effectively
- Increase their knowledge of the provider market
- Identify the potential for changes and the scope, if any, for efficiencies.
Download the guidance and spreadsheets from www.sitra.org
Advice from: sitrahelpline@sitra.org. The closing date was 03 November 2008.
26 Sept 08
Support Action Net - PDF briefing paper on data sharing
Triangle HA's Monitoring Tenant Outcomes - PDF of slides
20 September 08
Supporting People Support Group Minutes are available as a PDF (30kb) file to download
19 September 08
Supporting People Outcomes Workshop
Click on this link: SP Outcomes - briefing paper to down load the PDF (1870kb).
For further information on regarding Supporting People Outcomes click on this link notes (PDF 14.4kb).
There is also a SP Outcomes - SPSG Recommendations to download as a PDF (46KB)
27 August 08
Supporting People Modernising Services Project:
Consultation on Draft Supporting People Communications Strategy
The Supporting People modernising services project team has drafted a communication strategy for Supporting People. The document can be viewed as a PDF document by clicking on Draft Supporting People Communication Strategy with Appendices 0808.
This document was out to consultation in early Autumn 08 with an external consultation group of which NIFHA is a member. Supporting People intends to implement the strategy before the end of 2008.
25 August 08
Access NI - emergency arrangements
Temporary emergency arrangements to facilitate employment in certain areas of health and social care within strictly defined parameters, pending receipt of enhanced criminal record disclosure certificates requested from AccessNI have been introduced.
They will be terminated at a date appointed by the Department. It is intended that these measures will not extend beyond the end of 2008. Following termination of the temporary arrangements, existing legislative and policy requirements in this area will resume with immediate effect.
Full details of the arrangements may be read in this WORD document called Temporary emergency Access NI arrangements _August 08.
9 April 2008
CRISSP 2nd Annual Meeting
The Changing Context of Supported Housing Regulation
This interesting and challenging event helped to clarify the links and differences between all the regulatory regimes. For futher information click here to go to the CRISSP page.
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.
