Glossary of Housing Related Support Terms
Accredited Support Provider (ASP)
An organisation that is registered to receive Supporting People
Revenue Grant (SPRG) funds from the Welsh Assembly Government and
in doing so, meets defined criteria set out in the Welsh Assembly
Government Publication - "Accreditation of a Support Provider" -
October 2002.
BME
Black Minority Ethnic
Care and Repair Agency
See Home
Improvement Agency
Commissioning
Arrangements for the tendering, contracting, monitoring and
review of providers who deliver a service.
Community Alarms
Community alarm services include dispersed and 'hard wired'
services that are usually provided in sheltered and purpose built
disabled persons accommodation as well as within peoples own
homes.
Dispersed Project
This refers to a project that is associated with a number of
individual properties, not necessarily in the same
location.
Fairer Charging
Fairer charging is a means test that is available to those who
do not qualify for Housing Benefit. It is designed to reduce the
number of people who would have to pay the full support charge if
they did not get Housing Benefit. It works mainly by allowing
people to keep more of their income if they have more than the
basic income support level. It also allows people to have more
savings than under Housing Benefit, and it can also take account of
extra costs a person faces because of a disability.
Floating Support
A Floating Support project refers to a project usually
associated with a number of individual properties, not necessarily
in the same location, where the tenants require support for varying
periods. The service enables tenants to move to more independent
accommodation, or to maintain their tenancies in more independent
accommodation.
Home Improvement Agency
Home Improvement Agencies, which are sometimes referred to as
'Care and Repair' agencies, are 'not for profit' organisations
which assist vulnerable homeowners or private sector tenants, who
are older, disabled or on low incomes to repair, maintain or adapt
their home.
Homelessness Strategy
This is a document to be produced by a local authority on a five
year cycle that will set out a vision and long term aims and
objectives for the provision of services to homeless and
potentially homeless people in its area. The Supporting People
Operational Plan will be an annual mechanism set within the overall
framework of the Homelessness Strategy that will aim to realise the
practical fulfilment of the broad aims and objectives set out in
the Homelessness Strategy in respect of the provision of supported
accommodation.
Initial Service Review
This review will take place within three years from 2003 and
will form the basis for the level of SPRG and SPG funding a project
retains. SPRG funded projects are reviewed by the Welsh Assembly
whereas SPG funded projects are reviewed via the Local
Authority.
Local Housing Strategy
A five year plan that provides direction about housing need and
demand across tenure in a planned way that incorporates the views
of all those who are involved in the provision and use of housing
and related services.
Management Agreement
A contractual agreement between a Registered Social Landlord and
a support provider that details the responsibilities and duties of
both the provider and the RSL in respect of the scheme or project.
This is represented in the Individual's tenancy agreement with the
Landlord that specifies support is a condition of that
tenancy.
Mission Statement
A statement describing the aspirations of an
organisation.
Needs Mapping Exercise
The NME is a mechanism to gather demographic information as well
as individual support needs information and has assisted the Local
Authority to assess the level of unmet need in the area, and on
that basis decide what housing and support is required to meet that
need.
On-going Service Reviews
A continuous cycle of reviews that will take place in relation
to SPG and SPRG funded provision after the Initial Service Reviews
are complete.
Operational Policy
An operational policy is a document providing an
all-encompassing picture as to how the SPRG funded project will be
managed on a day-to-day basis.
Participation
The involvement of service users in the development of, and
decision making about, services that they receive from a range of
organisations/agencies.
Partnership
Equal involvement of different people and/or agencies.
Pipeline Scheme
A mechanism to allow for schemes that come into operation in the
first year of Supporting People i.e. 2003/04 to be included within
the sizing the pot exercise.
Registered Social Landlords (RSLs)
Housing Associations.
Service Level Agreements
Agreements between parties about how services must be provided,
what their standards will be and how monitoring will take
place.
Service Provider
An agency that provides services to people living in supported
accommodation and older persons services. This may include housing
associations, local authorities, voluntary sector or private sector
bodies.
SPRG Service Specifications
The specification that defines the services a supported housing
project must provide in order to obtain, and continue to receive
SPRG.
SPRG Funding Framework
The term used to describe the entirety of the SPRG funding
system.
Supported Housing
A broad term used to describe housing where people receive
support to live in their own homes. This support is comprised of
services provided to vulnerable people, which are designed to
develop the skills and confidence necessary to live independently
without support or to maintain independent living with ongoing
support.
Supporting People Grant (SPG)
The element of Supporting People Revenue funding that is
transferred to Local Authorities on 1st April 2003 in respect of
services provided to those living in accommodation for older
persons and community care funded provision.
Supporting People Operational Plan (SPOP)
The SPOP will be produced on an annual basis and co-ordinated by
the Supporting People Planning Group (SPPG). This will be the
document that prioritises the need for new expenditure i.e. the
bidding document for SPRG and the method for evidencing the revenue
resource requirements for SPG.
Supporting People Programme
This refers to the entirety of the arrangements in respect of
implementing Supporting People.
Supporting People Revenue Grant
The grant that will be distributed to projects funded through
the Welsh Assembly government unified funding stream. These are
projects that have previously received funding from one or more of
the following sources: Supported Housing Revenue Grant (SHRG),
Transitional Housing Benefit (THB), Probation Accommodation Grants
(PAGS), Section 180 and/or Section 30 monies.
Supporting People Team
The Local Authority personnel who are charged with the
responsibility for implementing the Supporting People programme
from the perspective of that Local Authority.
South Wales Supporting People Forum
The forum consists of Supporting People Lead Officers and
Probation Service strategic managers from South Wales. The purpose
of the forum is to examine cross boundary issues generally relating
to the Supporting People programme. The forum also considers the
implications of Supporting People in relation to the Probation
Service.
Transitional Housing Benefit (THB)
Prior to April 2003, THB was the 'vehicle' to calculate the
costs of the support. It was introduced in April 2000 to allow the
true costs of support to be identified and funded via Housing
Benefit and introduced a new category of cost to Housing Benefit,
General Counselling and Support. This system ended on March 31st
2003 and in April 2003 it reverted back to Housing Benefit, which
now only covers rent and housing management costs. The support
element was then transferred to the 'pot' which will be used to pay
for the costs of housing related support.
Unified Funding Stream
The term used to describe the Supporting People revenue-funding
stream that was established on 1st April 2003 by the Welsh Assembly
Government.
Void
The period when a unit of supported housing accommodation is
unoccupied.
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Last Updated: 06.08.2008