This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Supporting People programme 2003-04
05/12/2003
Funding of £421 million for the Supporting People programme in Scotland fior 2003-04 has been confirmed today by the Executive.
This funding will provide continuing support for those services already in place or agreed to commence by March 31, 2004.
The Supporting People programme, which went live on April 1, provides housing support for vulnerable people in Scotland, including the homeless, victims of domestic abuse, and older people, allowing them to move to independent living or to sustain independent living in their homes.
The services supported through this programme grew significantly during 2002-03 in the run-up to the introduction of the new arrangements. As a result the Scottish Executive will review the programme with local authorities and service providers to ensure that the programme is meeting its original objectives.
Communities Minister Margaret Curran said that the programme's priority remained to provide housing support services for the most vulnerable in our society.
"The Supporting People programme is essential to ensure vulnerable people are able to live independently in the community. The aim is to prevent the difficulties that can lead to long term hospital stays, institutional care or homelessness through effective early support."
The programme was announced in 1999 and went live on April 1 following a transitional period.
The statutory basis for the new arrangements is the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001. Provisional allocations of funding were announced on March 7, and today's announcement adjusts those allocations following further reconciliation work between the Executive, Department for Work and Pensions, and local authorities.
The programme puts in place an integrated planning and funding framework for housing related support services - i.e. services that help vulnerable people live independently in their accommodation.
It includes services for the homeless, victims of domestic abuse and older people. The new arrangements will be managed by local authorities in partnership with providers and other local stakeholders.
A number of funding streams were merged into the Supporting People Grant in April - Transitional Housing Benefit, Special Needs Allowance Package and Resettlement Grant being the main ones.
The main historical funding source for Supporting People was Transitional Housing Benefit (THB) which ended on March 31.
Those services funded through THB are now funded by Supporting People with a funding transfer from the DwP to the Executive to enable this to happen. Other smaller transfers relate to rent pool supported services and pipeline services.
The purpose of the review of service growth is to ensure that services funded by Supporting People Grant fall within the original purpose of the programme. By doing that, Supporting People will be placed on a secure footing going forward with a clear purpose and remit and the funds to deliver.
A breakdown of the level of funding that each local authority can expect to receive in respect of 2003/04 is attached (in pounds sterling):
Aberdeen City £12,306,385
Aberdeenshire £9,374,919
Angus £6,292,340
Argyll & Bute £16,598,238
Clackmannanshire £3,093,495
Dumfries & Galloway £15,078,644
Dundee £11,672,480
East Ayrshire £6,184,168
East Dunbartonshire £5,527,821
East Lothian £9,365,816
East Renfrewshire £6,254,645
City of Edinburgh £44,694,924
Eilean Siar £356,812
Falkirk £8,275,041
Fife £27,327,241
Glasgow City £71,525,949
Highland £13,892,813
Inverclyde £8,122,574
Midlothian £6,050,298
Moray £6,920,485
North Ayrshire £14,705,131
North Lanarkshire £24,845,631
Orkney £357,044
Perth & Kinross £4,592,524
Renfrewshire £18,346,930
Scottish Borders £5,956,313
Shetland £788,470
South Ayrshire £6,231,371
South Lanarkshire £23,420,550
Stirling £3,799,843
West Dunbartonshire £19,396,821
West Lothian £9,719,099.