Supported and Sheltered Housing
Supporting People
The Supporting People programme offers vulnerable people the opportunity to improve their quality of life by providing a stable environment that enables greater independence. It aims to deliver high quality and strategically planned housing-related services that are cost effective and reliable, and complement existing care services.
The aim of the Supporting People Programme is to improve the quality of support for vulnerable people. The Programme will deliver high quality, joined-up housing related support services for vulnerable people.
These services will enable vulnerable people to maintain and sustain a home in the community and will assist people to retain independence and choice in their lives, and reduce the need for crisis intervention. Support is available to all vulnerable people whether they are home owners, live in private sector rented or housing association accommodation.
Housing related support services are intended to help vulnerable people maintain or improve their ability to live as independently as possible within the community. It covers a wide range of activities including
- help setting up and maintaining a home or tenancy
- assistance with managing finance and benefit claims
- help with establishing personal safety and security
- support and development of domestic and life skills
- assistance with gaining access to other services
- advice and support on home improvement work
The Supporting People programme provides housing related support services to a wide range of people including
- older people
- people with learning difficulties
- people with mental health problems or some disabilities
- refuge and move-on support for women fleeing domestic violence
- support for homeless people who may never have had a tenancy
- young people
- people leaving institutions e.g. hospital, prison
Support services can be categorised as 'short term' and 'long term'. in accordance to their aims and objectives. Short term schemes last for up to two years with the intention of moving an individual on to independent living or increasing the ability to live independently. Long term services are on a continuous basis and are often characterised as open-ended. All short term housing related support services are free. Charges are only applicable to people in long term services who can afford to pay, following an assessment of their financial circumstance. Those who cannot afford to pay are eligible to claim a subsidy from their local authority.
The Supporting People Programme means that people will be able to retain their independence. For older people living in their own home, this might mean a support visit from time to time and advice and support from a Home improvement agency such as the Care and Repair agency in Peterborough to help them through the process of obtaining finance and arranging for work to their property to repair or adapt it. For people with learning disabilities, the Supporting People programme could help them to move from institutional homes to their own home within the community where they can receive support, allowing them to live more independently. Young people may benefit under the programme from having someone they can turn to regularly for advice, or who can encourage them to take part in training.
These pages provide information on the Peterborough City Council Supporting People team, contributors to the programme (providers), and the types of vulnerable people that can be helped by the programme (service user groups).
Each of the providers supports specific groups of vulnerable people. The groups for whom support through this programme is available in Peterborough are listed on the Service User Groups page.
Supporting People 5 year Strategy
Service Users - Information for users of the Supporting People service
Service Providers - Information for organisations providing support, and a list of Service Providers in the Peterborough area
Supporting People Audit Commission Report
Involving our Service Users - Our action plan and strategy for service user involvement
Contact the Supporting People team
