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15 Sep 06Poole Supporting People Latest News
September 2006
The Supporting People programme has seen a great deal of change in the last three years both at a national level and locally here in Poole. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) who has, over the last three years, guided the programme on behalf of Central Government has changed its name and is now known as the Department of Communities & local Government (DCLG). Confusing?.....well the change doesn’t stop there!
Here in Poole we have also changed our name to The Performance Management Team. The change has been made in order for the team to be more integrated into the Contracts Monitoring section with Adult Social Services. The new integrated team is responsible for monitoring all contracts including Supporting People, Care & Residential Home contracts. The day to day management of the team sits within the responsibility of the Adult Social Services Strategic Contracts Manager however any issues relating to Supporting People matters are the responsibility of the Strategic Commissioning Manager formally the Supporting People Manger.
The merged team is ‘finding its feet’ and adjusting to the new model. In the meantime we have put together a new contract monitoring programme for all contracts held within programme.
ODPM Audit Commission Inspection
Overall Judgement
Strengths
Weaknesses
Our Reply
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) Audit Commission visited sunny Poole during the week commencing Monday 11 July to undertake their inspection. During their visit the Audit Commission team consulted with a wide range of stakeholders including Service Users, Providers, Commissioning Body members, the Chief Executive, Elected Members, Service Unit Heads, Policy Holders, referring agencies and the like, enabling them to have their say about us
& how supporting people has been embraced by the Borough of Poole.
Our thanks go to those who were involved with this inspection, their helpfulness in accommodating the Audit Commission Inspectors was much appreciated. The inspectors found the quality of services provided to be high and we would like to congratulate our Providers.
We have had the opportunity to discuss the draft report, and the final version 
has now been made public.
In summary the overall judgement of our inspection was that the Poole Supporting People Programme was a “one star fair” service with “uncertain prospects for improvement”.
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The Inspectors identified the following areas of key strengths in the programme:
- The services review programme is on track and user views are given high priority
- The service review process is driving up the quality of services for people who use them
- The quality of services in the schemes visited by the inspectors was high
- The Supporting People Team is dedicated, well-managed and has a good range of
relevant skills and experience
- Effective partnerships are in place which can demonstrate their value and the
contribution they are making to local services
- Financial management of the programme is sound
- Service providers speak highly of the Supporting People team and are satisfied with the
accuracy and timeliness of payments.
The major areas of weakness identified in the report were:
- The Five Year Strategy does not contain sufficiently robust “needs analysis” nor does it
specify clearly enough actions or outcomes for the individual need groups or the
programme overall.
- Service User and carer input to the Five Year Strategy had been insufficient.
- Key Strategies, such as those for housing and housing related support for older people
and people with mental health problems, are not in place.
- There was a historical lack of strategic leadership from the Commissioning Body and its
Terms of Reference and membership had not by July 2005 been agreed.
- There was a lack of evidence of proactive management of the Programme’s under-spend
or sufficient contingency planning for the potential of a significant reduction in ODPM
Grant in 2008/9.
- The provision of information to service users and stakeholders needs to be strengthened.
- The voluntary and community sector should be involved more actively throughout the
partnership and programme.
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The Audit Commission gives the chance to reply to the Report and we have done so as below:
"The Borough of Poole and its partners welcome the Audit Commission's report and will ensure that its recommendations are put into action in order that the outcomes for local people from the Supporting People Programme are improved.
The Borough of Poole and its partners have agreed an Action Plan to take forward the recommendations in the report which centered on undertaking comprehensive needs analyses for all service user groups; providing greater clarity in the Five Year Strategy in relation to needs, actions and outcomes and continuing to build on recent improvements in the leadership shown by the Commissioning Body.
The capacity of the Supporting People Team to undertake needs analysis and commissioning new services in conjunction with relevant partners and with active participation from current and potential service users has already been strengthened and the Five Year Strategy is being revised.
Needs analyses are already underway for key groups, such as older people, and new services have been commissioned for groups of people ( such as those with an HIV/AIDS diagnosis ) who previously had no access to housing related support services.
New and improved information is now available in both written and electronic form for service users and providers.
The work and leadership of the Commissioning Body has been strengthened with new membership and Terms of Reference and a strong performance management framework in place. Plans are in hand to increase the involvement of the voluntary sector in the programme.
The Borough of Poole and its partners wish also to thank the employees and providers in the Supporting People Programme. The Inspection Team found both that local services visited were of high quality and that the Supporting People Team members were skilled and well-managed and delivering the review programme and its administration in a sound and efficient manner which had demonstrably improved the outcomes for people receiving housing related support services".
Many thanks
Jan Thurgood
Chair of the Commissioning Body
\nSupporting People Strategy
Earlier this year the Borough adopted a new Five Year Supporting People Strategy. The Strategy sets out clearly the priorities for the Borough in terms of its need for Supporting People services.
Hayley Semour
Directgov