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What is Supporting People? 

Supporting People is a government programme that aims to improve the quality of services provided to vulnerable people.

We pay service providers to provide vulnerable people with housing-related support to enable them to live independently in the community.

For more information please see our What is SP leaflet.

Page Contents

Please use the links below to jump to a specific section:

• Who is a vunerable person?
• What is housing-related support?
• Who pays for the Supporting People service?
• Eligibility Criteria
• Do Supporting People Services have to meet certain standards?
• Contact Us

Who is a vunerable person?

People who may be vulnerable include:

• Older people with support needs
• People with learning disabilities
• People with mental health problems
• Homeless people
• Young people at risk or leaving care
• People with drug or alcohol problems
• People with a sensory or physical disability
• People fleeing domestic violence
• Offenders
• Gypsies and Travellers
• People with HIV/AIDS

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What is housing-related support?

This is the service that a landlord, or somebody who works for them, such as a warden or support worker, provides for vulnerable people to help them to remain independent.

Types of services include those where accommodation and support are part of the overall service - such as a sheltered housing scheme, a hostel or a refuge. Alternatively people may remain in their own home and receive support from an outside agency.

Typical housing-related support services include:

• Help with budgeting and managing tenancy
• Help filling in claim forms or arranging for professionals to call
• Help with accessing education or work
• Help or training to help to move on to less supported accommodation
• Help maintaining the safety and security of the home
• An emergency alarm

All of the services above help people to do things themselves rather than have things done for them.

Supporting People does not pay for personal care services such as bathing, laundry or having meals prepared. 

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Who pays for the Supporting People service?

If a person receives Housing Benefit, either full or partial, their Supporting People charge will be paid in full by the Supporting People team. In most cases this will be paid directly to the service provider.

If a person is not in receipt of Housing Benefit they may need to pay for the cost of the support themselves.

For more information on charges and payments please see our SP Charges leaflet.

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Eligibility Criteria

Administering Authorities are required to define what the Supporting People Grant will be used for. The Audit Commission, who are inspecting SP Teams, expect Authorities to have Eligibility Criteria in place and in the absence of a national or regional standard each local Authority is developing its own Criteria.

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Do Supporting People Services have to meet certain standards?

Under the Supporting People programme, service providers need to make sure that their service meets standards laid down by central government. In order to check these standards are being met, the Supporting People Team reviews services regularly - please see our Service Reviews page.

If a service user is unhappy with the service being provided to them, they have a right to complain. For more information please see our Comments and Complaints page. 

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Contact Us

The Bournemouth Supporting People Team

Room 106/107
Third Floor
Town Hall
Bourne Avenue
Bournemouth
BH2 6DY
Tel: 01202 458929

or email supporting.people@bournemouth.gov.uk

Please download the full contact list for the Team. 

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