Issue - meetings

To consider an extension to the Home Support Service into the private sector, in line with the Supporting People contract between Redditch Borough Council and Worcestershire County Council.

(Report attached)

The Committee was asked to consider the introduction of the Council’s Home Support Service into the private sector.

Officers explained that, at the present time, the Home Support Service was only available to the Council’s tenants. It was further explained that continued receipt of Supporting People funding might be dependant on the Council demonstrating that the service was available to both Council and private tenants as an unwillingness to extend in this way could be construed as a breach of contract.

Members sought assurances that existing service users would not be adversely affected by the proposal and that it would not place additional financial burdens on the Council. The Committee was informed that the overall amount of service provision was not due to change, this remaining at 840 hours, and that reviews of service users’ needs would be undertaken to establish each individuals’ requirements. The focus would be on providing the service to those eligible people who demonstrated the greatest need regardless of their tenure and continuing to ensure that the best outcomes were achieved from the available resources. The County Council were to fund a post to promote and develop the work of the Supporting People funded service.

There was some discussion as to the current requirement to support the service through the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and the extent to which this could continue should the service move towards an increasingly private sector client base. Officers undertook to provide Councillor Chance with further information on the amount of HRA funding currently involved following the meeting.

RECOMMENDED that

1)      the Home Support Service be introduced to the Private Sector; and

2)      an emergency Home Support call out service be introduced to private sector customers.