Supporting People

Who can apply to receive a Supporting People Service?

If you think you or someone you care for may need support that could be met through the supporting people programme, a number of different agencies can refer to a supporting people service, depending on the type of support required.

The main referrers are professionals already working with someone who may have support needs.

Supporting people services may often be able to help with housing and other issues for:

What kinds of services are available?

Services usually focus on 1 or 2 of the above client groups so that staff providing support know a lot about the things someone may be dealing with. The main kinds of services are:

Accommodation based - where a person moves into a particular property to live and receive the support available there
Floating support - where a support worker will visit a person in their own home and, once there has been progress on someone's support plan, 'float off' and support someone else who needs their input
A community alarm - which will trigger a call to a contact centre when a button is pressed

Many services aim to work with someone for no longer than 2 years. Others, especially some of the accommodation services, will offer housing and support over a longer period of time.

The aim of services is to work with people who most need their service and help them progress towards greater independence.

Details about the services available in Barking and Dagenham can be found via the Directory of Services.

Who pays for supporting people services?

Nearly all the people who receive supporting people services don't pay for them.

A few long-term schemes do charge for their service. However, if you receive housing benefit, you would not have to pay for anything for the support. If you do not qualify for housing benefit, you may have to pay for some or all of the costs of the support service you would receive.

We have agreed a policy on who needs to pay for their support called the Fairer Charging Policy. Please talk to the organisation that provides the service you are interested in, or contact the Supporting People team, for more information.

What supporting people services cannot provide

Supporting people schemes cannot provide all the support that someone might need. Services that supporting people cannot fund include:

General housing services (like repairs services)
Day services and centres (like drop-in centres or community cafés)
Personal-care services (like meals on wheels or home nursing)
Paying for residential care homes (like nursing homes)
One-off support; and
Services for people under 16 years of age

Contact

Supporting People Team

Room 104

2 Stour Road

Dagenham

RM10 7JF

Tel: 020 8227 2209

Fax: 020 8227 2820

Email: supportingpeople@lbbd.gov.uk|

National Supporting People web link|