What is supporting people?
The supporting people programme commissions housing related support services through a working partnership of local government, health, probation, support providers and customers that use support services.
The support available can help vulnerable people to live more independently.
Examples of the kind of services commissioned and funded through the supporting people programme include domestic violence refuges, homeless hostels, sheltered housing and floating support services.
Who can access supporting people services?
The housing related support services commissioned by the supporting people programme can help people who have support needs to develop their skills and confidence so they can live independently.
This could include people with a variety of needs including young people at risk, people who are homeless, people at risk of domestic violence, people with mental health issues, teenage parents, older people, refugees and people with a physical or learning disability.
All of these groups and others may have needs which could be met by a housing related support service.
What kind of support is available
A housing related support task could include the following:
- Help with setting up and maintaining a home.
- Help with managing money and other independent living skills.
- Support in a sheltered housing scheme.
- Help with claiming benefits and completing forms.
- Help, advice and support to prevent homelessness.
- Provision of an emergency alarm call and monitoring service.
The supporting people programme does not pay for personal or health care, but it could fund housing related support as part of a co-ordinated package of care for people who also need personal or medical care.
How to access the service
The supporting people team do not deliver support directly. Instead, we commission providers to deliver support, on our behalf, to vulnerable people in their own home or from accommodation where support is available on site. This includes charities, housing associations, voluntary and private providers and Liverpool City Council.
Because of the wide range of supporting people services, there is not a single access route. We have produced a directory for housing related support services. This provides details of who to contact, according to your circumstances.
Information for providers
If you are a provider of supporting people’s services, please go to the provider section of this site for information on PI returns, contract and quality monitoring and other supporting people information.