SP - what did he say?

Useful definitions of phrases commonly used when discussing Supporting People issues:

5-year Strategy – A strategy that must have been submitted to the ODPM in March 2005 which outlines the plans of the local programme for the next five years.

Accreditation – Process of checking the financial and administrative ability of an organisation to provide SP services, prior to awarding the steady state contract (see below).

Administering Authority (AA) – Responsible for operating the SP programme in each area. Nationally there are 150 AA’s (all are local authorities).

Audit Commission – An independent body responsible for ensuring that public money is used responsibly economically, efficiently and effectively.

Choice Based Lettings - A service that gives residents in housing need, registered on the housing waiting list, the opportunity to apply for any available property they choose.

Client Record Forms – Forms used to monitor all new clients who use Supporting People services. These statistics can then be used to help SP team identify needs.

Commissioning Body – The group responsible for setting the strategic direction of the local programme.

Comprehensive Spending Review - A thorough review of departmental aims and objectives and an analysis of each spending programme to find the best way of delivering the Government’s objectives.

Contract procedure rules - Govern any contract arrangement under which the Council pays or receives money or equivalent value.

Hact - The Housing Associations’ Charitable Trust is an organisation that seeks to develop solutions to issues concerning groups on the margins of mainstream housing provision. Programmes impact locally through individual projects, but also nationally, influencing policy through the learning they generate.

Inclusive Forum – Regular meeting of providers and stakeholders of the SP programme to discuss issues of relevance and feed into the work of the commissioning body.

Interim Contract – An initial contract that was given to all services providing housing related support when SP started in April 2003.

New Deal for Communities – Programme that helps some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country by giving grants to community-based partnerships for neighbourhood renewal.

NHF – National body representing housing associations.

ODPM – The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The Central Government Department responsible for the SP programme.

Performance Monitoring – Quarterly information returned from service providers to the SP team. The information includes; staffing, occupancy and outcomes for service users.

Procurement - The process to obtain materials, supplies and contracts at the best price reasonably available through open and fair competition.

Robson Rhodes Report – An Independent Review of Supporting People looking at the value for money and the variation in unit costs and services across local authorities.

ROCC – A local agency which provides training, consultancy and support services to organisations in the social care sector.

SEEDA - The South East England Development Agency, the Regional Development Agency for the South East, responsible for the sustainable economic development and regeneration of the South East of England

Service Providers – Organisations, or sole operators who are contracted by the SP team to provide a housing related support service.

Service Review – A process through which the SP team look at the quality, performance and value of all services commissioned through the programme.

SITRA - A charitable resource centre dedicated to raising standards in Supported Housing. SITRA provides training, consultancy, information sharing and advice services to the sector.

SP Grant – National budget figure for the SP programme. This is managed by the ODPM who then set the budgets for each local area.

Stakeholders – People or organisations that form part of the SP programme. Stakeholders share or contribute to the aims of the SP programme.

Steady State Contract – The contract that will be used after the decision is taken to commission a service in the future.

Supporting People Distribution Formula – A formula that might be used to decide how much each SP administering authority will be allocated. This is currently being developed by the ODPM.

Transitional Period – The period from April 2003 until March 2006 during which the SP team must review all services.

For more SP information, please log on to www.spkweb.org.uk.