Floating support: the new panacea? Denise Gillie Housing networks

History Developed in the 1990’s as intensive housing management funded by the Housing Corporation An alternative to ‘special needs housing’ Provided to tenants with short term support needs living in general needs housing Used to provide for care leavers, people with mental health & substance misuse problems and others

What is it? Support transferable between properties, when no longer required the service ‘floats’ off Service to help residents access the benefits and services they need Provided to residents moving on from specialist accommodation or as an alternative

Some issues Can floating support meet the needs of people who have increasing or long term needs for support? What should staffing ratios be for different client groups and needs? What kind of contractual relationship between the commissioner & provider will deliver innovative, flexible & responsive services?

Service users JRF research in 1998 with young people (under 25), people with severe or enduring mental health problems, physical impairment found the following: Not appropriate for everyone especially the most vulnerable & those needing intensive support Some service users felt isolated in the community and from others with similar needs

Drivers for floating support To provide a better distribution of available SP funding To provide equity across tenure To get better value for money – reducing the number of service providers; only those who need the service receive it; improved procurement & contracting

Example – County Durham (1) Review of older people’s services 24% properties rented from LA’s & RSL’s 76% owner occupied & privately rented, only 1% of these receiving SP services Need to remodel to provide services across tenure move from accommodation based to floating support Separate support services from landlord function

Example County Durham (2) Sheltered housing service specification 1 dispersed alarm per household 24/7 call answering and mobile response service Not included – gas or fire detection, intruder alarms or bogus callers Two levels of support visits: Low level – quarterly visit, assistance as required High level – short term only, weekly visit to meet needs linked to intermediate care, hospital discharge & crisis type support

Some issues RSL’s not able to provide services across large geographical areas, so not able to tender for the contract Successful bidders (District Councils) now operating in RSL properties RSL Landlord tenant relationship Access to schemes Health and safety Scheme based staff no longer funded to provide support

Example – Casa Support (1) Provision of tenancy support into general needs housing for other group members Short term for residents having difficulty managing or maintaining their tenancies Greater levels of vulnerability & complexity than general needs housing management can support & need specialist knowledge & expertise Avoids eviction, abandonment & arrears

Example Casa Support (2) 2004/ cases accepted by the service & only one eviction Reduced rent loss & voids management However, difficulties in sustaining SP contracts because properties are spread across south London and the south east

Substance misuse services Floating support is included in guidance from DCLG & Home Office Prevent tenancy breakdown Improve mental & physical health Prevent crime & anti social behaviour Reduce substance misuse or help maintain abstinence Access to services & treatment Education, employment & social issues

Examples Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea -service for people with multiple & complex needs & forensic issues (substance misuse, mental health, challenging behaviour), intensive floating support social & private tenancies London Borough of Newham – intensive floating support for probation clients with substance misuse issues, living in private rented housing

Challenges Limited understanding of housing models by NTA, DAT’s & some health staff Mainstream housing providers often fearful of re-housing substance mis-users Cross authority issues Links not always there between strategies, targets, capital & revenue funding Limited joint funding of services

Contact details Housing & Telecare Networks Care Services Improvement Partnership Department of Health Wellington House Waterloo Road London SE1 8UG Website: