1. Reviewing the definition of housing support
Angela O’Brien
Head of Housing Support and Homelessness
Scottish Government

2. Why review the definition of housing support?
Future of Residential Care for Older People in Scotland report – February 2014
Residential Care Task Force recommended that:
“The definition of housing support within secondary legislation should be revised by the Scottish Government to allow for more flexible service design and registration.”
Review of Housing Support Definition
The Future of Residential Care for Older People in Scotland report was published in February With a growing older population and a shrinking working age population action was needed to provide appropriate support for the future. The Task Force had a common goal of reviewing provision of care for older people to ensure it was fit for the next thirty or so years. The report made a number of recommendations; one of those was specifically about the housing support definition.
The Residential Care Task Force recommended that:
The definition of housing support within secondary legislation should be revised by the Scottish Government to allow for more flexible service design and registration.
Scottish Ministers accepted the recommendations of the Taskforce.
The Housing Support Forum agreed some time ago (before the Taskforce reported) that the 21 tasks definition should be reviewed to reflect the current situation.

3. What is Housing Support?
“A service which provides support, assistance, advice or counselling to a person who has particular needs, with a view to enabling that person to occupy residential accommodation as a sole or main residence.”
What is Housing Support?
The definition of housing support used in the 2010 Public Service Reform Act is as follows:
A “housing support service” is a service which provides support, assistance, advice or counselling to a person who has particular needs, with a view to enabling that person to occupy residential accommodation as a sole or main residence; but a service may be excepted from this definition by regulations and such residential accommodation does not include accommodation specified as excepted accommodation in regulations under section 91(9) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 (asp 10).
The definition of “housing support service” is as the Residential Care task Force says quite high level and doesn’t link directly to the 21 tasks definition set out in SSI2002/444.
We aren’t intending to change the definition in the 2010 PSR Act (it’s primary legislation and is at a sufficiently high level to encompass most things we would consider as HS) but to review at operational level.

4. Do we still need a list of services like the 21 tasks?
Group Discussion
Do we still need a list of services like the 21 tasks?
In two sentences say what Housing Support should consist?
What are the ten most important housing support activities that should be included in the list?
In your groups come up with a new definition of housing support services.
Do we still need a list of tasks? Reasons to support your answer yes or no.
If the list had to be cut down, what 10 housing support activities must be included on the list?
Prescribed Housing Support Services – 21 Tasks
1. General counselling and support including befriending, advising on food preparation, reminding and non-specialist counselling where this does not overlap with similar services provided as personal care or personal support.
2. Assisting with the security of the dwelling required because of the needs of the service user.
3. Assisting with the maintenance of the safety of the dwelling.
4. Advising and supervising service users on the use of domestic equipment and appliances.
5. Assisting with arranging minor repairs to and servicing of a service user’s own domestic equipment and appliances.
6. Providing life skills training in maintaining the dwelling and curtilage in appropriate condition.
7. Assisting the service user to engage with individuals, professionals and other bodies with an interest in the welfare of the service user.
8. Arranging adaptations to enable the service user to cope with disability.
9. Advising or assisting the service user with personal budgeting and debt counselling.
10. Advising or assisting the service user in dealing with relationships and disputes with neighbours.
11. Advising or assisting the service user in dealing with benefit claims and other official correspondence relevant to sustaining occupancy of the dwelling.
12. Advising or assisting with resettlement of the service user.
13. Advising or assisting the service user to enable him or her to move on to accommodation where less intense support is required.
14. Assisting with shopping and errands where this does not overlap with similar services provided as personal care or personal support.
15. Providing and maintaining emergency alarm and call systems in accommodation designed or adapted for and occupied by elderly, sick or disabled people.
16. Responding to emergency alarm calls, where such calls relate to any of the housing support services prescribed in other paragraphs of this Schedule, in accommodation designed or adapted for and occupied by elderly, sick or disabled people.
17. Controlling access to individual service users' rooms.
18. Cleaning of service users' own rooms and windows.
19. Providing for the costs of resettlement services.
20. Encouraging social intercourse and welfare checks for residents of accommodation supported by either a resident warden or a non-resident warden with a system for calling that warden where this does not overlap with similar services provided as personal care or personal support.
21. Arranging social events for residents of accommodation supported by either a resident warden or a non-resident warden with a system for calling that warden.