Supported Housing Task and Finish Group Summary Report

6. Future role of supported housing

6.1 Having a housing option that is ‘settled for as long as you want it’ is a vital part of providing the safety and ontological security that people need, but with the choice and autonomy to later move onto mainstream housing if things change.

6.2 The following features are important if supported housing is to offer a secure and appropriate home of choice for people:

(i) Physical environment

• Self-contained home in a homely setting – no shared bedrooms, kitchens, toilets and washing facilities.
• Integrated into a community.
• Smaller the better, with maximum 12-14 self-contained homes.

For example, a core and cluster housing model with care and support (the ‘core’) on-site. Individual homes may have the ‘core’ in the same building or individual homes may be scattered in the neighbourhood near the core.

(ii) Service design

• Promotes independence, choice and control.
• A progressive approach to safeguarding which protects people from harm and from discrimination.
• Support is delivered by a skilled and valued workforce and meets or exceeds Care Inspectorate quality frameworks.
• Has inclusive visitor policies and in line with Anne’s Law.
• Routes to service from across all parts of housing, health and social care, no longer a ‘homeless’ service.

(iii) Legal and financial

• Maximises security of tenure – a private residential tenancy or Scottish Secure Tenancy.
• Progressive commissioning partnership between strategic housing authorities and HSCPs.
• Combined funding model of affordable rent with support costs met through the general local authority fund, housing support and HSCPs.

6.3 The key challenge is to deliver a model of funding that enables housing and support to be separated and for providers to find a stable core support model that is also sufficiently flexible to be person centered and meet the changing needs of tenants.