Supporting People the Welsh way: protecting public funds

Not long after the English and Scottish governments dismantled the Supporting People funding stream, paving the way for the massive service cuts we have read about in the press, the Welsh government announced an independent review into how the same funding pot could be strengthened in Wales. The review was completed towards the end of 2009 and its recommendations were accepted both by the government and other key partners including local authorities and housing providers. Since then, the housing sector has been working to make its recommendations, which aim to deliver more money for vulnerable people and for the public purse, into a reality. The author of the review, professor Mansel Aylward, made 25 recommendations for improvements to the programme, including how it could be funded, evaluated, monitored, commissioned and administered. These set out a new way of working with greater transparency, consistency and accountability in our governance and funding arrangements. To some extent this was ahead of its time – much of the debate in Welsh public service delivery now centres around regional collaboration as a way of delivering better public services in the age of austerity. The governance structure for the Supporting People programme will involve having a national board chaired by Huw Lewis, the new minister, overseeing the programme. He will ensure it maximises its contribution to national policy objectives across housing, homelessness, health and social care and community safety. We will also see regional committees created, to check that local and regional use of the funding is meeting the needs of Supporting People clients. The three words repeated throughout the recommendations for Wales were collaboration, co-production and co-design. By challenging the purchaser/provider split, rejecting competitive tendering and embracing collaboration within governance and pushing housing-related support up the political agenda, the Welsh government has acknowledged the contribution that housing support makes in helping our most disadvantaged citizens build stable lives and contribute to society. Cymorth wants public support for housing – helping people find and keep a home – to be acknowledged as equal to health and education. Help building the life you aspire to is central to creating the kind of society we want to live in. At a time when the economic climate, public spending cuts and welfare reform are putting greater pressure on citizens and we are seeing a rise in mental ill-health, domestic abuse, drug and alcohol issues and homelessness. I for one am glad that, in Wales, we believe that supporting people rather than penalising or abandoning them when times are difficult is the best way forward. Housing-related support might not yet be seen as important as health or education, but we're on our way. Joy Kent is director of Cymorth Cymru , the umbrella body for providers of housing, homelessness and supported living services in Wales This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. Join the housing network for more comment, analysis and best practice direct to your inbox