Supporting people
What is Supporting People?
Supporting People is a national government programme to provide housing related support to 21 vulnerable client groups that helps them to live independently in their own homes. The programme is a joint working partnership between the council, health and probation.
What do the Supporting People service do?
Provide support to help you live independently.
What support will be paid for?
- Advice and support on repairs and home improvements
- Help maintaining the safety and security of your home
- Help looking after your money
- Help claiming benefits and filling in forms
- Letting you know about other organisations who could help you
- Help understanding information
- Advice and support to gain access to employment/career or education opportunities
Who can get help from Supporting People?
You can get help if you are:
- A homeless person
- A young person in need of support
- A teenage parent
- A person leaving domestic violence
- A person with mental health issues
- A person with a learning disability
- An offender or ex-offender
- Someone who needs support to live independently
What kind of help could I get?
The Supporting People Service will pay providers to give you housing related support. This means you could get help with:
- Paying the bills on time
- Filling in forms
- Making your home safe and secure
- Finding a new home
- Gaining new skills
How much will it cost me?
You do not have to pay for the support if you receive:
- Housing Benefit
- Income Support
- Council Tax Benefit
- Jobseekers Allowance (income based)
- Working Tax Credit
- Guaranteed Pension Credit
The Supporting People Service pays the provider directly for the support they provide.
You may have to pay towards this support but a test can be done to find out how much you have to pay toward the cost of your support, for more information ring the Supporting People Service. View information on Fairer Charging or visit the Fairer Charging web pages
How do I get help and support?
The Supporting People Service can put you in touch with providers and services across Walsall.
Directory of Services
The directory of services contains information about housing related support services operating in Walsall. These services are available to help people achieve and maintain independent living. It also includes details of key advice and support services and provides information about how to access housing in Walsall.
Service User Involvement
For further information on Supporting People Service User Involvement please visit our webpages
Complaints and compliments
If you are not satisfied with the service you receive from a service funded by Supporting People you should firstly use the service provider's complaints procedure. However, if you do not feel comfortable doing this, you can contact the Supporting People Service direct or use the council's official comments and complaints procedure called 'Tell Us':
You can ask any council officer for a leaflet about the procedure and the leaflet includes a form, for complaints and comments
View the Council's Tell Us form
Complaints don’t have to be made on the form; you can complain by telephone, by letter, in person, or by email Complaints@walsall.gov.uk
The leaflet is available in other formats including large print, and on audio tape in Bengali, Gujerati, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English
What will happen after I contact you?
We will look into the matter and give you a full reply as quickly as possible. For complaints, you should receive an acknowledgement within 5 working days and a full response within 15 working days.
We aim to take prompt action to sort out any problems and issues you may have at home, at work, or in your neighbourhood so be as specific as possible when filling in a complaint form, and complete all the information you can.
How to make a suggestion about the Supporting People Service
If you want to make a suggestion about the way a council service has been performed or the way you have been treated by the council, you can call into any council office and speak to any council officer about it. If you have a suggestion specifically about Supporting People, please contact one of our staff.
Your comments, compliments and complaints about our services will help us to continue to improve services to everyone. If you are still not satisfied with the action the council takes you may complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.
Useful Documents
- Housing Related Support Strategy 2008-11 for Supporting People (PDF 554KB)
- Eligibility Criteria for Prevention Services, Joint Commissioning Unit 2010/11 (PDF 350KB)
- West Midlands Supporting People Strategy (PDF 678KB)
Introducing the revised Contract Management Framework - documents to view
- Walsall Joint Commissioning Unit Prevention Services 2011/12 Service Review Timetable (PDF 20KB)
- Walsall Joint Commissioning Unit Prevention Services Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) Objectives (PDF 221KB)
- Walsall Joint Commissioning Unit Contract Management Framework Service Self Assessment A & C (PDF 264KB)
- Walsall Joint Commissioning Unit Contract Management Framework Section A & C workbook 2011/12 (Excel 375KB)
- Walsall Joint Commissioning Unit Contract Management Framework Service Self Assessment Section B QAF CQC (PDF 548KB)
- Walsall Joint Commissioning Unit Contract Management Framework Section B workbook 2011/12 (Excel 722KB)
- Walsall Joint Commissioning Unit Housing Related Support Appeals Form (Word 62KB)
- Walsall Joint Commissioning Unit Prevention Services Decommissioning Process (PDF 221KB)
- Walsall Joint Commissioning Unit Prevention Services Risk Matrix (PDF 48KB)
Contact us
Supporting People
Joint Commissioning Unit
NHS Walsall
Social Care and Inclusion - Walsall Council
1st Floor Goscote House
Goscote Lane
Walsall
WS1 1SJ
Telephone 01922 602472
Email spservice@walsall.gov.uk
Website www.walsall.gov.uk/supporting_people
This page was last updated on 26 January 2012