Housing Related Support Service Explained

What is the Housing Related Support service?

The service commission's preventative low level housing related support for vulnerable people throughout Worcestershire.

The aim is to increase people's ability to live independently whilst providing the skills and support to sustain their tenancy.

Who is it for?

The Housing Related Support service is targeted at vulnerable people, including the homeless, people with mental health needs and /or substance misuse problems, people with learning disabilities, older people, young people, rough sleepers, those fleeing domestic violence, ex offenders and a number of other needs groups.

What services can be provided?

A range of services may be provided as long as they fall within the definition of housing related support. Housing related support services may be classified as short or long term according to their aims and objectives. Short-term schemes have a maximum intended duration of up to two years with the intention of moving people onto independent living and/or increasing the ability to live independently.

Why do I need to know about the Housing Related Support service?

In Worcestershire the Housing Related Support service provides essential preventative support to around 12,000 people at any one time, offering support to a wide range of vulnerable groups. This includes older people who need support to remain in their own homes, young people at risk of homelessness, people experiencing domestic abuse, ex-offenders needing support to prevent re-offending, people recovering from drug and alcohol abuse, those with disabilities needing support to live independently and many others.

Support focuses on the prevention of homelessness and re-building lives by supporting moves into training and employment, improving health and well-being, developing social networks and integration with communities, as well as finding and keeping a home.

How much does it save?

By helping to tackle the issues behind homelessness or the risk of homelessness, services also help prevent or delay the need for costly residential care, extended hospital stays or prison. In this respect the Housing Related Support service is very much an 'invest to save' programme and the success of this is demonstrated nationally by the robust cash-benefit analysis work by Capgemini. In Worcestershire this model shows that the Housing Related Support services can save almost £50 million each year.

Who the Partnership Includes

Worcestershire County Council, Bromsgrove District Council, Malvern Hills District Council, Redditch Borough Council, Worcester City Council, Wychavon District Council, Wyre Forest District Council, West Mercia Probation Trust, Worcestershire Primary Care Trust.

Quick Stats

• Housing Related Support provision in Worcestershire is saving £47,000,000 per annum – this would be the cost to partners if Housing Related Support didn’t commission such preventative provision.
• 38,612 positive outcomes achieved to help maintain independent living
• 14,366 'Health and Wellbeing' outcomes achieved  
• 5,444 'Skills and Communities'  outcomes achieved  
• 6,160 'Economic Success' outcomes achieved  
• 11,773 'Community Safety' outcomes achieved  
• 628 'The Environment' outcomes achieved   
• 241 'Children and Families' outcomes achieved  
• Over 18,000 vulnerable people being supported in 2011/2012

We are a multi agency partnership working together to achieve:

• positive outcomes for vulnerable communities,
• strategically planning low level housing related support provision,
• reduction of point of crisis intervention, and
• creating significant efficiencies for public funded services.

Above all, a preventative service which meets the needs of vulnerable people in Worcestershire. Services designed for and with service users.

This page was last reviewed 17 May 2013 at 13:41.
The page is next due for review 13 November 2014.