We will develop with our partners detailed delivery plans for each of the following areas:
Extra Care
The County Council’s aim is that Extra Care housing will become an attractive alternative to residential homes and that the supply of Extra Care will reduce demand on residential home capacity required, through:
- The provision of Extra Care Housing with people moving in before or at the point they can no longer manage in their own homes to reduce the risk that they will need.
- Pathway development and multi-agency working.
- Short-term Extra Care for reablement and respite.
- Alternative provision for younger and working age adults with learning disabilities and/or autism, physical disabilities, and mental health conditions.
Supported Living
Our intention is that the proportion of people in Supported Living will rise over time, with the proportion of people in residential homes gradually falling over time. We are currently developing a revised commissioning approach for Supported Living and our aims include:
- Increasing the availability of Supported Living in Staffordshire for people currently placed outside the county where appropriate, including young people placed in other local authority with disabilities and entering transition.
- Strengthened assurance for our housing arrangements including that people in Supported Living have an appropriate tenancy agreement, that there are no inappropriate links between landlords and care providers, and that those with private sector landlords are not adversely affected by more limited housing benefit available.
- Commissioning focused on outcomes and a reduction in transaction costs, with care providers managing changes in individuals’ needs, unless a significant and long-term change is confirmed through a social care led review.
- Effective and efficient processes for sourcing care that offer a good customer experience and minimise administrative costs.
- Standardised rates that are financially sustainable for care providers whilst also being cost effective for the Council.
- Strengthened quality assurance and contract management, with clear quality standards and standardised contracts in place.
Shared Lives
We have recently recommissioned this service, and our commissioning intentions for this service include:
- Increasing awareness of Shared Lives amongst residents and grow the service.
- Enabling more of our residents to benefit from Shared Lives and increase the capacity of the service.
- Developing targeted strategies designed to ensure the Shared Lives service continues to add value to the housing with care pathway.
- E-viewing options for growth and diversification of the Shared Lives scheme including expanding the scheme to more individuals so that people can achieve outcomes through Shared Lives as an alternative to other forms of support.
- Increasing the numbers of individuals supported within Shared Lives through innovative recruitment of new Providers and marketing of the scheme to communities across Staffordshire.
Major and Minor Adaptations including Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs)
Our intention is for the County Council to work in partnership with our Borough and District Councils and with stakeholders to deliver a DFG pathway that is efficient and effective in supporting people to remain independent and safe at home in addition to:
- Increased use of Assistive Technology, equipment and adaptations Major and minor and DSG) to enable people to live independently.
- Improved and co-ordinated information and advice in relation to accessing DFG’s, to ensure effective information, step-by-step guidance and support to all applicants.
- Continually improving the customer journey and procedures between the County Council and our Borough and District Council’s that facilitates better access to suitable home adaptations that will enable people with a range of disabilities to live more independently within their homes.
- Ensuring practitioners, with the most appropriate skills and experience, are utilised for when they were needed to accurately assess the needs of individuals and they receive the appropriate adaptations to them to enable them to live more independently.
- Continued contract management and co-ordinated resource allocation to deliver the adaptations required within each Borough and District Council.
- Continued management across Staffordshire of both contractors and product suppliers (providers) within this specialist market to meet the need of eligible residents offering consumer protection and insurance backed warranty for the works, where applicable and ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
Homelessness and Rough Sleeping support for people with social care needs
Our intention is for the County Council to work in partnership with the borough and district councils to:
- Continuing to improve our prevention services that support the reduction of Homelessness and Rough Sleeping for people with social care needs.
- Providing good quality housing, care and support options, so people can resolve their problems in a way that is resilient and long lasting by accessing the appropriate adult social care support that they need.
- Identifying people who are at a greater risk of homelessness due to their social care needs and face barriers to accessing good quality affordable housing with care and support services, including people with mental and physical health issues and disabilities who are also at a greater risk of homelessness.
- Working across the Councils and housing partners to increase access to affordable, good quality temporary, move-on, and settled housing across Staffordshire for people with social care needs.
- Continuing to develop tailored accommodation and support pathways for people with complex and multiple needs.
- Strengthening our information, advice, guidance and support services to help people to make informed decisions about their settled housing options, including as they move on from temporary accommodation and ensuring that these are accessible for people with social care needs.
- Improving referral pathways between Adult Socia Care and Housing Options services within our Borough and District Council where necessary.
General housing needs
We aim to work collaboratively across the Councils in identifying the general housing needs for people with adult social care needs. This will include:
- The County Council regularly updating each borough and district with its predictions of future underlying social care need in each area
- Ensuring that borough and district councils are provided with the County Council’s Market Position Statements
- Working together so that the adult social care needs of older people, adults with a disability and adults with complex needs are integrated into each borough and district Council planning application for C2 developments and are reflected into their Local Plans.