Housing Support Forum: Meeting on 12 January 2010: Paper 1

HOUSING SUPPORT FORUM: REMIT AND MEMBERSHIP

The Supporting People Forum was one of a number of working groups, established at the beginning of the Supporting People programme.

Its aim was ‘to discuss issues that arise with the implementation of Supporting People and agree acceptable solutions to those issues’.

At this time, the Forum had representation from:

  • Scottish Executive;
  • COSLA;
  • Scottish Federation of Housing Associations;
  • Local authorities (Angus, Fife, Glasgow andNorth and South Lanarkshire);
  • Housing associations (Bield, Hanover and Margaret Blackwood);
  • Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations; and
  • Community Care Providers Scotland.

The other groups were the Stakeholders group, Finance sub-group, Communications sub-group, Forum contracting group, Full contracting group andStyle and Structure sub-group.

Once the Supporting People programme was established, the other groups appear to have been disbanded, with the Supporting People Forum remaining as a discussion forum between the Scottish Government and stakeholders from local authorities and service providers.

Following the removal of the ring-fence on Supporting People, it was decided to retain the Supporting People Forum as the Housing Support Forum to consider issues relating to housing support services.

The current membership is:

  • Scottish Government;
  • COSLA;
  • Scottish Federation of Housing Associations;
  • Local authorities (Angus and Glasgow);
  • Housing associations (Bield, Hanover and Key);
  • Service providers (Aspire, Richmond Fellowship, Scottish Association for Mental Health and Scottish Council for Single Homeless);
  • Housing Support Enabling Unit; and
  • Care Commission.

The Forum meets quarterly at Victoria Quay.

Questions for discussion

  • Nearly two years after removal of the ring fence, is there still a role for the Housing Support Forum?

If the answer to the above is yes:

  • What is/should be the role of the Housing Support Forum?
  • What should be the membership of the Forum? Do we currently have the right balance between different types of organisations? Are there any sectors/ organisations which are not currently represented, but should be?
  • Do any current members of the Forum wish to leave?
  • Should service user representation be added to the Forum?
  • Is the current frequency of meetings right?
  • Are there any new topics or themes that the Forum should discuss?
  • Is there anything else that the Scottish Government could do to make the Forum work better?