Getting help from Supporting People
How do I access Supporting People services?
Referrals are taken from social services, housing,
probation, Primary Care Trusts and other health professionals,
Citizens Advice Bureaus, and other non-statutory agencies. In some
circumstances, self-referrals may also be accepted. Your Supporting
People team will be able to provide you with more information.
Do I have to pay for these services?
There are no
charges if you are people receiving short-term
services. Check with your service provider if you are not sure if
your service is classed as short-term or long–term. The rules are
different for long-term services.
If you receive a long-term service (services intended to last
more than two years), these are not always free and you may be
expected to pay depending on your circumstances. Costs for support
services can vary greatly depending on the service provided. The
organisation providing your support services should inform you of
the cost.
If you receive a housing benefit you do not have to pay
support service charges. If you are not in receipt of a housing
benefit, but have limited means, you can apply for a
fairer charging assessment and may get help
with paying support charges depending on your circumstances.
Are 16 and 17 year olds eligible for Supporting People
funding?
Sixteen and seventeen year old care leavers and looked after
children are still the responsibility of social services and are
therefore not eligible for Supporting People funding. However,
Supporting People funding is available to services that cater to 16
and 17 year olds who are not the responsibility of social services
such as young people at risk who are homeless or teenage parents.
Are there certain standards my Supporting People service
are obliged to meet?
Service providers funded by Supporting People must
meet service standards set by the government. The Supporting People
team continually review the service they provide to make sure they
meet these standards.
How do I complain about my Supporting People service?
We want you to have the best service, but if you
are not happy with a Supporting People service you are receiving,
you have a right to complain. You should first contact your
provider and they will take you through their complaints procedure.
If you are not satisfied with the result you can
contact your local Supporting People team who
may investigate this further.
Information accessibility
If English is not your first language, you can
request information in Arabic, Gujarati, Hindi, Somali, Urdu,
Punjabi and Polish. Large print, braille and audio tape versions in
English are also available.
Contact the Supporting People team.
Who do I contact for more information?
If there is anything you want to know about Supporting People
please speak to the organisation providing your support service. If
there is anything they cannot help you with please
contact the Supporting People team. For more
information about the programme nationally visit the Supporting
People website
www.spkweb.org.uk