Glossary

We have provided a glossary of terms which are used within the Supporting People programme. If you feel that we have omitted anything from the glossary which might be useful please contact supporting.people@hants.gov.uk

Glossary of terms

Abbreviation	Description
Accreditation	This is a regular assessment of a support provider to check if they are able to provide a good quality Supporting People service
Administering Authority (AA) or Administering Local Authority (ALA)	The local authority which receives the Supporting People (SP) grant and administers contracts for the SP services on behalf of the Commissioning Body
Audit Commission	An independent body responsible for ensuring that public money is used responsibly, economically and effectively
Audit Visit	This is a visit carried out by the Supporting People team to check the accuracy of performance indicator returns, client record data forms and outcome forms
Benchmarking	A comparison of similar services by quality, performance and cost. This is one of the ways of ensuring the quality of services provided in Hampshire
Best Value	A duty on local authorities to assess and review the services they provide for local people and improve them by the best means available. This must be done in consultation with the people who use the services and the wider local community
BME	Black and Minority Ethnic
Care - Personal and Social	Supporting People does not pay for care. It only pays for housing related support. It may fund some services which also provide care, but Supporting People only pays for the housing related support in those services
Client Group	A category such as older people or single homeless used to help the Supporting People team to monitor who is accessing services, and identify where there is a need for new services
Client Record Form	These are completed by providers each time they take on a new client. Details such as previous type of accommodation, client group and ethnicity are recorded so Supporting People teams can monitor who is using the services. No personal details are recorded
Commissioning Body	In Hampshire this is known as the County Core Group (CCG). The group is made up of representatives from all of the partners involved in Supporting People, such as Housing, Social Services, Health (PCT) and Probation This group looks at the existing supply of supported housing and identifies areas where there is a need for new services
Communities and local government (CLG)	The Communities and local government website is accessible to all by logging onto http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/supportingpeople/ The website contains all the guidance, discussion and related documents on the Supporting People programme.
Contract Schedules	These are part of the Supporting People contract and contain details of the services to be provided in the contract and the cost of each service
Cross Authority Group (CAG)	Neighbouring AA's working together to plan and develop policies and services across the group
Cross Authority Provision	A services designated by the CLG to provide support for service users originating from another Administering Authority (AA)
Directory of services	A directory of all Hampshire funded services can be found at https://spocc.hants.gov.uk/spoccnet/
DV	Domestic Violence
Fixed Capacity Contracts	The fixed capacity contract is issued once a service review has been completed and if it is decided that the provider will continue to receive the Supporting People Grant
Floating Support	This kind of support is "attached" to the person, not the property and can follow a service user if they move to another address. It only lasts for as long as the client needs it. The client does not need to live at a certain address to receive the support.
Foundations	The national co-ordinating body for Home Improvements Agencies (HIA)
Home improvements Agency (HIA)	An agency which enables vulnerable people to maintain their independence in their chosen home for the foreseeable future. " Vulnerable people" may include older people, people on low incomes, disabled people etc. Their homes would usually be private rented lease hold or owner occupied.
Housing Benefit (HB)	A means tested benefit paid to council or private tenants who need help paying their rent
Housing Related Support	Support specifically aimed at helping people to establish themselves, or to stay in their own homes. Examples of housing related support include helping people learn to manage their own money, apply for benefits, keep their home secure, access to other services
LSVT	Large scale voluntary transfers of council housing. This could be to a private company or to a registered social landlord.
Managing Agent	A managing agent is an organisation providing housing management services (such as collecting rent) on behalf of another body, often a Registered Social Landlord (RSL). The managing agent may also provide the support services.
NHF National Housing Federation	Also known as the Natfed the NHF provides advice and support for not-for-profit- housing providers. Their web site address is www.housing.org.uk
Outcomes Framework	The two frameworks used to collect data on identified needs. The short term framework is used in respect of all clients leaving short term services and the long term framework captures the details of a sample of clients in long term services.
Primary Care Trusts (PCT)	Primary Care Trusts are responsible for planning and providing healthcare services in the county. They are partners in the SP programme, along with Social Services, and Housing
Performance Indicators (PI's)	Performance statistics submitted to the Supporting People team by Providers. They are used as part of contracts and monitoring
Procurement	The process to obtain materials, supplies and contracts, which is the best value through open and fair competition
Quality Assessment Framework (QAF)	Quality assessment framework. Providers self asses their service against national objectives ( such as consulting service users on how they want the service to be run. The Supporting People team use the results as part of the benchmarking process with the aim of continually improving the quality of services in Hampshire.
Registered Social Landlord (RSL)	A non profit making voluntary group, generally a housing association, formed to provide affordable housing
Sheltered Housing	Housing specifically for older and or disabled people. Includes a block or group of houses with resident or visiting warden and individual house, bungalow and flats which receive support from a mobile warden or pendant (emergency) alarm
SPOCC	The Supporting People computer system used to hold service provider, payment and client details for the Supporting People programme.
St Andrews	The client record data office at St Andrews University responsible for collecting client record data and outcomes data on behalf of administering authorities. There website can be found at https://www.spclientrecord.org.uk/login.cfm
Supporting People Distribution Formula	A formula developed by the DCLG to decide how much Supporting People grant each Administering Authority will be allocated.
Supporting People Grant	Money from the government to pay for the housing related support services under the Supporting People programme
Supporting People programme	This programme came into effect on the 1st April 2003, and pays for the services providing housing related support. Services are monitored on their quality performance and cost
Supporting People 5 Year Strategy	The strategy is a five year plan 2005-2010 for managing the supported housing sector in Hampshire
Support Provider	The organisation providing housing related support services paid for by Supporting People. Organisation types include Registered Social Landlords, voluntary sector organisations, local authorities, charities and the private sector.
Support Service	A service eligible for funding through Supporting People. This could include advice on maintaining a tenancy, help with filling in forms, help with keeping accommodation safe and secure etc..
Validation Visit	A reality check by a SP Local co-ordinator or Contract Support Officer to a support service to establish whether the Provider is achieving the standards they are contracted to deliver. Supporting People team members will also consult with Service Users and staff to find our their views of the service. The aim of these visits is to work with providers to improve the quality of the services in Hampshire, and for the findings feed into the service review