Any Perth and Kinross resident aged 16 years and over can be referred to the service and self-referrals can be submitted. Any tenure type referral will be eligible for the service.
Services will be prioritised for vulnerable people who are homeless, transitioning from temporary or institutional accommodation, or at risk of losing their current accommodation and have at least one of the following issues:
- mental health issues
- chaotic lifestyle
- fleeing domestic abuse
- substance use
- at risk or history of rough sleeping or homelessness
- offending behaviour
- antisocial behaviour
- hoarding
- never had a tenancy before
- history of failed tenancy
- history of poor engagement
- financial hardship
- previously looked after or accommodated
- isolation
- at risk or history of cuckooing
- young person (aged 16 to 25 years)
- physical or learning difficulties
- older people (aged 65 years and over)
As the service is about promoting independence and sustainability, the person must have capacity to make informed choices and work with the provider to gain skills and become independent to manage going forward.
Support provided will:
- ease transitions from temporary accommodation to settled/secure accommodation including moving on and resettlement support
- contribute to the prevention of people with significant support needs, and varying health and wellbeing needs, making inappropriate use of emergency services and reduce people being admitted to hospital inappropriately
- assist people with complex needs to live independently in their community by accessing resources widely available in localities, as may be desired by individuals to maintain their health and wellbeing
- assist self-advocacy relating to housing options and tenancy agreements, promoting positive relationships with landlords relating to housing and tenancy management issues
- be flexible and responsive in terms of offering an intensive short term 'wrap around' service where required, such as rapid rehousing following homelessness or first tenancy following liberation from prison custody
Any support agreed will be to meet identified, person-centred outcomes. Examples of the range of support available within the service are included in the criteria.
Successful provision of support is dependent on working together with the service user, placing them at the centre of decisions about the way they want to live and the support they want to receive.
Providers will support individuals to work towards their identified and chosen outcomes on a time-limited basis. The model of support will focus on the outcomes prioritised by the service user based on their identified needs and as agreed in their initial assessment and subsequent reviews.
Providers will be expected to meet reasonable requests for amendment and alterations to the support plan on a one-off/short-term basis, for example if an individual moves tenancy or has an escalated support need in relation to an unexpected short-lived crisis. It is anticipated that service users will welcome the flexibility that this brings and will be able to utilise their support plan to maximum advantage.
Some examples of the support that can be provided
- Housing support - support to develop and set up systems which will allow independent payment of bills, housekeeping and hygiene, food shopping, healthy eating, door management, being a good neighbour.
- Transition and support to move into property - setting up rent accounts, dealing with utilities, applications for CCG and sourcing furniture.
- Support to arrange repairs, adaptations or security for the property.
- Support to arrange services like a handyman, gardener or cleaner.
- Support with transition from prison or reduce offending behaviour.
- Short-term support for low-level hoarding/decluttering and assistant to arrange for deep cleans or to engage services for longer-term support
- Support to reduce dependency on statutory services.
- Harm reduction (mental health/substance use) and medical interventions.
- Crisis intervention - relapse/ad hoc presentations/adult and child protection concerns.
- Support to make and attend appointments, such as court, doctor, NHS services (they cannot drive the person there).
- Support to comply with an Acceptable Behaviour Agreement.
- Benefit maximisation and budgeting - such as rent, debts, sanctions, deductions.
- Support to reduce risk to individual - such as cuckooing, scams, domestic abuse.
- Support skills development and encouragement to gain structure day to day.
- Support to gain employment, apply to study/further education or volunteering.
- Support to plan for longer-term goals.
- Emotional support.
- Introduction to community resources - such library, GP, leisure centre, and community integration.
- Prompting and encouragement to attend voluntary work/college/day services.
- General check-ups, reassurance and weekly check-ins until more independent.
- Support with digital skills and getting online.
Services and support not provided by the service
- Long-term hoarding support - once other outcomes are achieved, this service will likely end and assistance can be given to engage with longer-term support.
- Applying for rehousing where this is the only identified outcome*.
- Tasks such as shopping and cleaning for the person.
- Transport to appointments.
- Personal care, such as washing, bathing, shaving, toileting, feeding, medication assistance.
- Therapeutic programmes or specialist counselling for bereavement, abuse, relationships, drug and alcohol misuse.
- Legal housing management, such as landlord duties, evictions.
- Childcare.
- Supervision of court orders and probation programmes such as monitoring of curfews.
- Participating in or attending Drug Treatment and Testing Orders.
- Provision of formal education.
- Assessment of service users on behalf of social services or other partners - providers can support with this and provide updated to inform these assessments.
- Statutory after-care services.
*If an individual wishes to apply for housing, they should be referred to their Housing or Neighbourhood Officer if they are a social housing tenant, or to our Housing Options Team in the first instance to discuss their circumstances, the options available to them and any legal implications of giving up their accommodation. A Housing Support Officer can be allocated via this pathway to support with this process.
Those who are already in receipt of ongoing Self-Directed Support Home-based Supported Living, or have been assessed as needing this support and are on the waiting list, will not be eligible for Floating Housing Support or Housing Support. If their support needs have increased, please arrange for a re-assessment though Social Work to increase their current package of care.
Levels of support
At the point of initial assessment, each individual's required level of support will be categorised as high, medium or low. For most people, support will gradually reduce over time as outcomes are achieved and the Exit Plan is implemented. However, it is recognised that some individuals may experience fluctuations in their support needs.
Low and medium support cases are expected to achieve their identified outcomes within 6 to 9 months.
High support cases may require a longer period of involvement. These cases will be subject to regular review, with progress and outstanding outcomes monitored and reported throughout the support period.
Where an individual's ability to participate in their support planning is limited or varies, the provider will work collaboratively with agreed family members, carers, friends, guardians, or advocates. This partnership will help establish the practical arrangements for effective support delivery. Where appropriate, referrals to statutory services for additional assessment may also be required.
Providers are expected to respond to reasonable one-off or short-term requests to amend or adjust the support plan - for example, following a tenancy move or a temporary increase in need due to an unexpected short-term crisis. This flexibility is intended to help individuals make best use of the support available.
Individuals with chaotic lifestyles or multiple complex needs may not consistently fall within the high category. Their support level may fluctuate in line with their engagement and circumstances at any given time. In such cases, outcomes may need to be prioritised and tailored to what is realistic and achievable.
| Category | Support |
|---|---|
| High | 6 hours plus of support a week (40% of support hours) |
| Medium | 3 to 6 hours of support a week (40% of support hours) |
| Low | 1 to 2 hours of support a week (20% of support hours) |
Outcomes
Providers will develop outcome-focused support plans with individuals which are required to be reviewed and measured regularly.
| Outcome | Goal |
|---|---|
| Accommodation |
|
| Health |
|
| Safety and security |
|
| Social and economic wellbeing |
|
| Employment and meaningful activity |
|
Reviews and panel reviews
Providers will conduct a review of the service user's needs every three months. Referrers and other key professionals involved in the person's support may participate in these reviews to ensure a co-ordinated and informed approach.
A 6-weekly review meeting will take place with a representative from each provider, Housing, and the Contracts and Commissioning Officer. This will be to discuss those in the high category of support and any other cases raised by the providers and any next actions agreed.
A Review Panel may be necessary for those requiring additional consideration. This may include situations where:
- wraparound or multi-agency support is needed
- current support is not achieving the desired outcomes
- an individual has been receiving high-level support for more than one year
- concerns have been identified that the individual may be unable to sustain their independence
In such cases, the Review Panel will determine whether a referral to Social Work is required for an ongoing needs assessment and to explore options for longer-term or more suitable support provision.
The Review Panel will consist of representation for the following services:
- Simon Community Scotland
- Turning Point Scotland
- Communities Housing - Support
- Communities Housing - Housing Options
- Contracts and Commissioning
- Social Work
Other services will be invited as appropriate, such as NHS, Justice Services, Children's Services, Women's Aid and so on, including the original referrer.
Exit plans
As individuals approach the end of their support, the provider will work with them to develop a personalised Exit Plan. This plan outlines the steps required to conclude support safely and appropriately once agreed outcomes have been achieved.
Referrers and any other key professionals involved will be informed when the Exit Planning process begins, ensuring that all relevant parties are aware of progress and future arrangements.
Support will formally end when the person's identified outcomes have been met, or when alternative support is in place. However, individuals may require flexibility should their circumstances change and they may be offered a fast-track return to the service, assessed on a case-by-case basis.
