Supporting People

Through its Housing Policy Directorate the Welsh Government invests over £136 million in the Supporting People Programme annually. It supports more than 56,000 people each year to live as independently as they can. The programme aims to prevent problems by providing help as early as possible.

Of those the programme helps, 44,000 are older people. However it also supports households fleeing domestic violence and people threatened with or getting over a period of homelessness as well as people with mental health needs, substance misuse needs or a learning disability.

The aims of the Supporting People Programme are:

• Helping vulnerable people live as independently as possible.
• Providing people with the help they need to live in their own homes, hostels, sheltered housing or other specialist housing.
• Preventing problems in the first place or providing help as early as possible in order to reduce demand on other services such as health and social services.
• Providing help to complement the personal or medical care that some people may need.
• Putting those who need support at the heart of the programme.
• Ensuring quality services, which are delivered as efficiently and effectively as possible through joint working between organisations that plan and fund services and those that provide services
• Providing funding for support based on need.
• Promoting equality and reducing inequalities.