MyEDC

    Technical Notes 2025, Issue 36 - Cessation of Housing Support funding to Private Sheltered Housing Landlords

    • Report by:

      Ann Davie, Chief Executive

    • TN Number:

      036-25

    • Subject:

      Cessation of Housing Support funding to Private Sheltered Housing Landlords

    • Responsible Officer:

      Derrick Pearce, Chief Officer – Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP)

    • Publication:

      This Technical Note will be published on the Council’s website following circulation to Members. Its contents may be disclosed or shared outwith the Council.

    The purpose of this Technical Note is to advise Members of the termination of historical funding currently paid to private sheltered housing landlords contributing to the costs of providing housing support services to their tenants.

    The IJB took the decision at their Board meeting in August 2024 to cease funding the contribution towards housing support activities within private sheltered housing complexes in East Dunbartonshire.  This decision was part of Financial Sustainability and Budget Plan activities to address the significant financial challenges facing the HSCP.

    The HSCP passed housing support financial responsibility for local authority sheltered housing complexes over to the Council’s Housing Service some years ago. The decision to cease funding to private sheltered housing providers ensures continuity.

    The HSCP provided six months’ notice, October 2024 to March 2025, to the private landlords involved: Hanover Housing Association (Callieburn Court, Bishopbriggs) and Trust Housing Association (Huntly Court, Bishopbriggs and Schaw Court, Bearsden) with the expectation that they would consult with their tenants to discuss what services they can and cannot provide within their financial envelope and/or to alter their business model accordingly. It is the landlords’ responsibility to consult with their tenants.

    This funding decision does not affect the HSCP services provided to eligible customers, living within these sheltered housing complexes.  Personal and social care support delivered by the HSCP to individuals will remain unaffected. These services are provided to individuals following assessment and application of eligibility and fair access policies and delivered by in-house services or services commissioned by the HSCP.

    Housing support funding dates back to 2003 when local authorities in Scotland received Supporting People grant funding to help establish and develop housing support services.

    The provision of housing support is aligned to housing legislation, with the services consisting of specific activities including: enabling individuals to access their correct benefit entitlement, ensuring that individuals have the correct skills to maintain a tenancy, advising on home improvements, accessing a community alarm service, warden services etc.

    Following a national spending review in 2010 the ring fencing of this grant was removed allowing local authorities autonomy to allocate funding accordingly, in line with eligibility and priorities.

    The introduction of free personal care (older people in 2002 and adults in 2019), increasing demand for social care support, more costly and complex support services, increasing eligibility criteria and year on year budget pressures, has seen the requirement for a housing support type of service/model, which is considered to be low risk/low impact, has lessened.

    The HSCP does not have a legal obligation to fund housing support services to housing tenants.  There is no statutory assessment of need for the provision of this type of support. The HSCP has no role in or influence in the allocation of housing in these properties and does not have any input over how these services operate or develop.  People living in these complexes are not living there as a result of formal assessment of need by the HSCP.

    The total cost saving through the cessation of the housing support funding, based on budget for 2024/2025 is £159,779.53 per annum.

    An EQIA, dated July 2024, was published on the HSCP website page.  The EQIA confirms that the HSCP is willing to engage with housing providers to signpost, or support access to eligible commissioned services, to ensure that any groups with a protected characteristic, or from a marginalised group, is not unduly affected.

    The HSCP undertook benchmarking as part of the EQIA process and confirmed that the other HSCPs in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area are adopting a common approach.

    The HSCP’s focus, given the financial challenges, will be to deliver critical services through the provision of social care support to meet the eligible needs of the customer and/or unpaid carer.