This document discusses resource allocation systems for housing-related support. It outlines the strategic context and choices local authorities have in developing such systems. Personalization aims to give clients choice and control over how their needs are met. Housing-related support has unique considerations compared to social care, including its non-statutory nature. Individualized budgets that are client-controlled are believed to be more effective and efficient, but this needs to be balanced with strategic housing functions. Any system must be transparent, needs-based, and flexible to change over time.

1. Resource Allocation
Systems for Housing
Related Support
Mark Goldup
HGO Consultancy Ltd

2. My background
• Lifetime in housing-related support
sector
• Helped Oldham introduce SP into
Individual Budgets pilot
• Project managed large scale
introduction of personalisation
programme in Medway for housing-
related support.
• Was also part of Right to Control
Kickstart support team

3. Aims of the Day
• To explore the particular
issues raised by developing
resource allocation
mechanisms for housing-
related support
• To outline the strategic
context and choices that
LAs have in how they
develop a RAS for HRS
• To demonstrate the HRS
resource allocation tool
published by ODI

4. Terminology
A wide policy objective that aims to
ensure that individual clients will have
• Personalisation choice and control over how their needs
are met
A process whereby the client
determines what their needs are and
• Self-Directed Support how they should be met
A sum that is anticipated will meet the
• Individual Budgets individual’s needs. Not necessarily
under direct control of individual.
An amount of money made available to
an individual client, under their control
• Personal Budgets and linked to achieving specific
outcomes. Term now used specifically
to refer to social care payment
• Direct Payments A mechanism for the payment of
Individualised Budgets
• Individual Service An alternative mechanism for the
payment of an IB, where a third party
Funds acts as the client’s agent to receive the
PB and provide or purchase service’s
on the clients behalf and under their
direction

5. In Control illustration of the
elements of an
Individualised Budget

7. When is the Individualised
Budget set

8. Why is Housing Related Support
different to Adult Social Care
• Not a statutory right
• No infrastructure
• Different role for providers
• More specific objective
• BUT wider range of interventions
• Can be a passing need
• Different forms of contracting
• Not widely understood

9. Why do this ?
It is believed that this approach
• Is more effective in delivering
outcomes
• Is more efficient ie cheaper
• Enables more people to receive the
support they need
IS THIS REALISTIC ?

10. Individualised Budgets – Why
might they be cheaper
• Cost of meeting desired outcomes
rather than a fixed number of hours
week in week out.
• Many needs are time-limited but even
short-term contracts can go on for 2
years
• Involves moving from support
provision to support co-ordination

11. Different Personalisation
Models for HRS
• Standard block contracts but with
innovations
• Core hours plus flexi hours
• Core hours plus flexi hours plus cash
• Core hours plus separate entitlement
for DP
• Individual Service Funds
• Direct payments – payable in a
number of ways

12. Who to offer Individualised
Budgets to ?
Everyone in need of HRS
Everyone except those in immediate crisis
Those in need of
Everyone with persistent vulnerabilities Accommodation Based
Services ?
Everyone also with social care needs
Specific client groups
No one with HRS needs

13. Integrated housing and
support packages
What are the core functions of supported
housing beyond and above the delivery of
individualised support
• Monitoring of risk and continued
vulnerability
• Management of relationships
• Facilitation of mutual support
• Capacity to respond quickly
• Enhancing security and sense of security

14. Medway approach
• Supported Living Grant
• Has to be spent on limited number of
providers
• 3 levels of Grant
• Lowest level is renewable ad infinitum.
Higher levels are paid for 12 months
and can only be renewed for 5 years.
• Is always paid in conjunction with at
least one other grant element that is not
tied

15. How integrated ?
In Control’s view…….
Each funding stream allocates into a local pot a set amount of money
with a defined number of beneficiaries expected to achieve a
Full fixed outcome. One eligibility criteria is established for access to
the funding and one eligibility and allocation decision.
Identity of funding would be maintained, the use of funding would
continue to be restricted by the rules and regulations of each
funding stream. An eligibility check for each funding stream,
followed by a determination of how much money was available
Composite for what purpose and with what restrictions. Such an approach would
not be simple, resulting in a mesh of restrictions and
requirements, current eligibility mean it would
not be possible to deliver an upfront allocation prior to planning.
The funding stream and allocation of resources from it operate in
isolation of the other funding streams. Application, eligibility,
Discrete allocation and monitoring takes place in accordance with
discrete processes rules and regulations.
BUT is it as simple as this…….

17. Principles behind design of
RAS process
• Needs to provides sufficient information to
distinguish relative levels of need
• Needs to be transparent and simple to
complete
• Needs to focus on outcomes
• Needs to be time-efficient and cost efficient
• Needs to encourages innovation and
flexibility
• Needs to be capable of adaptation and
change
• Needs to be fair and seen to be fair

18. ODI RAS
Sample Domain
high medium low none
living
No experience Some Is struggling
indepen
of experience of to live
Skills dently
independent tenancy independe
successf
living. failure. ntly.
ully

19. Full Matrix

20. 1. Skills My Advisors Points
View View
To maintain the home environment undertaking day to
day tasks, including budgeting, cooking, cleaning etc
A) I require active and ongoing support to develop and o o 3
maintain independent living skills.
[Daily support]
B) I require regular support to develop and maintain o o 2
independent living skills.
[more than once a week]
C) I require one off or occasional support to develop and o o 1
maintain independent living skills.
[no more than once a month]
D) I have good independent living skills and do not need o o 0
paid support gain or maintain daily living skills.
[no support]

21. Problem with ODI RAS
Addresses dimension of how
much
BUT not how long for

22. Medway – Example of time limits
Grant Package Award Period Extendable up
to
Acquiring 12 months 5 years
Independence
Long Term Support 2 years Unlimited
Supported Living Level 1 – 2 Years Unlimited
Level 2/3- 12 5 Years
months
Resettlement 6 months 12 months
Crisis Intervention 3 months 3 months
Housing Options 3 months 3 months
Practical Support 2 years Unlimited

23. Linking Assessment to
Money
Main considerations
• Minimise disruption and manage pace of change
• Manage risk to HRS budget inherent in move
from fixed contract sums to individual
entitlements
• Facilitate long-term shifts from long-term high-
value SP packages linked to long-term
maintenance support to lower value ,short-term
preventative work for more people
• Contribute to savings targets – and relatively
quickly.

24. Different approaches to
pricing
• Price per point
– Weighted domains
• Price per band
– Based on Combined Score
– Based on Highest Score
• Price per package

25. Finding the values to use
• Starting with a notional level of input
required for different levels of need
• Starting with average unit costs or
total amount of money available

26. Final points
• EVERYTHING HAS TO BE MODELLED
• IT HAS TO BE KEPT UNDER REVIEW
AND HAS TO HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO
CHANGE
• BUILD IN TRANSITIONAL PROTECTION
AND SHIFT OVER TIME
• ESTIMATES FOR REVIEWS &
TURNOVER
• BUILD IN OTHER TRANSACTIONAL
COSTS