SUPPORTING PEOPLE COMMISSIONING BODY, 26th April 2007
AGENDA ITEM 4 – Outcomes Framework
The Commissioning Body is asked to:
Note the CLG’s approach to measuring outcomes of the SP
programme
 Endorse the approach to outcomes described in the report
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. Introduction

The purpose of this paper is describe on Westminster’s approach to
monitoring outcomes from the commissioning of housing related support
services. This paper thus


Briefly describes the CLG approach to monitoring outcomes
Summarises Westminster’s approach to monitoring outcomes of the SP
programme
Highlights the principle means of monitoring outcomes for the Council
of housing related support services in Westminster

2. Background
In 2005 CLG announced its intention to move towards an outcomes based
monitoring approach to the Supporting People programme. This approach
was being considered for several reasons:

There was a concern that the CLG needed to be better able to
demonstrate what the large public investment in Supporting People
delivers both nationally and locally for individuals.

There was a need to achieve better linkages with wider policy
objectives

There was a need to move from processes and inputs to a focus on
developing a consistent set of outcome measures
In May 2006, CLG set up an outcomes working group to develop a national
outcomes framework for SP. The group included representatives from local
authorities and providers and a mini pilot was launched.
In taking forward the approach CLG agreed that the focus should be on hard
outcomes as this would provide some measurement of the contribution of the
Supporting People Programme on wider policy objectives and would be less
bureaucratic than the collection of soft outcomes. However it was felt that
providers should be encouraged to continue developing soft outcomes to
identify the distance travelled for individual service users as part of support
planning and would also be useful in the collation of data for the national
outcomes framework.
3. CLG Outcomes Framework
The framework developed through the pilot is based on the Department for
Education and Skill’s policy document ‘Every Child Matter’s’ that describes
outcomes for services against five areas:





Achieve economic well-being
Enjoy and achieving
Being Healthy
Safety and Security
Social and civic participation
Against each of these five high level outcomes a number of indicators are
listed, derived from the impact each service has had on each individual who
has moved through the service and can be summarised as follows:

Achieve Economic Wellbeing
This domain looks at 3 key areas of support needs and where a support need
is relevant, the actual outcome for the service user in relation to that support
need is captured
o Key support need - Support in relation to welfare Benefits
o Actual outcome - Client is now receiving all the right benefits
o Key support need – support in relation to reducing debt
o Actual Outcomes – client has reduced debt
o Key Support need – support in relation to paid work
o Actual Outcome – Client is in paid work

Enjoy and Achieve
This domain looks at 4 key areas of support needs, and where a support need
is relevant, the actual outcome for the service user in relation to that support
need is captured
o Key support need – Support in relation to training/ education
o Actual outcome – client has participated in desired training/
education
o Actual outcome – if applicable, client has achieved desired
qualification/s
o Key support need – Support in relation to leisure/cultural/faith
and/or informal learning activities
o Actual outcome – client has participated in chosen activities
o Key support need – Support in relation to a range of work-like
activities, e.g. unpaid work/work experience/work-like experience
o Actual outcome – client has participated in chosen work-like
activities
o Key support need – Support in relation to contact with external
services/groups/friends/family
o Actual outcome – Client has made contact with external
services/groups/friends/family

Be Healthy
This domain looks at 3 key areas of support needs, and where a support need
is relevant, the actual outcome for the service user in relation to that support
need is captured
o Key support need – support in relation to primary health care
o Actual outcome – client is better able to manage their physical
health
o Key support need – support in relation to mental health services
o Actual outcome – client is better able to manage their mental health
o Key support need – support in relation to drug/alcohol services
o Actual outcome – client is better able to manage their drug/alcohol
use

Stay Safe
This domain looks at 3 key areas of support needs, and where a support need
is relevant, the actual outcome for the service user in relation to that support
need is captured
o Key support need – support in relation to maintaining their
accommodation and avoiding eviction
o Actual Outcome – Client maintained accommodation and avoided
eviction
o Key support need - support in relation to compliance with statutory
orders and related processes of the criminal justice system
o Actual outcome – client complied with statutory orders and related
processes
o Key support need – support in connection with safeguard from harm
(this would be harm to others and themselves and being harmed by
others)
o Actual Outcome – client avoided self harm
o Actual Outcome – Client avoided causing harm to others
o Actual Outcome – Client avoided harm from others

Make a Positive Contribution
This domain looks at 1 key area of support need, and where this support need
is relevant, the actual outcome for the service user in relation to it is captured
o Key support need – support in elation to having more involvement
and/or control
o Actual Outcome – client has more involvement and/or control, either
at service level or within the wider community or both
To obtain this information providers will be expected to complete a client
record form for each service user at the point of departure from the service for
all short term services and send the completed form to the Joint Centre for
Scottish Housing Research (JCSHR) who already administer the SP client
record system. JCSHR will then analyse the data and provide data to DCLG
and local authorities to measure outcomes. The latest draft of this form is
available.
Collection of the information is not mandatory as part of the grant conditions;
however it is proposed that Westminster supports the implementation of
framework which it is anticipated with be introduced in June.
The Consultants who have led on the development of the framework have
developed an expanded ‘basket’ of further indicators (included as an
appendix.) Several London boroughs have expressed support for these to be
included and CLG are considering developing a standard form to collect this
data. It is proposed that Westminster support the development of this but only
collect information if there is a standard means of doing so and agree which
indicators should be used.
4. Performance Indicators
The KPI data, in particular KPI2 is a measure of the outcome of services as
positive move-on from accommodation based services is a clear goal of the
majority of accommodation based service provision (in particular for homeless
services.)
In the three years that these figures have been analysed the figures to date
across the whole of service provision in Westminster are:
Year
2004/05
Total
move-on
1730
+ve
move-on
1080
62.5%
2005/06
2097
1273
60.7%
(1495)
1993
(1074)
1432
71.8%
2006/07
(projected)
%
It is proposed that the value for money figures produced for the service
commissioning exercise in 2006 are updated to include a breakdown of
figures for the past three years as a means of improving target setting for
2007/08.
5. Mental Health Services Extended Monitoring
Agreed by the NSF LIT as part of the development and implementation of the
Mental Health Strategy for Housing Related Support services an extended
quarterly monitoring framework for mental health services (based upon
research by Triangle consultants) was developed. This captures information in
the following areas and allows for more in depth monitoring of these services
and the ‘journey’ and development of a client:
Living Skills/ Self Care: this focuses on basic living skills and self care:
hygiene, keeping safe at home, cleanliness of accommodation and ability to
shop, cook and access the basics needed
Social Net works: about the quality of relationships the client has and
degrees of isolation felt
Meaningful use of time: concerned with how clients spend their time and
improving access to education, work and training
Discussion is currently taking place with IS services to agree development of
a module to capture and analyse more effectively this information.
6. Case Studies
A means of measuring soft outcomes of services are examples of where each
service has been effective in achieving its objectives for vulnerable people,
sustaining and improving independent living, supporting an individual to
access independent accommodation and live there successfully or access
employment or training opportunities and prevent the need to access more
expensive health or social care services.
It is thus proposed to request from each service provider, three case studies
that highlight how each service has been effective in securing a positive
outcome for vulnerable service users. Examples of these would then be used
to promote more effectively the benefits of the service e.g. through the website newsletter, service directory and highlight the impact each service should
have.
As part of the value for money meetings in 2006 each agency was required to
describe the systems in place to measure outcomes for service users and
how organisations knew the impact their services made on individuals. The
results of this exercise highlighted areas of good practice with half of
organisations having such systems in place and the majority of the remainder
developing or considering developing a system. It is proposed that such
practice is supported but that potentially the national outcomes framework will
have an impact on such systems.
7. Citywide Outcomes
Several broader outcomes measures exist that are dependent in varying
degrees on the outcome of supported housing services. In particular these
include:

Reducing the numbers of rough sleepers

No longer using bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless 16/17
year olds

Increasing the numbers of users of supported housing services who
have a primary need of substance misuse are in contact with
substance misuse services

Meeting Domestic violence BVPI target through commissioning of
refuge bedspaces, a sanctuary scheme and prevention of repeat
homelessness as a result of domestic violence
These statistics are monitored routinely as part of Westminster performance
management framework and link to the outcomes of housing related support.
CLG Outcomes – Additional “basket” of indicators
In addition to the CLG outcomes data being gathered via St Andrews, local authorities might
additionally ask providers to gather information against one or more indicators in this “basket”,
possibly over a fixed period of time. A standard “basket” used nationally will mean that
providers are asked to gather information in a consistent format and allow benchmarking of
performance across and between regions.
Economic Well Being
Number (and %) of service users with more
Count all service users. Arrears should include core rent,
than 8 weeks rent arrears
housing service charges and service charges.
Enjoying and Achieving
Number (and %) of service users supported to Count eligible service users only (ie: those in teenage
develop parenting skills
parent services or those with children in other services).
Include referrals to outside agencies as well as support
provided within service.
Being Healthy
Number (and %) of service users registered
Count all service users.
with a GP
Number (and %) of service users reducing
Count only those service users with one or more A&E
their use of A&E
admission in the six months prior to joining the service.
Measure the number (and %) of households where the
number of visits has reduced over the same period within
the service.
Number (and %) of service users undertaking
Count only those service users with one or more
emergency psychiatric admissions
emergency psychiatric admissions in the six months prior to
joining the service. Measure the number (and %) of
households where the number of admissions has reduced
over the same period within the service.
Number (and %) of service users supported to Count all those service users taking medication long-term
sustain a course of medication
and include medication taken orally or by injection. The
indicator measures whether medication is being taken in
accordance with the dispensing instructions, whether there
is some variance from the intended dosage or whether
there is a degree of non-compliance.
Number (and %) of service users supported to Count all those service users who are or might be sexually
access sexual health advice or information
active. Include referrals to outside agencies as well as
support or advice provided within service.
Number (and length of wait prior to moving in)
Applies to referrals to all services where referrals might be
of service users moving into the service from
received from delayed discharge or intermediate care
delayed discharge or intermediate care setting settings.
Number (and %) of service users suffering
Applies to older persons’ services only. Hospital attendance
falls that require hospital attendance
includes A&E visits or actual admission, however shortterm.
Number (and %) of service users identified
Establish the number of service users who have a
with a primary substance misuse problem in
substance misuse problem identified as their primary need
current contact with treatment services
and measure the proportion who are in receipt of treatment
services.
Number (and %) of service users with
Establish the number of service users who have identified
identified mental health problems supported to mental health problems and measure the proportion who
access specialist mental health services
are in receipt of specialist mental health services
Staying Safe
Number (and %) of women at risk of domestic
Count only those service users where there is an identified
violence supported to access appropriate legal need to access legal support in relation to domestic
advice
violence.
Number (and %) of service users assessed as Applies only to short-term services. Count all those who
ready to move on
would be able to move on immediately if a suitable move on
option were available.
Number (and %) of service users who are still
occupying their move on accommodation one
year after moving on from the service
Count all service users who have been counted as moving
on in a planned way. May require inclusion of a “not known”
category for those who have lost touch with the support
provider since moving on.
Making a Positive Contribution
Number (and %) of service users who are
Count eligible service users only (ie: those under 18).
under 18 who have an unplanned pregnancy