It is disappointing that Bradford Council is making such a poor job of meeting the housing-related needs of vulnerable people in the district that its £20 million Supporting People scheme has been awarded no stars out of a possible three for the second year in a row by the Audit Commission.
Even more disturbing is the fact that the Commission has downgraded the programme's prospects for improvement from "uncertain" to "poor". This is despite its report noting that there has been improved performance and quality in some services.
The big problem appears to be what is described as "a lack of strong leadership and direction" when it comes to implementing the recommendations for improvements made by the Commission in a report in January of last year.
Councillor Dale Smith, Executive member for adult services, has said the Council is "absolutely determined" to improve how the Supporting People programme is administered. Let's hope those words are quickly converted into action. Making the programme work effectively cannot be easy. The Government grant is used to commission services from more than 60 providers, including the public, private and voluntary sectors. It must be a complicated business.
However, in Bradford about 9,000 people struggling to live independently rely on the help this programme is supposed to provide. These are vulnerable groups, including older people, those with disabilities, homeless families, women fleeing domestic violence, people with mental-health needs and youngsters leaving care. The Council needs to get its act together and use the money more effectively to make their lives a little easier.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article