The Support Contract

8.1 Support Contract Agreement

At the interview and assessment Stage this document is to be introduced. This is to help the prospective Tenant recognise they will be expected to enter in to a support contract with Wirral Churches ArkAngel Project.

8.2 Contact Sheet

Activities relating to the tenant should be recorded on the contact sheet. All contact and work carried out on behalf of the tenant should also be recorded. All meetings completed with the Tenant should also be recorded and identified to the nature of the meeting. Ie support meetings, review meetings ect.

8.2a Support meeting

Your first support meeting should be completed within the first week of admission. At this session a date should be set for the Action plan to be completed. (Within 28 days of being admitted). Support meeting are held weekly, unless agreed upon with the tenant. Meeting may be held less frequently as they progress through the programme and independence is gained. Meetings may be held more frequently if the tenant experiences times of crises and request more support. Unlike reviews these meetings do not include other agencies and are part of the ongoing work between the tenant and the support worker. A record of these meetings must be kept. Each meeting must have a set of objectives, they do not have to be complicated and will arise from the action plan and naturally from day to day living and from contact with support worker and tenant E.G.

1. Money
2. Education
3. Any agreed action points outstanding from the Action Plan, Reviews, Move On Plan or any other meetings? *

* Will be a standard item on the objectives list.

Although the record, is a summery of the meeting and what has been discussed it is important to insure the views of the tenant have been added. This is best completed by the tenant in their own words and writing unless this is not possible. If the tenant has no comment to make then no comment should be written. The tenant should then initial what they have written. These comments can relate to any part of the support the tenant receives or any comments they wish to make.

8.2b Agreed Action

Agreed action is recorded on the support meeting document. Explore any actions agreed in the previous meeting and sign off any which have been completed. Any outstanding action points will be carried forward to the next meetings agreed action points.

Date of meeting	Agreed Action	By who	By When	Date completed
12/12/05	To ring DWP to check any problems	Tenant	Next meeting
12/12/05	To give a lift to tenant on first day at collage	SW	19/12/05

A standard part of this support contract is to pose the question should anything else be changed as a result of this meeting. (Support meeting, Pathway plan, Review, ect.) This prompt appears, to link you in to other key documents which are part of the support contract.

8.2c Review Meeting

The review is a more formal meeting and other agencies involved with the tenant can be invited. The aim is a co-ordinated approach to complement any statutory care plan or support plans provided by other agencies. The aim of the review is to evaluate all aspects of the support contract, including the action plan support meetings, risk assessment and the support contract agreement and decide whether any changes/adjustments are needed.
This meeting will be carried out in the same way as a support meeting, but all areas will be discussed. New objectives may arise as a result of this meeting and new aims should be added to the action plan. A date is set for the next review meeting. (4 weeks).
The tenant has the right to request a review at any time, although the 4 week date may not have expired.
After all meetings the key worker should asses whether the action plan, risk assessment or move on plan needs to be amended. A date is then set for the next meeting.

Copies to be given to tenant and other agencies involved.

8.3 Immediate Actions

This Document will record the immediate action taken, which has helped to meet the Tenants needs when they first arrive at the Wirral Churches ArkAngel project. E.G Shopping for a 2 weeks food, Show Tenant how to use cooker, Change of address for benefits.

8.4 Action Plan

A meeting to complete the Action Plan must be arranged within the first five working days of the tenant's arrival. This meeting must be completed within the first 14 days of the new tenant's arrival.

During the meeting, together you will identify aims that the tenant wishes to achieve during their stay with us. You will also begin to get some more information about the person, which will build up over time. This can be recorded on the summary form. Information gained at the interview/needs assessments can also be used to help identify aims. When completing the action plan, other agencies involved in the service user's care should be contacted to enquire if there is an action plan in place with them and if we can agree a joint working partnership which can then be reflected/compliment the action plan. When considering appropriate risk taking then all agencies involved in the service user's care should be involved. At the end of the meeting you will have a number of actions that either you or the tenant, or both, have agreed to carry out.

The Action Plan provides a means of pulling together in one document all the information gleaned from the interview form, any Support Sessions, and any other meetings, formal or informal, you may have had with the Tennant in terms of aims setting. The key is helping the tenant express what they feel to be the key aim(s) of their stay. They must have ownership of the process for it to be effective. There are key headings on the outcomes star, which are meant as prompts to help with this process. They can be ignored or added to according to the needs of the tenant.

The action Plan is meant to be an easy reference document, which can be found, read quickly and be on hand for other important review meetings you have with the tenant and other agencies. A date is set to review the action Plan within 4 weeks.

Copies to be given to tenant and other agencies involved.

8.5 Support Contract Move-On Plan

This form comes as part A and B. Part A can be completed during the first action plan is completed. The move-on plan should be review during the review process. Part B is to be completed when an offer of accommodation has been secured. This can be done during the final review.

Copies to be given to tenant and other agencies involved.

8.6 Support Contract Monitoring Form

This document will then contain information on all the work completed for the tenant via a support, review or move on meetings. This will help for monitoring purposes.

Inter-Agency and Partnership Work

There are many issues which can cause homelessness and our clients may present with issues including, money and debt, addiction, mental health, offending and learning disabilities. The advantages of interagency and partnership Work are it promotes good communication, there is a holistic approach to helping meet the clients needs and it enables staff to act as a bridge between the service user and other service providers. This also enables all agencies to have a knowledge of the overall approach to a service and help to reduce an duplication of work, (Department of health 1998a). It is also thought a collaborative approach is an advantage because it prevents gaps in provision of services and generates new ideas and solutions (Department of health 1998a).