My Department has, since 1996, operated the scheme of community support for older people, the purpose of which is to provide funding for initiatives to improve the security and social support of vulnerable older people. This funding is provided by way of grant aid to voluntary groups and organisations who have undertaken to identify those elderly people in need of assistance under the scheme.
Since I came to office in mid-1997, some 53,000 individuals have received assistance under the scheme. I am committed to ensuring that this scheme continues to address the security needs of the most vulnerable older people in our society and, accordingly, a sum of £5 million has been provided for the scheme in my Department's Estimates for 2000.
To ensure that the security needs of the most vulnerable older people were being met, my Department in consultation with the Departments of Finance and Health and Children, commissioned an independent review of the scheme in 1998 to consider how the scheme was meeting its objectives and whether it was doing so in the most efficient and effective way possible.
The review concluded that the security and social support of a large number of people had been greatly enhanced by the scheme. It also noted that, while the primary purpose of the scheme was to respond to the security threat to elderly people, it also had an important health-community care effect.
While the review indicated a general satisfaction with the scheme among participating community groups, a number of issues of concern were raised by the groups consulted. These included the need for improved publicity for the scheme, the need to ensure that grants are as close as possible to the 90% maximum grant available under the scheme, and for more clarity on how to select applicants on the basis of vulnerability.