THE delivery of the £2.24m Supporting People programme. provided by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, is good and has "promising prospects" to improve, according to an independent report.

The initiative offers funding to deliver housing support for a wide range of vulnerable people.

The Audit Commission, with inspectors from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation and Commission for Social Care Inspection, gave the service a two-star rating, on a scale of zero to three stars.

The report says the programme is making good progress in developing new services and remodelling existing ones, to meet the needs of vulnerable people, and there are clear plans for further improvements in the future.

Melanie Rees, lead housing inspector for the North-East, said: "The council is making good progress in its delivery of the programme, and has been particularly effective in working with partners to understand and respond to the diverse needs of vulnerable people.

"There have been marked improvements in the past three years, and the programme is now helping more vulnerable people to live independently in their own homes, with an appropriate level of support."

The inspectors found that the programme is delivering benefits for an increased number of service users, and value for money is being achieved, with the remodelling of services to provide more help and suport at no greater cost.

To help the service improve further, inspectors made a number of recommendations, including improving access to services and information by ensuring all front-line staff are better informed about the housing-related support services.

Copies of the report are available from the council on 0845-6126126 or on website www.audit-commission. gov.uk/reports