ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a second highly formative influence on policy, the prevailing philosophy and ideology at the time that the policy is formed and implemented. It suggests that one of the key themes in the history of supported housing is the relationship between individual and state, and that the path of those requiring support has been one of a gradual overturning of a “Leviathan”-like state apparatus that has gradually acquiesced to demands for individuality. The election of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister in 1979 brought the end of the post-war consensus of Keynesian economic management and nationalised industries. New Labour’s “Third Way” supported housing policy “Supporting People” again offered hope for vulnerable people. New Labour’s third-way project was exemplified by the Supporting People programme. Their focus on social investment reflected in the ring-fenced funding and focus upon service user involvement in services.
