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Last week I visited a local supported housing scheme run by North Star, which provides accommodation and support for people with learning disabilities. It was wonderful to be shown around by the people living there, who all told me that the tailored support they receive has made a huge difference to their lives.

There are services up and down our country that do the same essential work – not only putting a roof over someone’s head, but providing additional care to help them live as independently as possible.

Supported housing provides a home for some of the most vulnerable in our society. It also offers a lifeline to young people leaving care, the elderly, people experiencing mental health problems, women fleeing domestic violence, and those who may simply require some extra help so they can live a full and independent life.

This assistance can help them find work if they're able, while also warding off social isolation and costing far less than the alternatives, such as a nursing home or full-time care.

All in all, supported housing is an asset that helps those who are in need, while saving the taxpayer money in the long run. 

But with demand only increasing as our population grows older, I’m deeply concerned that the Tories are putting the future of supported housing at risk.

In 2015, the Government announced that housing benefit for people in supported accommodation would be limited to the amount available for those renting privately, despite the extra costs associated with supported housing.

Concerted opposition from Labour and the public forced the Government to recognise that its poorly thought-out proposals could plunge the sector into crisis, and it has delayed implementing them until 2019.

Yet this hasn’t offered any assurance to tenants who worry that they will soon be unable to pay rent, or housing providers who may have to cease operations due to the problems this policy will create.

Despite credible solutions being put forward by Labour and respected charities alike, ministers have failed to provide clarity on the nature and the impact of these plans.

The Tories talk a good game on building a country that works for everyone, but their attitude towards supported housing shows that this is simply hot air.

That’s why I’m calling on the government to recognise the value that supported housing brings to so many people’s lives, and to give it the proper funding it so desperately needs.

This article was first published in the Sunderland Echo on 19 October 2017. You can read the original version here.

On Friday 6 October 2017, Bridget Phillipson MP visited Dubmire Primary School in Fencehouses to take part in the school’s new ‘Mystery Reader’ initiative.

The initiative is designed to encourage children to read for pleasure. It involves a mysterious reader coming into the classroom to read from their favourite children’s book. The children then have to ask the reader questions to guess who they are.

The year 1 and 2 kids that Bridget read to were very on the ball, and soon worked out who she was.They also really enjoyed listening to Bridget read Where The Wild Things Are, Room On The Broom, and The Gruffalo and went away determined to do more reading by themselves.

Speaking at the school, Bridget said:
“It was really great to visit Dubmire Primary School today and read to the year 1 and 2 children.

“Where The Wild Things Are, Room On The Broom, and The Gruffalo are fantastic books for young learners to read for pleasure, and I was glad to see so many of the children agreed.

“In today’s world of social media and 24-hour TV, it’s getting harder to encourage children to read alone.

“That’s why I really commend Dubmire Primary School for coming up with this great initiative, which will help children to discover the magic of reading by themselves.”

On Friday 13 October 2017, Bridget Phillipson, Labour Member of Parliament for Houghton and Sunderland South, toured the GL Development site at Rainton Bridge South Business Park and met with members of staff and the management team.

Ms Phillipson was keen to see the work that GL Development is undertaking in developing digital assessments for schools, and to learn how digital assessment is instrumental in reducing teacher workload.

GL Development is the digital development centre of GL Assessment, the UK’s largest provider of assessments for schools. Originally called The Test Factory, GL Development has been part of GL Assessment since 2014 and represents an important element of the company’s ongoing investment in digital assessments that support teaching and learning.

Digital assessment can significantly lessen workload for teachers by saving time through automatic and immediate marking and analysis, and it has grown in popularity in both primary and secondary schools over recent years. GL Development’s online testing platform currently delivers three million tests per year, and is used in nearly 100 countries worldwide.

During the visit, Ms Phillipson also met with staff who have been employed as part of GL Development’s apprenticeship programme to discuss the importance of investment in job opportunities for young people in the North East, and the role that GL Development has played in providing these.

Matthew Carr, Head of Technology, GL Development, commented:

“It’s great to be running a business in the North East that is looking to stay put and not be relocated to London.

“I’ve lived and worked in this area all of my life and have seen a lot of investment in our region, including supporting the growth of start-ups, which is how GL Development started out.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to find new local talent that can join our growing team.”

David Glover, Product Director, GL Assessment, commented:

“Providing digital assessment solutions both in the UK and around the world has become central to our business.

“Over the past two years our North East team has worked incredibly hard to develop our new digital assessment platform.

“We launched this in April, and earlier this week the platform has delivered its 2 millionth test, and has already been used by more than 8,000 schools in over 90 countries.

“The team is the essential foundation of our online testing capability, and this is a fantastic achievement.”

Speaking after the visit, Bridget Phillipson MP said:

“I was delighted to visit GL Development today and hear about their work in the North East and the role their digital assessments can play in reducing teacher workload.

“It’s great to see another internationally renowned business invest in our local area and support our local economy.”

“I will keep campaigning to ensure that our local businesses get the investment they need, and that our young people have access to as many opportunities to succeed as possible.”