connect THE MAGAZINE OF THE HOMELESSNESS SECTOR
future-proofing
on a shoe string...
beyond the bottom line!
on a social mission...
Porchlight explain why being able to demonstrate the impact of their services has been vital to their growth
Anne Willmot, from Business Action on Homelessness, shares her tips to building strong, lasting corporate partnerships
We hear from three inspiring social enterprises that are helping local homeless people to access employment and transform their lives
14-15
22
34-35 Supported by
10 year anniversary issue! CONNECT summer 2010, issue 40 | WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
COMMENT
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
m em
in-form
be
20
rd
%
is co un t
Homeless Link’s NEW client recording system
In-Form is a new, affordable online client recording system made by the homelessness sector, for the sector and we are pleased to be offering Homeless Link Members a 20% discount. Building on 10 years experience of working with service providers of all scopes and sizes, In-Form offers:
• • • •
Full recording and reporting compatibility with Supporting People and eCORE Intuitive monitoring of key outcomes using Homeless Link’s Outcomes Star Powerful reporting using inbuilt and ad hoc reporting tools A secure online system with high availability and reliability Integration with many other applications
©Robert Davidson
•
For further information about In-Form, our prices and to see a demonstration, please contact us on: T: 020 7840 4443 E: inform@homelesslink.org.uk
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK/IN-FORM-CLIENT-RECORDING
HOW TO PREVENT EVICTIONS, ABANDONMENTS & EXCLUSIONS ONE-DAY CONFERENCE | 30 NOVEMBER | LONDON 47% of clients are subject to unplanned moves from hostels. To end rough sleeping and support vulnerable clients this must be prevented. This conference will explore the causes, current approaches and solutions to achieving this; sharing: • • •
Solutions applicable wherever your service operates Good practice in working with chaotic clients Support to reduce preventable unplanned moves.
10% off if you book before 31 August! 020 7840 4461 | events@homelesslink.org.uk
CONNECT EDITORIAL & DESIGN Editor Michelle Doust Editorial Panel Kate Alaway, Tina Crockett, Ben Dickenson, Gill Perkins, Jessica Plant, Sarah Gorton and Martin Webber Designer Michelle Doust Cover Photo Preparing a shop display in Create’s vintage boutique, Found by Create, in Leeds. Photo by Mark Skeet Photography SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe or take out additional subscriptions to CONNECT magazine please visit: www.homeless.org.uk/connect/subscribe BE IN THE NEXT ISSUE! Asylum seekers, refugees, and other migrants can be especially vulnerable to homelessness. They may lack support networks, have limited knowledge of the British system and language, and their entitlements to support can be confusing. Our next issue, out in October, will explore the best practice approaches being used to support homeless migrants.
If you have suggestions about which topics we should cover in this issue or would like to submit an article please email: editor@homelesslink.org.uk before 5th August 2010. www.homeless.org.uk/connect
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
COMMENT WELCOME
upfront It’s hard to believe that ten years have passed since the first issue of CONNECT was published. The success of this sector in tackling homelessness and moving people from the streets to living independently are a credit to determination, resilience and innovation of our members. These are the attributes we will need now more than ever, in the context of deep public spending cuts, rising unemployment and welfare reform.
How will we recruit people with the new skills and competencies we need? How will we describe our work and its results in a way that attracts commissioners seeking to reduce offending, increase employment and reduce addictions? We will need to embrace technology that connects our work to key audiences and demonstrates our impact (see our article about In-form on p.16).
It’s time to define how our sector’s services will look in the future. The public perceptions of homelessness, such as rough sleeping, will not be visible. How do we describe the work that moves people out from homelessness into independence and how do we make visible, valued (and fundable) the work that prevents vulnerable people falling into homelessness?
So, as we reflect on major achievements over the past decade (see our timeline on pages 18-19) and recount the stories of individuals we’ve met over the years; let’s redouble our campaign to make sure we’re around to prevent homelessness in the future.
Our sector’s historic success has been based on adapting quickly to change. Now we need to lead change in each local area. Places of Change may well go as a branded investment programme. We must hold onto the idea and While it has to be a positive sign that the CLG, despite taking the vision of our services as places of change, at the heart of communities, with networks of relationships, delivering a the highest departmental cut for the current year, did not holistic service to people with a range of vulnerabilities. cut homelessness grant or Supporting People, it is equally true that local decisions risk being very different. This begins with the people who make up our organisations… Employing people with the right skill-set who Undoubtedly and sadly there will be valuable services that can think outside the box but don’t necessarily have sector do not survive. Others will merge or retrench, seeking to experience can play a key part in keeping our services minimise the impact on the people that rely on them. But there will also be those who survive and prosper, finding the flexible and responsive (see page 17). best way to advocate for the value of their work. They will Imminent substantial public spending cuts will require all find ways to access resources from new areas, to link more our creativity and resourcefulness. We need to identify and closely to their communities and local businesses. develop new avenues for income, for example from the We will all need to question the way things have been done new focus on reducing reoffending. We will need to seek in the past. This is not always easy to do. We are all resistant out non money resources too. to change and take advantage of shortcuts in doing things Forming corporate partnerships with local businesses (p. in the way we know. We have to make a positive choice to 22), running social enterprises (pp. 34-35), and limiting our be open to fresh ideas and to see things differently. We’re impact on the environment (pp. 26-27) are opportunities working on this in Homeless Link. I encourage you to let to explore. We shouldn’t shy away from adopting a more us know what you think we should give priority to in these business-like approach. difficult times.
Jenny Edwards Chief Executive, Homeless Link
in this issue LATEST NEWS
4
COMMENT Coalition: what does it mean for us? Hardest to reach? Fit to measure?
6 8 9
FEATURES Try getting through this without us On a shoestring Beyond the core costs Making an impact Proof of change Follow the leader A decade on Now and then Beyond the bottom line Giving people the skills to manage money
10 12 13 14 16 17 18 20 22 23
A hand up We’re going green Not all cuts are bad news Tailor-made support Given a choice Ending rough sleeping: what will it look like?
24 26 27 28 29 30
PEOPLE The business of charity Getting the balance right
32 33
INSPIRED On a social mission The escape plan
34 36
INTERNATIONAL Interview with Barbara Poppe
38
WHAT’S ON
39 WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
3
news
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
latest sector news IT’S BEEN 3 MONTHS SINCE THE LAST ISSUE OF CONNECT. AS ALWAYS, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT GOING ON. HERE’S A SNAPSHOT…
homelessness update:
member news:
latest chain stats released
congratulations
Apologies
The final quarter (2009/10) CHAIN
Brighter Futures has been awarded
We would like to apologise for an
figures on rough sleeping in London
an ‘Employer of the Year Award’.
error on the news page of the last
have found: 1. Only 40% are UK nationals whilst 30% are A8s/A2s (with 8% unknown) 2. t he overall number of rough sleepers is stable compared to this time last year Day centre standards in the capital
David Wright, a volunteer at B-Hug has won the ‘Pride in our People’ Award for Ealing in the community champion category. Furthermore, David also won the Star of West London award. Streetlife have been given a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Channel 4 newsreader Jon Snow is
Aquila Way has been nominated as
backing a new quality control drive
voluntary organisation of the year as
to improve the standard of service in
part of ‘The Gateshead Award’
London’s homeless day centres. www.homeless.org.uk/news/daycentre-standards new resource for boards...
be televised later in the summer.
resource pack is now available, to download for free, online. This resource enables organisations to fully embrace the Places of Change
(pictured below) at St Mungo’s website at: www.mungos.org Faith Lodge is a separate organisation, based in Leeds, which is part of St George’s Crypt: www.stgeorgescrypt.org.uk
To find out more visit www.streetwiseopera.org cricklewood clean up with a bronze award! The Cricklewood Improvement
The resource has been designed to
CHC, has been awarded a bronze
be easy to implement and all the
certificate for their Capital Clean Up
materials needed are available for
campagin project (pictured, above
free www.homeless.org.uk/board-
right) which resulted in 25 bags of
resources
rubbish being removed from the
Group, led by homelessness charity
streets of Cricklewood. WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
can find out more about The Lodge
Arts Project Award. The awards will
approach at a governance level. I
4
Mungo’s opens The Lodge’. You
Streetwise Opera has made it to the final for the National Lottery’s Best
The Engage to Change for Boards
issue of CONNECT. ‘St Mungo’s opens Faith Lodge’ should have read, ‘St
The Places of Change garden at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show was awarded a silver medal!
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
news
NAC spotlight: My role as a Support Worker many years ago still very much informs the work I do in my current role with BCHA as their Homelessness Manager and for the NAC as member for the South West. The relationship the Support CHC, in partnership with NorthWestTWO Residents’ Association, arranged a street clean, which amounted to 25 bags of rubbish being collected.
by individuals who have passed through services as the “one thing that made the difference”.
Ministers have decided not to take
Therefore, it is vital that we equip
forward previously proposed Welfare
staff with the right tools and
Reform Drug Recovery pilots but
philosophies to do the job. As part
instead look at how Government
of my role for BCHA and for the
departments can work together
NAC, I am attempting to gauge
to provide the help and support
where the sector is in terms of the
people need to overcome drug and
tools being used and the ethos
alcohol dependency and get back
behind them.
to work. Ken Olisa, chairman of Thames Reach.
Ken Olisa has been chairman of
A new play written by Dean Stalham
Thames Reach since 1996 during
Show opens on the Tuesday 13th July
which time the homelessness charity
2010 and runs until 31st july 2010. If
has helped tens of thousands of
you’d like to see the latest work from
homeless people to turn their lives
Dean, whose poem was featured in
around.
last year’s Key Garden, reserve
Thames Reach chairman and black community role model Ken Olisa awarded OBE Thames Reach chairman Ken Olisa, pictured right, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for his work in tackling homelessness in London.
I have put together a brief on-line survey (http://www.surveymonkey.
GOD DONT LIVE ON A COUNCIL ESTATE
dean@artsaveslives.co.uk
everything any organisation is trying to move forward. It is often sighted
Radical rethink on getting drug and alcohol users back to work
your place by emailing:
is the most fundamental part of to do in supporting its’ service users
need to know:
http://tinyurl.com/2ebatgq
Worker is able to build with clients
com/s/XD58FHNl) which will only take a few minutes to complete in order to capture some of this information. This will then lead to a report which will be presented to the NAC for further reflection and discussion.
tweet. tweet.
This is another example of how
Some of the latest sector news
the NAC is working with and for
we’ve been tweeting about:
Homeless Link members to enhance
Benefit caps will tip poor into homelessness http://ow.ly/24G31 Is enforcement necessary to end rough sleeping? http://ow.ly/1ZDOa www.twitter.com/homelesslink
the services we offer to homeless people. Closing date for completion of survey: 30th July 2010 Sarah Ward BCHA, Homelessness Manager
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
5
COMMENT
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
coalition: what does it mean for us? Jacqui McCluskey, Director of Policy and Knowledge at Homeless Link, reviews some of the decisions made by the new coalition government and considers the implications for homelessness services
At the time of writing, a Conservative Lib Dem
Infrastructure Planning Commission.
Coalition Government has been in power in the UK
•
Reform the planning system.
for just over six weeks. While it is still early days,
•
Abolish the Government Office for London and
there has been a great deal of activity including
consider abolishing the other Government offices.
the publication of the Coalition government’s
•
Explore measures to bring empty homes into use.
programme, announcement of initial cuts, the
•
Promotion of shared ownership schemes.
Queen’s Speech, and the Budget.
•
New powers to help communities save local
Coalition Government Programme On the 20th May, The Coalition: our programme for government was published setting out the government’s programme for the next five years. The Government’s
facilities and services threatened with closure. •
to provide homes for local people. •
schools. Another major commitment is localism and the decentralisation of power to local councils, communities, neighbourhoods and individuals. The section on Communities and Local Government sets out the government’s proposals to devolve power to a local level and include the following: • 6
Abolish the Regional Spatial Strategy and WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
Phase out ring-fencing of grants to local government and review the Housing Revenue
main priority is to tackle the deficit and other proposals include sweeping reforms of welfare, taxes and
Create new trusts to make it simpler for communities
Account •
Giving councils a general power of competence
•
Cut local government inspection and abolish the Comprehensive Area Assessment.
The full document also covers Jobs and Welfare, Justice and NHS. You can download the document and also have your say on the proposals at http://programmeforgovernment.hmg.gov.uk
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
COMMENT FEATURES
Cuts in Government Spending 2010-11
many of the proposals outlined above in the Coalition
On the 24th May the Government took its first step to
Government Programme.
tackle the £156 billion deficit by announcing their plans to cut £6.2 billion of Government spending this year. Communities and Local Government is the department taking one of the biggest hits, having to find savings of £780 million this year. Grants to local authorities are to be reduced by £1.165 billion this year, after consultation. The £29bn of formula grant will not be affected.
reductions in grants from: £537m
measures to tackle alcohol related violence and antisocial behaviour.
a new public health service led by the Department of Health, which will have a greater focus on prevention funding will be ring fenced and local NHS organisations will hold the budgets, working closely with local authorities, voluntary organisations and local businesses
£311m
to deliver improved health for their residents and will be paid according to the outcomes they achieve.
local government Department of Transport grants to
Reform and Social Responsibility Bill, including
and addressing inequalities in health. Public health
grants Department for Education Grants to
Paper is due to be published in early July and a Police
The Queen’s Speech also announced the creation of
According to the LGA the £1.165bn will be made up of
Communities and Local Government
There will also be a Health Bill and a Health White
£309m
local government DEFRA grants to local government
Budget June 2010 The main focus of the Budget was the Chancellor’s determination to bring the national debt under control.
£8m
The Budget announced a series of tax rises, including increases in VAT and capital gains tax. However, the real
The Government is also lifting restrictions on how local
pain will be felt on 20 October 2010 when the spending
government spends its money, by de-ringfencing
review will set out which parts of the public sector will be
grants totalling over £1.7 billion. Regional Development
cut back.
Agencies have been asked to find £270 million of savings this year (outside London).
Of concern are the proposals around reform of Housing Benefit, which could lead to serious hardship and put
It was also announced that £170 million would be
people at risk of homelessness. The proposals include
invested to safeguard delivery of around 4,000 otherwise
re-setting and restricting Local Housing Allowances and
unfunded social rented homes to start on site this
introducing maximum limits on housing benefit (from
year. See www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/psr_reducing_
£280 a week for one-bedroom. Of greatest concern are
government_deficit.htm for more information on theses
the plans to introduce a 10% cut in Housing Benefit for
proposed cuts.
people who have been on Job Seekers Allowance for
Queens Speech The Queens Speech took place on the 25th May setting out the legislative programme for the next Parliament and the relevant Bills are: Welfare Reform Bill which plans to simplify the benefits systems in order to improve work incentives
more than a year. This will have a potentially damaging impact on services and homeless people. For more information on the budget visit: www.homeless.org.uk/news/budget2010 As the Government issues more details of policies and changes, it is important for Homeless Link to have an understanding of how these are impacting on
Decentralisation and Localism Bill which
homeless people and services. So please feed in what
plans to devolve greater powers to councils and
is happening in your area as a result of these changes,
neighbourhoods and give local communities control
e.g. housing benefit, cuts in services, etc.
over housing and planning decisions. This will be a major piece of legislation that will affect a wide range of housing, planning and local government legislation dating back decades in some cases. It will legislate for
You can do this either by emailing Jacqui at jacqui.mccluskey@homelesslink.org.uk or use our on-line survey at http://tinyurl.com/localviews.
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
7
COMMENT
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
hardest to reach? Oliver Hilbery, Project Director at Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM), outlines the Coalition Government’s role in tackling multiple needs and exclusions. 2010 has been a big year for politics – the fist ever
The public
television debates, the tension of election night
The public too think that politicians and local services
and eventually, after all those talks, a new coalition
should embrace change. Findings from a YouGov poll,
government.
also published in Hardest to Reach? make welcome
On the campaign trail the differences between the three main parties were nightly news.,But the reality of a
reading: •
exclusions
can and must be shared ground. Both David Cameron and Nick Clegg would agree for example (as would
68% of people are personally concerned about the problems faced by people with multiple needs and
coalition government highlights that on some issues there •
59%recognise the hidden potential of individuals,
the opposition) that supporting the most vulnerable,
agreeing that if they ‘are given help to improve their
reforming public services and tackling the budgetary
lives they will be able to contribute much more to society in the future’
deficit are important aims for the new administration. Nowhere do these three aims converge more readily than around multiple needs and exclusions. Here a small group of people, with multiple problems, are offered ineffective solutions from statutory and voluntary services designed to deal with one problem at a time. As a result they often lead chaotic lives, relying on inappropriate and expensive emergency and criminal justice responses instead of the coordinated interventions they really need. Getting it right for this group would therefore be an excellent place to start on achieving all three of the government aims outlined above. The next step
•
63%agree that ‘if government and local services had a stronger focus on this group and worked better for them’ it would help improve their situation.
Going forward together This is heartening news. It shows that as the roar of the election fades into history and the real work begins, a bold government that works alongside coordinated local services could make real progress. MEAM will continue to remind politicians of the public’s support, of the best local services and of the clear links between tackling multiple needs and exclusions and the shared aims of the new coalition administration.
Progress requires simultaneous action from frontline services and national government that builds on what we know works. MEAM is committed to supporting its 1600 frontline member agencies and will commence a series of coordinated service delivery pilots later this year. And as shown by new book Hardest to Reach? there is also much agreement about what government can do. MEAM is calling on the Liberal Conservative coalition to publish a multiple needs and exclusions green paper to lay out a shared vision and approach.
8
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
Hardest to Reach? The politics of multiple needs and exclusions was produced by the Fabian Society with cross-party contributions from Iain Duncan Smith MP, Hilary Armstrong and Alasdair Murray. It was published in association with Making Every Adult Matter, supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and is available to download for free at www.meam.org.uk
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
COMMENT
Fit to measure? DrugScope’s Andy McNicoll comments on the development of drug treatment over the last decade and explains why services’ success should be measured by the progress of their clients… Like CONNECT, DrugScope launched in 2000, following a merger between the Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence and the Standing Conference on Drug Abuse. Three years earlier, drug use had been declared a policy priority by Tony Blair’s government and by 2001 the National Treatment Agency (NTA) had been set up to improve the availability and effectiveness of drug treatment in England. The NTA’s creation marked the beginning of sustained public investment in drug treatment. In 2001/02 the government invested £142m in the treatment system, rising to £406m in 2009/10. Improvements in the accessibility of drug services followed and now, a decade on, the number of people in touch with services has increased by 148%. The fact that, today, people can get publicly funded help for drug problems quickly - waiting times are down to an average of one week - is a major achievement. A
Reviewing drug treatment literature. Photo Addaction
key challenge going forward is effectively capturing the difference treatment is making to people’s lives.
and 80% access the benefit system. Put simply, care
When the numbers don’t add up…
pathways out of addiction go beyond drug treatment
A common media critique of drug treatment in recent
and outcome measures should better reflect this.
years has been that it is ‘failing’ because ‘only’ 3-5% of clients leave services ‘drug-free’. Underpinning this is the fact that considerably more heroin using clients – who constitute 8 out of 10 adults in treatment - are prescribed substitute drugs like methadone (999,365), compared
Under the current measurements, being on a methadone script won’t get someone on the ‘drug-free’ list. But if it helps stabilise that person’s drug use to the point that they can hold down a flat or a job, shouldn’t this be
to those accessing abstinence-focused residential care
recognised?
(1.5%484).
Capturing success
The figures are striking and lend weight to calls for a more
In 2010, as DrugScope and CONNECT celebrate their
balanced treatment system but using them to suggest drug treatment is ‘failing’ downplays the complexity of
tenth anniversaries homelessness and drug use are still pressing issues but the political and economic landscape
addiction.
has changed radically. In the era of ‘new politics’ we
The ‘drug free’ measure is important but for many
task of keeping Britain out of recession and tackling an
clients, it is a major achievement to remain faithful to
£156bn deficit. Spending cuts loom large, making the
a methadone script after years of chaotic drug use.
need to promote and prove the benefits of services
Furthermore, drug problems rarely exist in isolation. More
paramount. Developing measures that better reflect the
than 1 in 4 drug service users report housing problems,
individual progress made by drug service users would be
around three-quarters have mental health problems
an important step forward..
have a coalition government faced with the unenviable
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
9
COMMENT FEATURES
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER SUMMER2010 2010
Try getting through this without us Jeremy Swain, Chief Executive
bereft of the structures to carry them through the hard
at Thames Reach, explains why
times, possessing the fewest savings, the most insecure
unity, discipline and a collective
jobs and the most limited social networks. We are
holding of nerve are needed
good at the business-speak these days; the strategic
to ensure organisations can
planning, the risk analysis and the impact assessment.
negotiate the turbulent waters
But ultimately, getting vulnerable people through a
ahead and, crucially, reach the
recession is what we do and certainly what the public
people who need them the most.
expect of us.
Have you had an embarrassing recession conversation
In the 1980s, the last time when there were cuts remotely
yet? I heard one recently and resolved to not fall into the
comparable to those we face today, the homelessness
same trap.
sector was smaller, less relevant and far more
Eminent person: ‘This recession must be having a terrible impact on everyone’.
dispensable than it is now. The last 30 years has seen the sector engage with government through a great raft of programmes which we have helped to shape
Chief Executive of homelessness charity: ‘Yes, we are all
and deliver. The Rough Sleepers Initiatives, the Homeless
worried about cuts and staff need a lot of reassurance’.
Mentally Ill Initiative, Community Care, various ESF and regeneration initiatives and, more recently, the Places of
Eminent person: ‘Actually, I meant the homeless people
Change programme. Crucially, we have also increased
you help’.
our influence as I was reminded when I recently heard a
I have spent 30 years working in the sector and cannot recall a time when people have been on tenterhooks quite as much as they are at the moment as we brace ourselves for very significant cuts. But if ever there was a time to remind ourselves of why we are here, this is it. Outrage at the injustice that some of the most vulnerable in society did not even have a roof over their heads or had to get by living in the most squalid, impermanent conditions sparked the creation of so many of Homeless Link’s member agencies. We know these people so well... They always suffer the most in a downturn in the economic cycle. They are frequently 10
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
voluntary sector head say, ‘We can’t have this, I’ll need to speak to the Minister’. In the last ten years the range and complexity of our services have extended yet further, notably through the introduction of Supporting People in 2003. This has allowed us to create highly effective partnerships with local authorities that were previously inconceivable. The quality of our delivery and maturity of our relationship with local and central government have placed us in an enviable position and from this platform our message to government must be this: You can only get through this recession with our help and support… Without us huge swathes of vulnerable people will suffer.
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
FEATURES
Dalton, a graduate of Thames Reach’s painting and decorating course ‘Moving In Moving On’ course. Photo Thames Reach
The Big Society agenda is focused on giving more
It is also noticeable how much additional effort is
influence and authority to those working in communities,
going into extrapolating and publicising the wider
on the ground. That’s us then, isn’t it? And the new
cost benefits of homelessness services. A great bulk
language of the Conservative/Liberal Democrat
of evidence is gradually being accumulated to show
coalition government – social justice, social inclusion,
the enormous savings to the Exchequer that we can
poverty - indicates an holistic approach to tackling
achieve through, for example, helping homeless people
social problems that fits well with the general standpoint
find settled homes, improve their health and secure a
of most homelessness organisations that understand
job.
how finding someone a decent place to live is only part of the solution.
And, at the risk of sounding too irritatingly upbeat, I anticipate an outbreak of genuine partnership between
But there will be cuts, they will be deep and services will
homelessness organisations. Despite the competitive
be reconfigured, and some lost. This edition of Connect
commissioning environment it seems to me to be
explores some of the approaches that organisations
inevitable that organisations will be driven together
are taking to steer a course through a recession, the
to seek new ways of sharing costs, creating collective
effects of which are likely to last for years. Finding
muscle to achieve change and defend services. More
new ways of raising money and increasing funding
shared offices? Joint purchasing arrangements? Bidding
diversity is important, but so is sticking to what you do
consortia? Joint reports to illustrate our collective
well and doing it even better, at a reduced cost. Any
impact? This is a time with a strap-line of ‘needs must’
organisation worth its salt is reducing its expenditure;
and I predict that some unexpected, pragmatic
reviewing hourly staff rates, overhead costs, and
collaborations will emerge.
contracts with suppliers. whilst at the same time striving to retain and develop competent people who can offer the highly effective service homeless people need and deserve. It’s a big ask.
Of all the changes of the last 30 years, perhaps the most uplifiting is the greater belief we have in the people we support. We have convinced homeless people that they can achieve extraordinary things,
But can anything good really come out of these difficult
even when the odds are stacked against them. In this
times? I think it can. We, at Thames Reach won’t be the
sense the genie is out of the bottle. We now have the
only organisation that, as the recession bites, is finding
opportunity to demonstrate in our organisational lives
ways of increasing our efficiency and reducing waste.
exactly this.
We should have done it before but….well somehow we just didn’t get to it - until now.
To find out more visit: www.thamesreach.org.uk WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
11
FEATURES
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
On a shoestring Rosemary Orpin is a Fundraiser for LCT Homelink whose rent deposit scheme has helped hundreds of vulnerable people in Sussex, to move into safe and secure accommodation… Here, she shares some of the reasons behind their growth despite having lost their Supporting People (SP) funding. In 2007 we were one of at least 24 local charities in the region to lose financial assistance from Supporting People but, rather than cease our activities, we decided to diversify and expand on the services we could offer…. In February 2008 we opened our breakfast club. This service, run solely by volunteers and ex-service users, now operates 4 days a week and provides between 80-100 breakfasts for local homeless people each week. Seeing how popular the service was, we invited other support agencies to get involved and advice on housing, debt management and substance misuse are now regularly delivered at the club. In spring 2009 we opened our garden project which, again, is run by volunteers and current and ex-service
Georgina, Duchess of York and Patron of Homelink, visits their Meadview project. Photo Homelink
users. The project has been a great success and we were involved in both last year’s Key Garden and this
Our latest project is the Meadview Centre, a large
year’s Places of Change garden at Chelsea Flower Show.
building situated on one and a third acres of land that
Whilst still obtaining the odd small grant, the project is
has three green houses! We were fortunate to secure
virtually self supporting as we sell everything we grow at
the site from the local authority for a peppercorn rent
organised events and directly to the general public. The
for ten years, with the first five years being rent free. It is
project has become so successful that the local authority
our intention to develop this site not only as an area for
now purchases a selection of its bedding plants from us.
growing produce - we have already secured a contract
A few months later we opened a small shop unit which we run as an advice and signposting centre - over 1500 people accessed the service in the first 9 months! More recently we were approached by another organisation that had heard about the success rate of our projects, to take over the running of their furniture recycling project. After securing funding from the Big Lottery we purchased PAT testing equipment and sent some of our service users on external electrical PAT testing courses so they could help run the project.
12
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
to supply produce to a company in Devon - but as a centre for excellence in delivering educational and vocational training for vulnerable people. All of these projects have been delivered on a shoestring budget. Since its creation Homelink has received no core funding of any kind apart from the minimal SP funding we received in 2004-2007. Yet we have managed to achieve a project success rate that some more commercially orientated businesses could only dream of. So to those organisations that have lost or are about to lose funding, I’d say don’t let it hamper your ambitions; it didn’t stop us!
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
FEATURES
beyond the core costs Richard Walton, Manager of the Northern Rock Foundation’s ‘Having a Home’ programme, looks at the impact Supporting People has had on their work and explains why now, more than ever, is the time to innovate and prioritise. I remember when Supporting People was introduced in 2003. I recall soon after taking note that for the first time the voluntary sector had the resources it needed to deliver real improvements to the lives of vulnerable people. I also remember the introduction
Project John was set up in 1992 to tackle the growing numbers of homeless young people in Barrow-in-Furness, in Cumbria. In 2008 the Foundation awarded a grant of £101,027 over three years towards the cost of the project.
of the “inspection regime” and the improvements that this encouraged amongst third sector supported accommodation providers. The only downside of these changes was that some of the smaller providers struggled with the regime and merged with larger organisations – sadly some diversity was lost in
support and advocacy services which are also critical to increasing victim’s safety. As the ring fencing surrounding Supporting People has been removed the Foundation has been very impressed
this process.
to see a number of Local Authorities continuing to
Alongside this funding the Foundation was able to
vulnerable residents. Trust and Foundations cannot take
play its part. We took the view that it is the role of an
on this role. They do not have the resources to replace
independent Foundation to fund the new and the risky, to
Supporting People and it would be dangerous to pretend
allow people to experiment, to support the independent
that they do. In the current financial climate we will all
voice advocating on behalf of unpopular causes and
have to get smarter. The Foundation would be happy to
in some cases to provide additional funding where it
help organisations in the North East and Cumbria to look
was most needed. We invested in projects providing
at how they provide the services people need with the
additional support to young people leaving local
resources available. It is probably true to say that there is
authority care, helped prisoners find homes, helped to
more of a need to innovate now, than ever before.
recognise the importance of providing services to its most
develop new models supporting people with alcohol and drug problems, funded supported housing for young lesbians and young gay men and helped people back into work. In the field of Domestic Violence for example, independent funders in the past would have often been asked to pay for the day to day costs of refuge provision. With Supported People funding these core costs, the Foundation was able to focus its funding on additional
The Northern Rock Foundation provides funds to support disadvantaged people in the North East and Cumbria. The Having a Home programme is one of the Foundation’s five grant programmes, funds organisations that support homeless people and are working to prevent homelessness. To find out more visit: www.nr-foundation.org.uk
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
13
FEATURES
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
making an impact! Rachel Holliday, Deputy
electronic where possible. If you can afford it, invest in a
Chief Executive of
database. This is not only essential for producing statistics
Porchlight, explains why
for funding applications but it also enables you to look
effective monitoring is vital
for trends. For example, if we are able to prove that we
to their success and offers
are seeing an increase in young pregnant girls being
her tips on recording and
referred to our service then we have a case for applying
demonstrating the impact
for funding to provide a service that specifically supports
of services
them.
Porchlight has grown
A database can also help you provide details of risk
considerably in recent
which will help to protect your staff if they are unfamiliar
years particularly with the
with the client.
expansion of its street outreach service which operates across Kent and is one of the largest in the country. The outreach team alone supported 894 people last year whilst receiving an average of 511 calls a month to its freephone helpline.
Record all referrals. It is not a statutory requirement to record all the referrals into our services but it is important that we do. It gives us the evidence we need to approach funders and hopefully develop new services. It may take years to build up the evidence,
The growth of our services has been made possible by
take that to funders and eventually expand or establish
effectively monitoring outcomes and demonstrating
a new service but without the evidence it would be
impact to funders and stakeholders. After all, if you can’t
impossible. We make sure to explain this to our staff as
demonstrate the impact that you are having you have
we understand it can be frustrating to take referrals from
to ask yourself why anyone would want to fund your
people they cannot help.
services.
Top tips Here are some of the approaches we’ve used to help us successfully record and demonstrate our impact: Recruit the right staff. As much as your staff are skilled in providing front line services they also need to be able
It is also important to recognise that although local authorities record homeless applicants many people bypass their local council and come straight to a charity. That means that you could be the only people recording that data. Fill in forms. No-one likes filling in forms but if you do
to monitor their outcomes. This means you have to
not complete the Communities and Local Government
employ people with this in mind and then make sure that
(CLG) outcome forms they will never know you are doing
you have a strong induction programme in place that
a good job. What is really important is to have systems
creates individuals who understand the importance of
in place to make sure that everyone who leaves your
monitoring their service delivery and who are confident
Supporting People funded services completes one of
in doing it.
these forms. It is also essential that the forms are filled in
Go electronic. Streamline your paperwork and make it
14
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
correctly and charities need to invest in ongoing training on this.
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
FEATURES
Last year Porchlight supported over 1900 vulnerable and homeless people across Kent. Photo Porchlight
Monitor yourselves continuously. Charities have to
A hard outcome, for us, would be supporting a rough
be able to accept their faults and work to implement
sleeper to find suitable long term accommodation
changes quickly. At Porchlight, management can
whereas a soft outcome would be something like
download outcome forms to check their own
improving an individual’s self esteem over the period
performance. We check ours monthly and review data
you have worked with them. Soft outcomes can be very
with our staff. If training is needed this is made a priority.
difficult to evidence but we have managed it using The
Listen to your service users. You can use a service user exit questionnaire to be completed when someone moves on from a service. Last year we found that 99% of individuals that completed the questionnaires said that our service had positively changed their lives – that’s a powerful statistic to have! In the case of our outreach team they call clients 6 months after they have moved on to find out what impact the support has had. We also have an internal quality and monitoring group in which ex service users interview current service users to get their thoughts on the service they have received and any changes they would like to see.
Hard and soft outcomes It is important that you are able to demonstrate both hard and soft outcomes so that the quality and depth of your work with your client group shines through.
Outcomes Star, which is a free tool for homeless services to use. Many service users have fed back to us that they find this assessment tool motivational and easy to understand; linking in well with the government’s Places of Change agenda that focuses on motivating service users to make positive changes in their lives. Having the evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of our services played a big part in helping us to win the contract to deliver a street outreach service in Kent Across all of our services we supported over 1900 people last year, to change their lives for the better and we’ve been named an ‘Ending Rough Sleeping Champion’ as part of the government’s strategy to end street homelessness in England by 2012. If that’s not making a big impact we don’t know what is! To find out more about Porchlight visit www. porchlight.org.uk To find out more about the Outcomes Star visit: www.outcomesstarsystem.org.uk WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
15
COMMENT
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER SPRING 2010 2010
proof of change The ability to demonstrate the impact of a frontline service is crucial to its future and beneficial to the people it supports. Matt Harrison, Director of Information Services, explains how a client recording system like Homeless Link’s In-Form can play an essential role.
Our members are facing many challenges in the new political climate. All decisions on funding have been devolved to local commissions. The ring-fence has been removed from Supporting People funding. There is increasing pressure on public bodies to reduce costs. More than ever, our members are asked to demonstrate service value and the impact of their work in ending homelessness and delivering real positive outcomes. Good client recording can play an invaluable part in this. An effective, state-of-the-art client recording system can deliver a range of tangible benefits. Accurate background details about a homeless person and a
Developed on the Salesforce.com platform, the system is completely web-based, reducing the need for upfront investment in hardware and software. Keeping it online also ensures it can be responsive to the needs of an increasingly mobile workforce. By the end of 2010, over 3,000 staff in our sector will be using the system to record the work they do with homeless people.
record of interactions with services can help end their
But it doesn’t stop there. Our sector has always lacked
homelessness. For frontline services, a workflow system
a solid evidence base about homeless people, their
and integration with email and calendar software
changing needs profile and the outcomes that can
will help to manage processes and relationships.
be achieved. As take-up of In-Form increases among
Organisationally, such a system can help reduce costs
our members we can begin to combine learning from
and increase the effectiveness of everyone’s efforts.
disparate systems into a single, anonymised database of
Beyond the front line, the level of information that funders, commissioners, managers and trustees want
homeless people and their pathways through and out of homelessness.
to know about our clients and the work we do with
Our first step in this direction is the Critical Mass project,
them is increasing. Data collected by a client recording
launched with funding from the Big Lottery Fund. Initially,
system can be used for detailed reporting and deep
Critical Mass will take the data from 60,000 records
analysis. With reports based on data obtained through
provided by 8 partner agencies that have used Link
direct service delivery the information is immediate and
(our old client recording system and precursor to In-
compelling.
Form), using it to determine the changing patterns of
Earlier this year, we launched our own client recording system, In-Form. The system has been developed in
homelessness. Going forward, the findings of Critical Mass will influence the future development of In-Form.
a partnership, with the Salesforce Foundation, which
To find out more about In-form please email us at
is worth over £1.3 million per annum in donated and
inform@homelesslink.org.uk, call 020 7840 4443, or
discounted software licenses.
visit www.homeless.org.uk/in-form-client-recording
16
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
FEATURES
follow the leader? Helen Giles, Managing
fighting an Employment Tribunal case – which they won
Director of Broadway’s Real
– they could have built three new homes.
People HR Consultancy, explains why the agencies that survive and prosper the most in the tough economic climate will be those who put improved HR practices and
The LPOC and Beyond a Helpline participants who have experienced a sea change in their service cultures will point to a number of core ingredients: •
demonstrating the balance of IQ and EQ need to
leadership at the heart of
be personally effective and get the best from their
their service development. Many homelessness agencies, recognising the link
people. •
appointment of a much higher calibre of well-
and excellence of client services, have invested the practices. Recent evaluation studies of the impact of participation by sector managers in the Leading Places of Change (LPOC) programme and in the national
motivated staff without prior sector experience •
and staff engagement and commitment to delivering high quality services to customers”.
Clear and consistently applied expectations of behaviour and attendance, backed up with sound policies, must be implemented confidently by well-
by CLG – have shown the huge difference this makes to organisational culture which includes staff involvement
Small training budgets need to focus on activities which have driven up performance
•
Beyond A Helpline HR support service – both sponsored transforming services: “Overall, the development of a an
Robust competency-based recruitment and performance management processes enable the
between good leadership and people management necessary time and resources into improving their HR
Directors and managers selected on the basis of
trained managers as soon as a problem emerges •
Take out premium-grade insurance cover - a must to help fight tribunal claims
There is a wealth of evidence that higher levels
As a sector, our services are only ever as good as the
of employee engagement equate to superior
people we employ. With impending public sector cuts,
organisational performance. Agencies which don’t get
it’s going to be even more important to get this right.
this and don’t do it simply won’t survive in the long-term.
For too long the sector has tolerated people who are
The good news is that there’s no rocket science to any of
having a laugh at the expense of homeless clients. A
it. The practices needed for protection against tribunal
recent CIPD study revealed that an average 13 days’
claims are the very same things that will boost employee
management time is wasted per disciplinary case and
engagement and performance. There’s no doubt it
a further 9 days for each grievance. Every percentage
does take an investment of will and energy to do “all
point an agency’s rate of sickness runs above 2%
that HR stuff” in a new and more consistent way; the win
equates directly to the percentage of their total pay bill
lies in killing two massive birds with one stone.
tipped down the drain… A colleague told me that for the money his housing association had recently spent
To find out more about Broadways Real People HR consultancy visit: www.broadwaysrealpeople.com WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
17
COMMENT
SUMMER2010 2010 10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER
A DECADE ON To celebrate CONNECT’s 10 year anniversary we’ve taken a look back at the milestones and progress made by
the homelessness community over the last decade... We’ve also asked some of the people who’ve been working in the sector since CONNECT began, what they think are the challenges now facing homelessness services.
“Prevention and early intervention need to be our main priorities... Services need to be focused on the needs of the customer, not the system, nor the inspectorate” Gill Brown, Brighter Futures
“The challenge is to be able to stand back a bit from the contract battles and ensure that an organisation remains relevant and is providing services that people want and need, in a way that helps them.” Charles Fraser, St Mungo’s
2001
2003
2005
Government target to reduce the
Supporting People programme
Government set target to halve use
number of people sleeping rough
launched to deliver housing related
of temporary accommodation by
by two-thirds by 2002 achieved (and
support.
2010.
later exceeded, hitting 75%).
National expenditure of £1.6bn
£90m Hostels Capital Improvement
2002
in Supporting People services
Programme (HCIP) to increase
Homelessness Act 2002 - duty
delivered, resulting in a net saving of
positive move-on.
on all local authorities to have a
£3.41bn.
homelessness strategy and extends
Government launches national
‘priority need’ categories.
2004
Change programme for homeless
Government target to end B&B use
services, delivered by Homeless Link
Government set target to end the
for homeless families achieved.
long-term use of B&Bs for homeless families with children.
10 new countries join the Eu. Tansitional Arrangements are imposed on 8 of them (becoming known as “A8 Countries”)
18
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
Do you want to end homelessness? Homeless Link’s manifesto launched
COMMENT FEATURES
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
“We must be ready to react effectively to the expected fallout from the current economic storm.” Danny Maher, CHC
Government announces removal of
2010
the Supporting People ‘ring fence’
London Action Plan to end rough sleeping punlished Ending
2009 London Delivery Board established to deliver the 2012 target in London Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) launched to tackle multiple needs across homelessness, offending, addictions and mental health. PrOMPT toolkit launched to help
2006 Ending Homelessness: from Vision to
local authorities and charities focus on preventing rough sleeping.
Action launched by Homeless Link,
R(G) v Southwark High Court
after consultation with the sector.
ruling, on who has responsibility
Call for the Government to commit to end rough sleeping in 2012.
for vulnerable 16-17year olds with housing needs, provides some
Homelessness Together, Homeless Link’s new 10 point manifesto launched Statutory Mayor of London’s Housing Strategy launched – confirms commitment to ending rough sleeping by 2012. Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government comes into power. Interdepartmental Homelessness Group formed. Defintion of Ending Rough Sleeping agreed by London Delivery Board.
clarity on contradiction between
From 2010 the Supporting People
Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone,
the 1989 Children Act and 2002
funding from the Government will
formally announces his support for
Homelessness Act.
ending rough sleeping in 2012.
be included within the Area Based
95% of homelessness projects now
Grant for local authorities
A8 nationals in London homelessness
provide life skills and return to work
Read the full length interviews with
services shows, for the first time,
support. 9 in 10 of homelessness
the people we’ve featured here, as
significant level of Central and
projects offered a programme of
well as others, online at:
Eastern European street
positive activity in 2009, up from 6 in
www.homeless.org.uk/connect
homelessness.
10 in 2008.
2007 £70m Places of Change Programme and continued support for Change programme services.
sleeping by 2012 and launches ‘No One Left Out - Communities Ending Rough Sleeping’. Homes and Communities Agency established. HCA manages the Places of Change Programme.
n
Government commits to end rough
so
2008
id
imposed.
“There needs to be stronger and more efficient links between the main agencies dealing with indivuals who are homeless, for example, National Treatment Agency, DWP, NOMMS, DoH and CLG - through joint commissioning and other initiatives.” Sarah Award, Homelessness Manager at BCHA av
Bulgaria and Romania join the EU with Transitional Arrangements
New Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, commits to end rough sleeping in
Pho
to
ob sR
er
tD
London in 2012 and establishes the Homelessness Round Table. WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
19
COMMENT
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
NOW & THEN
Since CONNECT was first published, in 2001, homelessness services have progressed dramatically... We asked seven people, working on the frontline, to tell us how their service has changed over the last decade.
Client involvement
Meaningful activity
Mark Byrne, from CAN Housing Services
Claire Eden, Operations Manager at Framework in
in Corby, explains how they’ve gone
Nottingham, explains how meaningful activity is at the
from zero client involvement to creating
heart of their service.
a county-wide client-led group. Then: Ten years ago, we had nothing
Then: Framework was formed in 2001 from two homelessness organisations in Nottinghamshire. After
at all in terms of client involvement – it didn’t seem to be
prioritising accommodation, Framework recognised the
on the radar then.
need for more sustainable interventions and engaged
Now: We’ve implemented feedback forms, suggestion
with service users to promote self-worth and provide
boxes and regular client surveys in our shared housing.
opportunities for meaningful occupation. In 2005,
We’ve also created a SP Shadow Core Group for the
Framework’s Academy was launched, providing basic skills
county of Northamptonshire, which is organised and run
training on literacy, numeracy, IT, cooking and arts and
by clients. This has involved collecting good practice from
crafts.
across the county and organising training for clients.
Now: In 2008, the Academy was incorporated into a
Next: Our agency is not exclusively about homelessness
new service called EVE (Education, Volunteering and
– we also provide adult treatment and criminal justice
Employment). EVE offers learning, training, volunteering
services – we’ll be rolling out the principles and practice of
and employment opportunities through its social
client involvement agency-wide.
enterprises, accredited training courses and employment programmes. Our WiSE programme, which enables
Floating Support Carol Gallagher, from Doorway in Warwickshire, reflects on how their floating support service has expanded...
unemployed people to work in the voluntary sector, supported 42 of its graduates to enter paid employment in its first 18 months of operation. Next: EVE will continue to support clients to become skilled
Then: Doorway had one Support Worker, also the
and economically active by developing services and
Volunteer Co-ordinator, and funding was by Lottery
building on the success of its social enterprises to meet the
grant. Two private landlords had registered with Doorway,
needs of vulnerable people.
providing 5 accommodation units, and floating support was delivered in a responsive rather than a planned way. Now: Doorway now has 3 Support Workers and 12 private landlords, providing 47 units of accommodation where young people can receive floating support. The QAF and Centrepoint Partnering have enabled us to develop effective, planned methods of working with young people. Involving young people in service delivery has grown significantly. Next: We’re currently promoting our young people’s music DVD, telling their story of being homeless and raising awarness, on YouTube. Longer term, working collaboratively will become more important, during uncertain times ahead, to ensure floating support is recognised as a valuable local resource.
20
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
HOSTEL Tess Andrews, St Mungo’s Area Manager for Camden, looks at the inspirational changes that have taken place in their Endell Street hostel. Then: Endell Street hostel in Camden has been a St Mungo’s hostel for more than 25 years. Ten years ago it was the first UK hostel to introduce substitute prescribing and a harm reduction unit. Accommodating 98 residents, many in shared rooms, it played a key role in reducing the need for people to sleep out and housed some remarkable individuals.
Now: The hostel was refurbished with a £3.2 million grant
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
FEATURES
in 2007-08, through St Mungo’s, Camden Council and
older men with alcohol dependence. We were just
the HCA’s Places of Change programme.
beginning to look into providing workshops and activities.
Now: Endell Street is home to 53 men and women,
Now: In 2006 we changed our name to Northampton
it remains a flagship hostel, one of five pioneering
Hope Centre. We open 5 days a week and offer
St Mungo’s personalised Pathways to Employment
subsidised cooked meals and a full schedule of ‘move
programme.
on’ activities and workshops. Our Basement premises
Next: For the hostel to continue as an inspirational,
have been converted to provide an IT training suite, a
supportive place where people can rebuild their lives
games room and office space. Last year we over 20,000
and move on. One former client is now an apprentice
client visits – double the number in 2006.
project worker at the hostel. We want to support more
Next: In 2012 we’ll be moving to purpose built premises,
people into work and encourage even more peer
funded by Places of Change and Midland Heart, and
support and client involvement
we’re also creating employment by setting up a social enterprise.
LOCAL AUTHORITY
Training and Engagement
Yanina Sochacki is Blackpool
Richard Holmes, Foyer Manager
Council’s Single Homeless & Rough
at Crewe YMCA, reflects on the
Sleeping Co-ordinator in their Housing
development and growth of their
Options team… Here, she explains
training programme
how their work is making a difference.
Then: In 1998, funding was secured to
Then: 10 years ago few services were available to single homeless people and rough sleepers. Since then there has been a transformational change in the way in which homelessness services are delivered as a result of the ‘equality of service provision’ principle which underpins every aspect of service delivery within the nationally acclaimed Housing Options Service. Now: Blackpool currently has Regional Champion status for its innovative approach to tackling rough sleeping which is delivered by the Single Homeless & Rough Sleeping team. For example, our cycle outreach service (SORT) involves specialist workers from a variety of disciplines who cycle the streets of Blackpool, wearing high visibility jackets, to locate and engage with rough sleepers. Future: Future plans include consolidating existing services and taking clients through the next stage of their journey through helping them re-enter education, training & employment.
deliver training courses on the same site as our 72 bed hostel provision. Two years later we built training facilities, incorporating an IT suite, music studio, building yard, classrooms and a catering kitchen. Since then, we’ve continuously sought to sustain our training provision… We’ve renovated move-on properties through our building and allied trades programme, got involved in motor mechanics and horticulture - we even kept a dozen hens! Now: In April we moved into the first phase of a 5.3 million pound Places of Change redevelopment. We also run a very successful Football and Life Academy, employ a full time Healthy Living Officer and run our own life-skills programme. Two teams of formerly homeless young people play in local football leagues. Next: In September we will have IT, gym and training services connected to our new housing provision and open to the local community. We also have plans for a range of social enterprises, which will help to provide revenue and jobs for the people we serve. Exciting times!
DAY CENTRE Debbie Galton, from Northampton Hope Centre, highlights how their service has changed...
FIND OUT MORE www.can.org.uk www.doorway.org.uk
Then: We used to be called The
www.frameworkha.org
Kitchen and were open 7 days
www.mungos.org
a week, offering free soup and
www.blackpool.gov.uk
sandwiches. We were based in one large (smokey!) room
www.northamptonhopecentre.org.uk
in basement premises and our client group was mainly
www.creweymca.com
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
21
COMMENT
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
beyond the bottom line Anne Willmot, Director of Business Action on Homelessness, worked
on their website, publications or in bids to win Government contracts?
in a variety of commercial roles for
• Build upon existing relationships. In the last year,
15 years… Here, she shares her top
we have found that new companies have taken
tips for homelessness services that
longer to engage and most growth has come
want to partner up with the private-
from existing supporters, both in terms of income
sector.
and volunteering support, in our Ready for Work
Unsurprisingly the recession has put increased pressures
programme.
on corporate giving, accelerating the trend away from cash donations towards volunteering and other pro bono support. Employers are looking to build trust with their customers and invest in their staff and increasingly see
CASE STUDY
In 2009, Priority Youth Housing and Wayahead
engagement with charities as a good way to achieve
in Bristol merged to become 1625 Independent
this. In this climate, companies want to understand
People. Pro bono support for the transaction was
the return on investment, financial or otherwise, that
sourced following a HRH Prince of Wales Seeing is
supporting charities can bring. So it is important for
Believing visit run by Business in the Community.
homeless agencies to position themselves in the right way to get the results they want. Here are some tips to get you started: • Decide whether building corporate relationships
Bevan Brittan LLP, Burges Salmon LLP, DWL Ltd, GSS Architecture LLP and Oakleaf Communications. Consultancy, to support the
is a priority. It takes a significant investment of
transaction, was also provided by London Housing
time to build strong, lasting and mutually beneficial
Federation and Indigo Pearl Consulting.
relationships. While one-off donations/volunteering events can be useful, there is far greater value in building longer term mutually beneficial relationships. •
Companies involved included Beachcroft LLP,
your research. Find out what the priorities are for Do companies in your area and target those products, services and values that most closely align with yours.
• Be clear and specific in articulating the support you need. For example, an hour of a CEO’s time to review your strategy on developing a new social enterprise. Be prepared to decline or re-negotiate offers of support explaining your reasons and where possible signpost them to another organisation.
Dom Wood, Chief Executive of 1625 Independent People, said: “The volume and detail of work that is needed to successfully manage a merger is staggering. The companies that participated not only provided pro bono support in areas of due diligence, property, PR, office layout and governance but also helped us manage the process to its conclusion. Since the merger, Beachcroft has also helped us look at Board governance and how to build on what we already have in place.”
• Think about what the business gets in return. How
22
will volunteering for your organisation develop the
Business Action on Homelessness is a business-led
personal and professional skills of their staff? Can
campaign run by Business in the Community. To find
they reference their support for your organisation
out more visit: www.bitc.org.uk/baoh
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
FEATURES
giving people the skills to manage their money Recognising the need for a comprehensive money
Skills is making a real and lasting
management resource for the sector, Barclays have
difference to vulnerable people.
joined forces with Business Action on Homelessness
“Barclays Money Skills has been
to produce a resource pack to help workers in the
developed at a time when people,
sector to support service users to develop basic
more than ever, need support
money management skills. Covering topics such as
to confidently develop skills to
budgeting, understanding credit and debt and where
manage their money ” says Paula.
to go for help and advice, the resource is an off the
“Working closely with Yeovil Foyer,
shelf resource that can be used at different stages of
we have developed a creative
transition.
programme of engagement that allows residents at the
Barclays are long term supporters of the homelessness sector, particularly through their partnerships with Business Action on Homelessness and Crisis. Their Chief Executive, John Varley, is Chairman of Business Action on Homelessness and is a key figure in galvanising the support of 150 companies across the UK to help the sector.
Foyer to access a residential experience whilst learning about vital money management issues”. One of the young residents, Sam shares his experience. “Since doing the Barclays Money Skills programme a year ago, things have changed for me. I’m much more confident now and I know that speaking to others and sorting things out is the best way to deal with my financial
Barclays Money Skills, the banks flagship community
problems. Things aren’t perfect – I still got into rent
investment programme in the UK aiming to help more
arrears just before Christmas when I got a job and then
than one million people to become more financially
lost it and ended up in debt again. The difference was
capable over the next three years.
that this time I was able to sort the problem out as I knew
Primarily focusing on young and vulnerable people, the programme aims to help participants gain skills, knowledge and confidence to make informed financial decisions. Barclays Money Skills is delivered in partnership with a range of organisations across the UK and each project provides innovative ways to support people in developing essential skills such as budgeting and managing debt. Barclays have also written a resource which supports their staff to deliver Barclays Money Skills session to groups
that doing that would fix things faster than leaving it and hoping it would go away. When I was in arrears, I spoke to Housing Benefit to sort out the problem and now I work out my money and try to pay more than I need to, to stay on top of my rent and keep on top of things. I can now budget and sort stuff out for myself and, if things do go wrong, I know what to do to sort them out.”
To find out more about Barclays Community Investment Programme visit: www.barclays.com/ community
of services users. They have a long history of harnessing the support of its staff, particularly through Business Action on Homelessness Ready for Work. Paula Molyneux (pictured) is a Community Investment Manager for Barclays; she believes that Barclays Money WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
23
COMMENT
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
a hand up! Maff Potts, Director of
Homelessness Services at The Salvation Army, explains why their new Lifehouses are giving people a ‘hand up’ rather than hand out and why the same should apply to funding charities.
At The Salvation Army we’re preparing for the future
introduced. Don’t get me wrong, the SP programme has
by transforming all of our hostels into Lifehouses.
had a huge impact in raising the quality of homelessness
A Lifehouse is a place where everything is geared around residents developing purpose and relationships - accommodation just comes with it and isn’t the focus. For instance, our partnership with “Goals UK” means
services but, in some senses, it’s inadvertently created an entitlement culture where we’ve forgotten some of our core values. We now just expect SP funding and a vast percentage of providers rely almost entirely upon it.
self-esteem training will be standard. Also, through our
We need to think creatively and accept that budgets
Animateur programme which is funded by the Future
will be cut and funding will be harder to come by but
Jobs Fund, we employ young people from the job
we must not let this get in our way. A prime example is
centre to organise fun activities and community projects
our Lifehouse in Skegness, Witham Lodge, which used to
which benefit the local area as well as the residents of
face a tremendous amount of opposition from the local
the Lifehouse.
community. Now, however, the same people who called
The aim of our Lifehouses is to help residents find purpose and, ultimately, to get their life back. The name ‘Lifehouse’ was chosen by our residents and staff, in a nationwide poll, and it tells us that they understand that the work of a homelessness centre is driven by life journeys and not just journeys into housing. The new focus of our services echoes the Salvation Army’s belief in giving people a ‘hand up’ rather than a ‘hand out’. Back in 1865 when William Booth founded The Salvation Army he was quoted as describing how the support he was providing to an individual was a two way exchange, “so much warmth and light from me but so much labour in return from him”. We weren’t about hand-outs then and we aren’t now. In many ways the spirit of the lifehouse is not just taking us back to Booth’s core principles but also back to the work of charities before Supporting People (SP) was 24
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
for our closure are walking into the Lifehouse and asking for help. Why? Because our residents are decorating houses for people with disabilities; helping older people with their gardening and developing projects that benefit the whole community. To fund these activities staff and clients held car boot sales and raised the money themselves. Remember those days? We’re entering a new era of austerity and it may just be the wake up call that reminds us of why we’re here… Charities need to fill the gap and help those with no recourse to public funds - it’s our job when there’s no state funding isn’t it? And fun activities are always hard to fund, so again, that’s our job. We need to get out of the mid-set of being just government sub-contractors. After all, we are more than a support service, we are social entrepreneurs. To find out more about the Salvation Army visit: www.salvationarmy.org.uk
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
FEATURES
Residents from one of the Salvation Army’s Lifehouses work as a team to stay afloat on a fun day out! Photo Salvation Army
I GRASPED THE OPPORTUNITY...
Craig Hilton is a former resident at Salvation Army’s Swan Lodge, which now employs him as a full-time Project Worker. His hard
work and determination were recognised recently when he was awarded the Salvation Army’s national Individual Contribution Award.
to deliver drug and alcohol counselling and specialist training in areas such as construction and trade skills. Opportunity is there at every Lifehouse but taking that opportunity and making it work is the hardest step. That’s when you need the encouragement and empowerment the management and staff give you. A pat on the back can mean far more than achieving a certificate. Having someone say well done or thank you can make all the difference… Many of the residents in Lifehouses have had little or none of that in their lives and a basic
“Like many homeless people I’ve met, my life declined
recognition of their efforts and achievements, no matter
rapidly following a relationship breakdown... A
how small, can kick-start a change in the negative way
combination of depression, anxiety, financial stress and
they think about themselves.
addiction led me to becoming homeless.
Swan Lodge provided the opportunities to change and I
When I first walked into Swan Lodge, the Lifehouse in
grasped them. I started volunteering to help out in Swan
Sunderland, I had my own ideas and false stereotypes
Lodge and after completing a variety of educational
of what I imagined a hostel to be like. I was greeted
courses I went to college to study teaching. From there
with a smiling face and soon came to realise that
I studied Health and Social Care and Swan Lodge
through support and encouragement I had an amazing
employed me as a part time as a relief project worker.
opportunity to finally do something different with my life.
In February I moved out of the Lifehouse but now work there full-time as a project worker; supporting residents
I was introduced to practical skills courses, including a
with similar experiences to my own.
course on parenting, and training in literacy, numeracy and ICT. I also had the opportunity to get involved in
Opportunity knocks for those that grasp it. Spiritually
a variety of activities, such as a sport and wellbeing
I have grown and as a father to my children, I have
programme, and volunteer with local community
grown as a man. I can now look in the mirror and smile
projects. All of this was offered internally but Swan
because I see the man that my own father always knew
Lodge also works with the Future Jobs Fund to provide
I could be.
employment opportunities and with other providers WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
25
COMMENT FEATURES
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER SUMMER2010 2010
we’re going green Tony Beech, Area Manager of
We’re also piloting several projects that are using kits
St Anne’s Community Services
to make their boilers more efficient, solar power and
in Sheffield, explains how
‘smart metering’ to drive down costs. We will roll these
they’re going green and why
measures out across all of our services if we find there
it’s as beneficial to services
are proven savings - it’s looking good so far!
and service users as it is to the environment St Anne’s Community Services is a
It’s not all about the big changes though; we’ve introduced a number of smaller, low cost measures too. These include the installation of sensor lights and
medium size third sector provider who, like many people
plug ‘bricks’ that switch off computer peripherals when
reading this, has seen its belt become increasingly
they’ve not been used for a while.
tight over recent months. Recognising that something needed to change we set up a working party, called the ‘green group’, to explore new approaches that would save us money whilst also helping to save the environment.
All of these changes, however, wouldn’t have been possible without the buy-in of staff across all levels of the organisation. This has been helped by the creation of a ‘green issues’ website which enables staff to share their ideas online and see examples of good practice…
We started off with an audit by the Carbon Trust and
Some of the most innovative ideas have come from
signed up to the 10:10 climate change campaign. 18
people who are actually working at the ‘coal face’ -
months on, we have set an organisational commitment
demonstrating that being green is not a lofty ideal but
to reduce energy consumption by 30% over the next 3
something every one has an investment in.
years and have introduced a variety of other measures to limit our impact on the environment, including: • • •
rents. Furthermore, by providing energy efficient homes
action plan to reduce usage
we allow the people we support to spend what little
Changing procurement - we use a lot of power so it
disposable income they have on improving their quality
made sense to negotiate with energy providers
of life rather than throwing it all at bills.
Reducing unnecessary mileage by encouraging and supporting people to use public transport Setting emission thresholds for all lease/hire vehicles in the organisation
•
work as the savings we make means we can reduce
Analysis of gas and electric use and establishing an
staff to car share, introducing a pool vehicle scheme •
Most importantly, our clients benefit from our ‘green’
A green policy that feeds into other policies and procedures
•
Insulation of all properties where possible
26
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
It’s still early days and we are waiting to see the extent of which this work will financially benefit the organisation but, as is usually the case with the third sector, we pride ourselves on being ahead of the game whilst surviving on a shoestring! To find out more about St Anne’s Community Services visit: www.st-annes.org.uk/
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
FEATURES
not all cuts are bad news! Yassen Roussev, Environmental
for four of our projects. The resultant reports were used to
Officer at The Cyrenians,
compile a priority-ranking for action. Our next step was
discusses the work they’ve been
to create a group of Environmental Champions, made
doing to cut carbon emissions
up of employees, which were challenged with raising the
and create a more sustainable
awareness of environmental initiatives and promoting
service…
the green agenda throughout the organisation.
The Cyrenians was formed in 1970
The majority of our accommodation properties have had
to provide services for people ‘sleeping rough’ in the
low cost measures introduced such as having energy
city of Newcastle upon Tyne. Forty years on the charity,
efficient light bulbs fitted, loft insulation and cavity wall
originally called ‘Tyneside Cyrenians’, employs around
fills where appropriate.
200 people, has 150+ volunteers and provides support to over 800 individuals each week.
In terms of higher cost improvements for the projects which were identified as ‘top priority’, we looked at
Crucial to our growth has been our commitment to
government schemes like the Carbon Trust’s SME
deliver a diverse and expanding range of services
interest free loans, which are self funding as a result of
including residential, resettlement, rehabilitation, day
efficiencies and savings achieved.
centre provision and outreach, to an often neglected and hidden part of society. The same principle - flexibility and the desire to try out new things – is also applied to the way we run the organisation and make it more sustainable. One way we’ve done this is by looking at ways to improve our environmental performance.
early signs of successes Our most exciting and significant success has been the reduction of carbon emissions at our Elliott House direct-access accommodation - from 209 tonnes per annum in 2006/2007 to 131 tonnes 2009/2010! This has been achieved by implementing the abovementioned
Hostels throughout the UK are notorious for having the
low cost measures, followed by a boiler plant upgrade,
heating on full blast while also having their windows
and the introduction of a building management system.
wide open, and for using boilers from an age-bygone.
We also installed a combined heat and power unit that
When we started to explore our environmental impact, in
attracted the visit of the HM Ambassador in Tokyo, as
2006, we began by measuring the amount of energy we
well as the Japanese consul from Edinburgh!
used with the aim of reducing our carbon footprint. This enabled us to assess the processes and waste streams in order to work towards more efficient alternatives.
All of this work has been invaluable in getting staff and our clients on-board to create a more sustainable service and, more importantly, a more sustainable future
Making ourselves environmentally friendly
for all. Yet with more plans on the horizon, this is just the
It became apparent that a lot of energy was being
beginning…
wasted in our residential projects. To address this we secured funding to enable us to get detailed assessments of the energy efficiency measures required
To find out more about The Cyrenians visit: www.thecyrenians.org
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
27
FEATURES
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
Tailor-made support Rebecca Pritchard, Specialist Advisor on Rough Sleeping at CLG, reports on the learning and successes of the four local authorities who piloted individual budgets to engage their most vulnerable residents In the summer of 2009, local authorities in Nottingham,
is a two-way process with mutual responsibilities for
Northampton, Exeter and North Devon and City of
decisions and actions.
London agreed to pilot a new approach to helping the most entrenched rough sleepers leave the streets. This recognised the fact that living on the streets is not a “lifestyle choice” but a function of complex needs that have not been adequately met by the current services on offer. The pilots also wanted to test the concept that individuals who had poor experiences of services and a mistrust of authority, would be more willing to engage if they were given greater control and more say over how they were supported. The pilots varied in scale from 15 rough sleepers in City of London to five in Northampton. Each pilot operated slightly differently - two had a dedicated “individual budget worker” whilst the others drew upon a range of skills offered by teams of experienced staff. Some common themes have emerged, however:
Clients were given ownership of their support plans: This resulted in other agencies being more willing to be more flexible – as there was a strong expectation of success. For many people, relatively little money was needed to meet their needs. Funds were spent on things such as travel passes, a TV for someone’s room so they felt more comfortable in shared accommodation and paying off arrears. B&B placements were used on a “no strings” basis to encourage clients to leave the streets and one pilot used the budget to pay someone the equivalent of their benefit entitlement, so they could try out shopping for themselves for the first time in years. These approaches were time limited as the individuals experience led them to agree to make benefit claims. Generally, though, the budgets were a tool that helped
Traditional outreach practices were changed:
the skilled workers to establish good faith with clients,
Instead of undertaking regular street shifts across a
and it was the inventive, intensive, persistent and flexible
geographical area; individuals were targeted and met
approach to working with people that made the
with at locations of their choice. These were often away
difference.
from their sleeping sites, including in friend’s homes, on favourite benches, and after church on Sundays!
Eight months on, there has been notable success in each area with the majority of those involved now living
Clients were asked what they thought would work
in accommodation. However, longer term evaluation
for them: Rather than suggesting established options
is needed to see if the moves away from the streets are
– such as the local hostel - the pilots asked people
sustainable.
about what they want to do in their lives, and what sort of accommodation and support would help achieve this. At the same time, it was emphasised that people needed to be realistic and that an individual budget 28
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
Two of the pilot areas are being independently evaluated and are looking at mainstreaming the approaches.
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
FEATURES
given a choice Matthew Waters, Commissioner for Supporting People and Adult Care Services at Southampton City Recognising achievement: participants in the research had the opportunity to access certified training courses.
Council, demonstrates that when it comes to service delivery one size doesn’t fit all. In Southampton we believe that Supporting People (SP)
Due to these findings we have now introduced two
is one part of the system of service delivery that provides
approaches to personalise SP services in Southampton:
people with more choice and control of their services.
New contracts for SP services: From July 2010 onwards,
Much of our work to change the SP programme locally
long term contracts will include a fully personalised
has focused on what works to achieve better outcomes
element. A minimum 10% of the annual contract value
and quality of life for users. In 2008 we commissioned a
will be made available in cash for the provider to use in
one year research project which found that being able
conjunction with service users, to personalise support.
to respond to service users’ needs by having access to
The first “personalised” contracts will commence in the
some financial resources, provided a range of positives:
summer for service users with mental health problems
• • • •
Raised self-esteem, with users focusing on the options
and / or issues with drug and alcohol misuse.
they had
New Personalisation resource: We have also
People made practical choices that led to
developed a financial resource to fund a greater level of
improvements, e.g. health, travel
personalisation; creating more opportunities for service
Individuals felt invested in, which in turn led to
users to shape their support and achieve their support
improved outcomes
plan outcomes. The resource, launched in January 2010,
Group work enabled users to share choices and
is available for two years and aims to:
objectives. Two groups of service users (offenders and women fleeing domestic violence) developed solutions using a specific
•
services •
Enable providers to develop the governance and other structures required to manage the
pot of money: •
Introduce the concept of personalisation to SP
personalisation elements of future contracts
S haring travel passes - enabling the group to attend
•
Link funding to support plans
probation, training and jobs more easily and for
•
Show improved outcomes for individuals or groups.
women to access their original home or area • •
Training options – leading to at least one individual
We have given responsibility to our providers to deliver
reusing skills to start work
the administrative processes to support this approach.
Leisure vouchers - building on health and wellbeing
There is no resource allocation system attached to SP,
outcomes.
so providers will need to consider how they manage this approach in a fair, open and honest manner.
Significant efficiencies were achieved and buy in was extremely high; attendance at Probation interviews increased and one individual was pronounced drug-free for the first time in several years.
These approaches will help SP shape our options in the longer term and build upon recent changes introduced to raise service user expectations.
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
29
FEATURES
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SPRING 2010
ending rough sleeping: what will it look like? The last government’s rough sleeping strategy, No one left out published in November 2008 committed to ending rough sleeping by 2012. This document was supported by all government departments and progress is being made across the country. But what does this mean and what will things look like when rough sleeping is a thing of the past? Paul Anderson from Homeless Link looks at some of the work in this area.
In February 2010, Homeless Link’s manifesto, Ending
We recognise that people will still have problems, but
Homelessness Together, came up with a vision for 2020
this doesn’t mean that they have to end up on the
when we would look back with disbelief on the days
streets. You can find out more on what we think needs to
when people slept in shop doorways. Our expressed
happen, by visiting www.homeless.org.uk/manifesto
principle in that manifesto is that no one should have to spend a second night on the street. If they don’t find their way to a Housing Options Team or an appropriate advice service, some form of rapid response outreach service will reach them, discuss the appropriate options with them and ensure they are assisted off the streets... In a nutshell that is what ending rough sleeping looks like for Homeless Link.
The London perspective The London Delivery Board (LDB) was established in 2009 following the Mayor of London’s endorsement of the 2012 target in the London Housing Strategy supporting the commitment made by central government in No One Left Out. Homeless Link sits on this board which has made a great deal of progress over the last year or so, including agreeing a definition of what ending rough sleeping
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
Pho
30
to
Th
am
es
Re
ac
h
actually means.
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
FEATURES
difference is that we now know the names and needs of
Their definition states: “We will have succeeded in ending rough sleeping if: By
these people.
the end of 2012 no one will live on the streets of London,
Newcastle’s housing sector has been successful in
and no individual arriving on the streets at a point of crisis
preventing homelessness and in sustaining people in the
will spend a second night out.”
community, in the context of the loss of around 6,500
This explicitly states that nobody of any nationality will sleep rough for more than a single night in London by
council homes since 2000 and the challenges of the recession, as evidenced by:
31 December 2012. It recognises that circumstances
•
no bed and breakfast use since Dec 2006;
may lead to someone to spend a night on the streets,
•
63% reduction in evictions from supported housing -
but action will take place to ensure there is no second
from 347 cases in 2004 (17% of all discharges) to 127
night. It does not mean that everyone will be offered
(11%) cases in 2009-10;
accommodation automatically, but a response will be
•
2009/10
such as reconnection, or solution-focused advice and •
assistance.
definition and to agree on what resources are required to deliver it beyond 2012. You can read more about the work of the London Delivery Board on our website and we will update you in future issues of Connect.
6% reduction in use of statutory temporary accommodation –from 405 in 2008 to 380 in 2009
The next challenge for the LDB (and others) is to understand the implications for services in agreeing a
8 0% increase in move on from supported housing to an independent tenancy - from 146 in 2008/9 to 262 in
provided which is appropriate to the individual’s needs,
There has been a real drive in the city to get people off the streets and to create sustainable solutions for the most excluded in our community. The city council has adopted a proactive problem solving approach that creates accountability for resolving the problems of vulnerable people through case management and outreach.
CASE STUDY
The ACE project, which was jointly commissioned by
Accommodation Manager at
to prevent people becoming entrenched in the street
Gemma Shiel, Temporary
Newcastle City Council, shares some of the approaches being used to meet the 2012 target in their area. In November 2009 the Leader of Newcastle City Council pledged his commitment to meeting the Communities and Local Government (CLG) target to end rough sleeping by 2012. Over the last few years the Council has, with its partners, sufficiently reduced the numbers of people rough sleeping to allow us to focus on improving the effectiveness of our interventions with the relatively few exceptional cases that we fail to sustain in the community. During December 2009 and early January 2010, Newcastle successfully managed to get down to zero rough sleepers having accommodated everyone who had been found via street outreach. However despite considerable improvements across the homelessness sector and the success during the cold weather period, we know that on some nights up to 14 people may be
Newcastle City Council and NHS North of Tyne, has been successful in ensuring regular contact at a street level lifestyle. We know that people do not sleep rough in Newcastle because of a crude shortage of accommodation. Most of these people will have had many places to live, they sleep rough because of a number of factors including: •
Fear of living in hostels;
•
Health, support and care services not being able to engage people;
•
Exclusion from hostels due to the risk of violence or debt;
•
The high cost of living in hostels;
•
Health issues - mental health, drug and alcohol;
•
Leaving institutions without a planned option;
•
Becoming institutionalised within the homeless sector
•
The suitability and availability of their housing options.
It is essential that if we are going to meet the CLG target then we need to continue to challenge ourselves in order to improve services and to identify new ways to be able to support challenging individuals off the streets.
sleeping rough in Newcastle. Unlike a few years ago the WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
31
COMMENT PEOPLE
SUMMER2010 2010 10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER
the business of charity Steve Woodford, CEO of
Sara Hajnassiri was appointed as our KTP associate and
Foundation, discusses how their
has been involved in supporting the development of
innovative partnership with
a new performance management system to help us
Bradford University’s School of
demonstrate our impact.
Management is helping them to carve out their competitive edge.
Both Sara and the lead academic, Dr Nigel Lockett, bring a very different perspective to many of the “commercial”
Foundation, like a number of agencies that work with
issues we are facing around business retention, growth
vulnerable people, went through a period of rapid
and competition.
growth and expansion following the introduction of Supporting People. A few years on, however, we were faced with the need to retain that new business whilst also winning new contracts.
Commenting on the challenges, Sara said, “It’s a very different culture but I have been impressed with people’s friendliness and sense of ownership
To help us improve competitiveness we established our
here. My biggest challenge is
Future Proofing programme. We began by setting a series
changing organisation culture, and
of staged targets to reduce our overheads and hourly
helping people to adapt to more
cost of service delivery. Our staff costs, in particular, were
flexible work patterns. If Foundation loses a contract,
higher than many, having had our roots in probation and
then the consequences potentially are increases in
a legacy of expensive conditions of service. Other major
homelessness, crime and anti-social behaviour.”
changes were around how we recruited (we introduced trainee posts) and how we could make better use of office space through hot-desking and home-working.
Dr Nigel Lockett commented, “Many of the disciplines of the commercial world can be used to great effect
Half way through the programme a colleague suggested
in charities like Foundation without
pulling in expertise from a local University via the
compromising their core values. By
government sponsored Knowledge Transfer Awards. The
the end of the two years we would
deal, broadly speaking, involves applying in partnership
expect Foundation to be in a better
with a University to a government programme sponsored
position to show value for money, win
by a Regional Development Agency. In our case this involved a joint application with Bradford University to the Economic & Social Research Council that funds the transfer of academic knowledge to the “real” world.
more contracts and help more people.” One of the spin-offs from this project has been our participation in an “Innovation Club” set up by Bradford University for successful Yorkshire-based businesses. We
After securing funding we were able to set about jointly
are the only public sector organisation involved but the
recruiting a KTP Associate. Basically, Foundation pays
learning that has taken place on exchange visits has
the Associate’s salary and Bradford University employs
been very much two way; reinforcing the view that not for
the individual (a post-graduate student) to deliver the
profits have a great deal to offer to the commercial world.
project. The University provides the equivalent of two days a month of the lead academic’s time plus other support and consultancy.
32
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
To find out more about Foundation visit their website at: www.foundationuk.org
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
COMMENT PEOPLE
getting The balance right too much social can make customers and investors dubious of your ability to deliver. For my company Beyond Boyle Ltd, I have always strived for world class products and services within the hospitality market. That’s what I sell and that’s what people want to buy. I also believe that I can inspire people less fortunate than me. I use our social objectives as a way to stimulate my clients. It’s kind of the icing on the cake and it can be the clincher in many ways. After appearing on BBC’2’s Dragons Den I realised that talking to investors as one proposition - business and Simon Boyle, Chef and Founder of Beyond Boyle, discusses getting the balance right when running a successful business and a sustainable social enterprise Social enterprise is fast becoming the new vogue in business. But social enterprise is not just a tick in the CSR box or a pat on the back for some crazy guy that has a
social enterprise - was difficult. Lots of investors and clients of the business believe that business and charity don’t and should not be mixed. I disagree. I believe that all business should have a strong social strategy. But I could see that not all my communication was clear. So we have separated our organisation into the business and the foundation in order to present clear and concise missions for both organisations. From July, we will be seen
good heart.
as a group rather than one company And when our new
First and foremost a social enterprise needs to think and
the best communications we’ve ever had.
act likes a business. Creating a full and thorough business plan as any business should. The plan should show the vision and route to market. It should demonstrate the target audience and their needs. There should also be a strong sales and marketing strategy and you mustn’t forget that without a good product it’s hard to achieve anything, business or social. Integrating the social benefits to the business is a must and usually can be the differentiating factor that most businesses strive for. However the social impact does not always apply… A local social enterprise wishing to sell sandwiches made by homeless people is different to a
brand identity is launched over the summer, we’ll have
Tips I would give is to engage with the commercial world as much as possible; they are eager to help and have a wealth of expertise and knowledge to offer. Other tips would be learning how to provide accurate figures - vital for sustainability within the market place. If the figures don’t stack up the social enterprise won’t stand on its own two feet for long. Borrow with pride and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Get great people to help shoulder the burden whilst you are building your business.
local sandwich business providing training or funding for
Lastly don’t lose your spirit. It’s the crazy ones that are
homeless people.
prepared to give it a go that make the difference.
Getting this balance right is crucial. Too much business
For more information about Beyond Boyle visit:
can put people off or make you unaffordable whereas
www.beyondboyle.com WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
33
COMMENT INSPIRED
SUMMER2010 2010 10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER
on a social missioN The Social Enterprise Coalition, the national body for social enterprise in the UK, defines social enterprises as “businesses trading for social and environmental purposes”… Below, we hear from three social enterprises which are transforming the lives of local homeless people.
Sorting through vintage and retro clothes at Create’s boutique, 'FOUND by CREATE', in Leeds. Photo Mark Skeet Photography
Creating opportunities Sarah Dunwell, from CREATE, shares her tips and highlights the factors that need to be considered by services who are considering setting up their own social enterprise. Create is an award winning Social Enterprise that is committed
marginalised or vulnerable. Through our café’s, outside catering and fashion retail business we offer people the chance to get a foot back on the ladder of making a meaningful contribution to society. This year we opened CREATE Potential, an employment training academy. In partnership with major UK retailers the academy will see 60 people train in the CREATE businesses and move onto employment across the region each year. Sarah’s tips… First of all do social enterprise because you want to,
to developing innovative training and employment
not because someone else is doing it or because
opportunities for people who have been homeless,
it is the current trend. Do it because you think that
34
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
COMMENT INSPIRED
entrepreneurial solutions are the best way to tackle
Recycling Lives UK was founded by local entrepreneur
tough problems and because social enterprise is the best
Steve Jackson, chair of Recycling Lives Limited, an
vehicle to achieve your goals.
award-winning, innovative company with more than 40
Once you’re sure about setting up a social enterprise my advice is: •
Get the structure right – be a business not a charity
•
Get the base right – be based in a place where people feel like staff and forget what the words ‘service user’ mean
•
Get the mission right – and live by it
•
Get the money right – keep the books straight and
years experience in the recycling and waste industry. Recycling Lives, was one of only 10 companies this year to win the coveted Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development. Find out more at: www.recyclinglives.org
Life begins at 40 Jeff Mabin, employee at
live by business rules •
Shekinah Trading, describes
Get the branding right – it is the way you sell the
how his involvement with social
heart of your organisation •
enterprise has helped him to get
Set ambitious goals and exceed them!
his life back on track…
For more on CREATE visit: www.createleeds.org
Recycling Lives
15 years ago I worked as a fork lift truck driver, was married to Caroline with a step daughter, Adele, and had my own
Simon Thorrington, Project Manager
home. Then my mum died in a care home of a brain
at Recycling Lives, explains how
tumour. I fell into a deep depression. Caroline and Adele
they support vulnerable people in
left. I hid away and started taking drugs. I handed in
the North West to turn their lives
my notice and eventually my house was repossessed. I
around.
lost my driving licence for drink driving and did 5 weeks
Recycling Lives UK, a charity based in Preston, was set up to enable people who are socially excluded to seek an alternative and more positive
in Exeter prison. I came out a functioning drug addict and effectively swapped drugs for alcohol. I ended up hospitalised for four weeks.
future, by providing the supported accommodation,
Part of my rehab programme involved taking part in
training, and work experience that result in real jobs and
the Steady Work Programme run by Shekinah Mission
independent living.
in Plymouth. It was something to occupy the long
Residents commit to moving from isolation and unemployment, perhaps crime and homelessness,
hours of each day. I worked hard and came out of the programme with a diploma.
towards becoming a skilled, experienced, capable and
Now I work 14 hours a week for Shekinah Trading. I am the
confident person. The charity appreciates that each
driver and worker for a deep cleaning and maintenance
resident comes from a unique and often complex and
crew. We go into vacant council run properties and give
chaotic background, and with specific individual needs.
them a really deep clean when people move out. It is
A bespoke Personal Development Plan investigates their
going very well and we are winning lots of contracts;
existing skills and ambitions, and clearly identifies a solid
making us the biggest income generator for Shekinah
pathway for the journey ahead.
Mission.
Recycling Lives works in partnership with local authorities
I am back on track and hope to go full time soon. I have
to provide a bulky furniture and white goods collection
5 years of debt to pay back, but I’m doing everything
service, diverting up to 70% of such waste away from
by the book now and I’ve been completely dry since
landfill sites. The bulky waste is collected by supervised
I came out of hospital. Shekinah Trading gave me the
residents, sorted and processed at the Recycling Lives
opportunity to focus on something worthwhile.
Recycling Park. Resident Michael said: “The best thing for me has been
To find out more about about Shekinah Mission visit: www.shekinahmission.co.uk
that I have been able to sort my head out and start aiming for full time work.” WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
35
COMMENT INSPIRED
SUMMER2010 2010 10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER
The escape plan Spike Mike Hudson, Researcher and
Simone Helleren, Director of Training and Research at Groundswell, share some of the key findings and inspiration behind The Escape Plan research.
Research in the homelessness sector has not always
lives, one professional and one non-professional– such as
had the experiences of service users at its heart. This is
a friend or family member.
despite service users tending to be both the subject of the research, the reason for commissioning the work and, importantly, those most affected by the outcome. This trend is now changing and increasingly we are seeing much greater involvement of clients in investigating what works and what does not work in the homelessness sector. This change has been supported by research funders who increasingly see meaningful involvement of clients as a central element of research proposals. Recent examples include the ESRC’s Multiple Exclusion Homelessness programme and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation who are currently funding the Homeless Peoples Commission. Our own research, The Escape Plan, was supported by the City Parochial Foundation and the Ashden Trust. The Escape Plan, jointly supported by Groundswell, Homeless Link and Thames Reach, used innovative peer research methodologies to create an evidence base of the critical success factors that have enabled people to move on from homelessness. This evidence base
What we found out… Due to the different experiences of the ‘escapees’ the findings vary greatly but there are, however, some common threads: Changing attitudes towards yourself and others: critical incidents were very often related to a significant change in the way an individual felt about and related to themselves and others. Escapees talked about overcoming pride and trusting people in order to be honest and open to help. “Trust, you know, and I am still having issues with trust, but basically I have started trusting people again. I believed that she believed in me and she thought I was worth it. So I started believing that too.” Get together and get busy: Being involved in group activities, like training or volunteering, was identified by participants as a vital part of their recovery. Crucially it was about regaining self worth, finding structure, escaping boredom and developing confidence.
was then used to empower people who were currently
“You’ve got to be part of a team or part of a family or
experiencing homelessness; to establish a good practice
part of a body of people… you know, even in prison
model for practitioners; and, ultimately, influence current
you’ve got to part of something. You can’t expect to
and future policy. The Escape Plan, as far as we are
survive on your own.”
aware, is the first research project in the UK exclusively by, and for, people with experience of homelessness.
Hitting Rock Bottom: Many participants talked about reaching a point where they felt they couldn’t continue
The project, which was delivered by two peer researchers
they way they had been. Some described this as
who have experienced homelessness, focused on
realisation that things had gotten out of control and they
25 individuals who have successfully moved on from
“broke down” and looked for a way out.
homelessness. A series of semi structured qualitative interviews were held with each of the 25 ‘Escapees’ themselves; and with two other key individuals in their
36
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
“Its hit me, like this is an epiphany, this was my moment, this was my rock bottom, just looking round and that. I
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
COMMENT INSPIRED
One of a series of collages made up of photographs and quotes from the ‘escapees’. Artwork Dylan Byrne of Bogstandard.
mean I did cry. Not there and then in front of them, I went
Recognising the importance of friends and family:
to the toilets and I did cry.”
While many had experienced difficulties with family and
Good workers and Good Services Participants identified a good support worker as someone who
friends, others felt that these relationships supported and motivated their journey away from homelessness.
will: go that extra mile, be consistent, knows how to
Coming to terms with being homeless: Participants
use their own experiences, will challenge, encourage,
felt it was important to not be ashamed of being
believe in, value opinions, congratulate and show that
homeless but that the label ‘homeless’ did not hold them
they care.
back. All agreed that they had learned a lot from their
“She never talked to me as if I was a patient. It was on
experiences, both good and bad.
an equal footing. And I was treated as if I was… I was
To read the full Escape Plan research report please
intelligent if you want to call it that.”
visit: www.groundswell.org.uk
Peer perspectives and client involvement: Seeking out the opinions of people who have had similar experiences and learning from them was significant for many. Others
get involved...
found the opportunity to get involved helped them to
We are now seeking the opportunity to share these
recognise the value of their opinions.
findings with groups who are currently homeless in London. To find out more contact Simone or Spike
“it’s getting identification from someone who has come from a similar position… And that’s the kind of thing that gives us all that inspiration to go forward.”
at: 020 7976 0111 or email spike@groundswell.org.uk or simone@groundswell.org.uk
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
37
international
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
INTERVIEW: BARBARA POPPE
Barbara Poppe is the Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH). We interviewed Barbara to find out what’s happening in the homelessness sector across the pond.
What is the role of the USICH?
charged the planning process to align federal resources
The USICH coordinates the federal government’s response
effectively and appropriately toward four key goals:
to homelessness. We also work to create a national partnership at every level of government and with the private sector to reduce and end homelessness.
1.
finish the job of ending chronic homelessness;
2.
prevent and end homelessness among Veterans;
3.
prevent and end homelessness among families,
How did you get involved in the homelessness sector? I have worked in the sector for more than 25 years; starting off as a volunteer on the frontline. Whilst volunteering I was involved in setting up a shelter for women and children in Cincinnati and played an active part in establishing a local and state coalition to address homelessness. I moved on to be the executive director of Friends of the Homeless in Columbus, Ohio, and immediately prior to my appointment at USICH, I served as the Executive Director of the Community Shelter Board. What drives you to want to end homelessness? Even in these difficult economic times, America is still the wealthiest, most powerful country in the world. It’s simply unacceptable to me that this relatively new American phenomenon of homelessness continues to exist. Through the years, I have met thousands of people who have directly experienced homelessness. For many, it’s a simple economic situation – they don’t earn enough to pay the rent. For others a combination of factors has led them to the streets - racism, sexism, classism, addiction, prejudices related to a physical and / or mental illness they have, and, for some, a criminal record.
youth, and children; 4.
set a path to ending all types of homelessness.
What are the biggest challenges facing homelessness agencies in the US? The global recession has had an impact; local providers have seen government funding from states and local communities being cut as well as reduced private giving. President Obama and Congress worked together in early 2009 to pass the Recovery Act which included a new $1.5 billion homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing program. These funds were quickly distributed to states and local governments who in turn made grants to local support agencies. What changes are needed to put an end to homelessness in the US? Solving homelessness will require that people at risk of homelessness, as well as those who are experiencing homelessness, can access mainstream support that
sufficiently meets their needs. To date, the “federal plan” to address homelessness is, by default, defined by the targeted homelessness programs. The new Federal
Since you became the Director of the USIACH last
Strategic Plan will have the prevention at its centre.…
October, what have been working on?
After all, we won’t solve homelessness if services only
We have been primarily focused on leading the
become available once someone has actually become
development and implementation of the first ever
“homeless”.
comprehensive Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness that was mandated by Congress. The Council is centering its plan on the belief: “no one should experience homelessness – no one should be without a safe, stable place to call home.” The Council has
38
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
This is an extract from a longer interview with Barbara. To read the full interview visit: www. homeless.org.uk/connect/latest-issue
10 YEARS OF CONNECT | SUMMER 2010
FEATURES
what’s on? Upcoming training and events for the homelessness sector:
july
october
13
45
Resettling Homeless People, london
8
Getting Homeless People into Education, Training and Employment, london
Working with Central and Eastern European Clients, London 1 day course providing an overview of the law regarding Central and Eastern European citizens and a look at the challenges faced in meeting their needs.
19 20
staff supervision, london Two day course to help participants understand the purpose of supervision and the beneifits it can bring to the individual and the organisation.
september 14
Homelessness Law, london
16
Drug and Alcohol Awareness, LONDON
1 day course to help participants understand current law on homelessness and entitlements for single homeless people.
This course explores the use of drugs. The reason people use them, the effects they have and techniques for spotting substence use. It also considers what help is out their for both you and the service user.
22 23 29
effective Keyworking and the Outcomes Star 2 day course which will enable participants to explore and understand the skills involved in keyworking, the boundaries of work and how to use and implement the Outcomes Star system in their organisation.
Personalisation, london 1 day course which seeks to give staff in the homelessness sector an insight into the personalisation agenda and the opportunity to consider personalisation as an organisational ethos and approach.
2 day course that explores the process clients go through during resettlement and provides a framework for participants to intervene effectively
This course explores the unique needs of homeless clients wanting to access education, training and employment. Aimed at staff who recognise the value of education, employment and training to the physical, mental, emotional and financial well being of their clients.
Working with Suicidal and 18 - Self Harming Clients, london 19
1 day course to equip participants with the skills necessary for dealing with clients who are feeling suicidal or self-harm.
further info: COSTS Homeless Link members save 30% on training and small member organisations save even more! Non-members
£205
Members (Band B - E)
£140
Members (Community and Band A) £110. If you are not sure of your membership status just give us a call on: 020 7840 4450 To book a place on any of the training courses or conferences featured here please: Call 020 7960 3030 Email us at training@homelesslink.org.uk
www.homeless.org.uk WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
39
Real People – HR solutions for the homelessness sector “ Real have been tremendous. Their support has released us to do our job.” Need help dealing with toxic behaviour? Do your managers need training? Considering restructuring? Want to save thousands by reducing absence? We’re the experts at dealing with complex staff-related problems in the sector. We understand how difficult it seems and will support you to take control. Our premium insurance covers any Employment Tribunal costs. Whatever your size or location we’ll keep costs low and the impact high. As an ethical social enterprise, 100% of our profit is gift-aided to homelessness services. For a free confidential, no-obligation trial session call 020 7710 0626. Alternatively meet us at Homeless Link’s Annual Conference on 6-7 July.
www.broadwaysrealpeople.com
Want to find the latest publications and research on homelessness in the UK? Visit the brand new Homeless Pages website for: • • • •
information at your fingertips an easy to use online tool 1700 publications thousands of visitors a month
www.homelesspages.org.uk
homeless pages