connect THE MAGAZINE OF THE HOMELESSNESS SECTOR
GOING LOCAL
NEW STRATEGY NEW FUND
LOCALISM BILL EXPLAINED
IS BIG SOCIETY BIG ENOUGH?
We explain DCLG’s new rough sleeping strategy and the £20 million Homelessness Transition Fund.
What does the Localism Bill mean for homelessness services and the people who use them?
St Mungo’s ask what space there is for homeless people in the Coalition Government’s vision for society.
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CONNECT 2011, issue 43 | WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
welcome
CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
REAL TIME CLIENT RECORDING In-Form helps you make the most of client information. • Keep track of your service on-line • Assess client needs - monitor outcomes • Use information to improve your services • Stay in touch with clients and staff • Manage your property Made for and used by people like you. WWW. HOMELESS.ORG.UK/IN-FORM
CREDITS : SUBSCRIPTIONS : UPCOMING about
NEXT IN CONNECT: HOW MANY NIGHTS OUT?
CONNECT magazine is a must-read for anyone working
The Coalition Government’s new strategy on rough
with homeless people today. Written for and by
sleeping aims to see a national roll-out of the No
homelessness professionals - CONNECT is a showcase
Second Night Out pilot. We’ll be looking at the
of inspiring projects and best practice.
challenges in taking this London project into the regions and other innovative approaches to tackling
EDITORIAL
rough sleeping.
Editor Martin Reed Editorial Panel Kate Alaway, Christine Spooner, Sarah
We’re keen to hear your thoughts on this and other
Gorton, Ben Knox
issues. To contribute, please email: editor@homelesslink.org.uk.
SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe or take out additional subscriptions please email: connect@homelesslink.org.uk
CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
WELCOME
Upfront In recent years, homelessness
heart of the strategy. It is a broad framework that seeks to
charities have made real
take the No Second Night Out standard and apply it to
progress in helping those who
end rough sleeping across the country.
end up on the streets back into homes, employment
We explain some of the details of the strategy and the
and a better future. More has
£20 million Homelessness Transition Fund on page 6. We
also been done to prevent
welcome the Government’s commitment to work with
homelessness happening in the
homeless charities in ensuring that no one spends a
first place.
second night out - and also the funding to help achieve this ambition.
With homelessness rising and services facing funding cuts, it is crucial that we don’t just maintain essential front-line
The Homelessness Transition Fund is no substitute for local
help but that we continue to improve what we do and
authority money. However it will provide key front-line
continue to make this help as effective as we can.
services with breathing space to secure their futures and to innovate –especially in communities that have
It isn’t always easy to keep the determination to carry
experienced an increase in rough sleeping.
on doing that when there is sometimes doubt about the commitment that budget holders and decision makers
In modern Britain, no one should end up or be left out on
have to the work that we do.
the streets. Everyone needs to play their part in ensuring this does not happen – Government, charities and the
However, in the Government’s new strategy on rough
public.
sleeping, which is backed by the Prime Minister, there are plenty of indications that sector’s work has been noticed.
With the right level of engagement across the sector, this cross government strategy and new funding takes us
Vision to end rough sleeping: No Second Night Out nationwide recognises the important work and innovation of homelessness services by putting them right at the
closer to reaching this goal. Jenny Edwards CBE Chief Executive, Homeless Link
in this issue LATEST SECTOR NEWS COMMENT New strategy, new funding Localism: pitfall or opportunity? Big Society: is it big enough? Local advice, national code After the power shift Rethinking risk Signposting the alternative FEATURES Personal, local, innovative
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6 8 10 13 14 16 18
20
To collect or not to collect We don’t want miracles Connection into benefit Step (by step) into volunteering Managing people
22 24 26 28 30
INSPIRED Irrationally optimistic? A perfect combination of passions
32 33
WHAT’S ON?
35
resources
BACK COVER
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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news
CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
latest sector news HERE’S A SNAPSHOT OF WHATS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE LAST ISSUE…
LOCAL GOVERNMENT OMBUDSMAN
areas are coping with increased
three to five years, to be delivered
WARNING TO COUNCILS ON
demand. However, we need to ask
by partnerships led by voluntary
HOMELESSNESS
what happens to homeless people
organisations and with the aim of
The Local Government Ombudsman
when councils turn them away?
giving people confidence and skills
has warned councils that they face
When people are in danger of losing
to use financial services such as bank
criticism for maladministration if
their home, they need help not a
accounts and affordable loans.
they fail to meet responsibilities to
closed door.
homeless people. We need to prevent people from The body, which independently
facing the alternative of illegal lets,
investigates complaints about local
staying with friends or squats. We
authorities in England, has published
are calling for a clearer duty on
a report on the serious mistakes some
councils to offer effective advice
councils make when dealing with
and information to help people
people with housing difficulties.
who are homeless but not offered
The fund will focus on social housing
accommodation.
residents, in particular those who
It is concerned that increasing numbers of people may face significant injustice because
have been moving in and out of
Download the full report from www.lgo.org.uk
work, are in the first 12 months of their
NEW BIG LOTTERY FUNDING
Grants will be available in 15 London
tenancies or who are young.
homelessness is on the rise and council budgets are under pressure.
The Big Lottery Fund has launched
boroughs that have been identified
Homeless Link welcomes this report
a £30 million fund, the Improving
as having the most financially
and its recommendations. The
Financial Confidence programme,
excluded residents. The application
latest figures show that the number
for projects in England aimed at
deadline 16 September 2011.
of homeless people applying to
helping families and individuals avoid
For full details, visit
councils for help has jumped in the
financial difficulty.
www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
lead to more people not having a
It will offer grants between £500,000
LONDON MAYOR’S QUESTION TIME
home and local authorities in some
and £1 million for projects lasting
Jenny Jones, Greater London
last year. The recession is bound to
HOMELESS LINK WELCOMES THE FOLLOWING NEW MEMBERS: LHA-ASRA Care & Support, Richard Fitzgerald, Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland, London Housing Trust, Bridge House Mission, Leeds Mind Housing Support Service, The Margins Project - Union Chapel, Salvation Army Housing Association Braintree Foyer, The Lily Housing Project, Rebuilding Lives, Grain House Trust, Shiloh Rotherham, The Salvation Army - Langley British Columbia, Galway Simon Community, Beverley Smith, Northampton Borough Council, Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, The Church of Christ UK, Greystones Tameside Limited, Jane-Anne Tribe,
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CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
news
NAC SPOTLIGHT by Jon Cox of Two Saints and National Advisory Council Chair Having been elected as Chair of the National Advisory Council (NAC) in September 2010 I thought it overdue that I write to introduce myself and the working practice of the NAC. I started work in the sector in the early 90’s and worked my way through a range of support and management roles picking up a couple of professional qualifications along the way. My current position is that of Head of Business Assembly chair for housing, raised
work in helping nearly 1,000 Central
Development for Two Saints – a
the rise in rough sleeping figures and
and Eastern European rough sleepers
specialist provider of services to
Homeless Link’s research on cuts to
in London.
homeless and vulnerable people in
homelessness services at Mayor’s
the South East of England.
Question Time on the 16th June.
thirdsectorexcellenceawards.com
The Mayor promised to act, so she
CUTS MAKE IT HARDER FOR
enable senior individuals working
wrote a follow-up letter asking him to
HOMELESS PEOPLE TO GET HELP
for member agencies to play
talk to charities affected by cuts, to
New Homeless Link research indicates
a part in informing Homeless
talk to London Councils about their
that funding cuts could be making it
Link’s policy and campaigning
grant programme coming to an end
harder for people to get help while
work. The NAC is made up of two
with many grants expiring 6 months
impacting on local communities.
representatives from each region,
The purpose of the NAC is to
before the next grant programme
two client representatives and a
may commence, and to report back
In a survey of over 200 homelessness
representative of the Homeless Link
to the Assembly about the overall
services in England, 57% of
Board. The quarterly meetings are
funding problems the sector is facing.
respondents said that they had seen
also attended by Homeless Link’s
their funding fall in 2011, while 48%
CEO, Jenny Edwards, as well as key
said they expect further cuts this year.
members of management.
You can watch the full exchange on YouTube: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=XMyfM50ZuO8
78% said that these cuts have already had an impact on their service, with
Half the agenda is set by Homeless
some people not getting the help
Link, focussing on three questions
they need get back on their feet.
on which they would like NAC
THAMES REACH SHORTLISTING (x2)
opinion and guidance. The other
Thames Reach has been shortlisted
The findings of the Homeless Link
half is set by the members, via
in two categories of the Third Sector
survey suggest that the reduced
their regional NAC representatives.
Excellence Awards 2011.
ability to help some homeless people
These items ensure that three main
could be having a wider impact on
points or ‘asks’ are put to HL on
some local communities.
each agenda item ensuring our
The first shortlisting is in the
voices, messages and requests are
Communications Campaign category for the Thames Reach
Read the full report:
super-strength drinks campaign.
www.homeless.org.uk/news
responded to quickly. We represent you - so do stay
The organisation has also been
AND FINALLY, CONGRATULATIONS...
in touch with your regional
shortlisted in the Third Sector Big
...to our very own CEO, Jenny
representative.
Impact Award for the Thames Reach
Edwards, on her CBE for services to
London Reconnection Project and its
disadvantaged people.
www.homeless.org.uk/nac WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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COMMENT
CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
NEW STRATEGY NEW FUNDING The Homelessness Transition
do end up on the streets, supporting them into stable
Fund is a key element of the
accommodation, employment and a better future.
Government’s new rough sleeping strategy. Its purpose is
A number of challenges have been putting this progress
to help end rough sleeping by
at risk. Not only has the number of people seeking
protecting services in England,
help with housing increased but a significant number
encouraging innovation and
of councils have also cut the funding they give to
supporting communities to
homelessness agencies .
adopt the ‘No Second Night Out’ standard.
The three year £20m Homelessness Transition Fund has been established to help ensure that progress towards
The £20m Homelessness Transition Fund is supported by
ending homelessness is not lost.
the Department of Communities and Local Government and administered by Homeless Link. The independent
NO SECOND NIGHT OUT
fund will run over three years, with money given out in
‘No Second Night Out’ is a simple standard. That anyone
successive funding rounds.
who ends up on the streets should get rapid help to ensure that they do not spend a second night out.
The fund aims to: We know that the longer someone sleeps rough, the •
Protect essential services for single homeless people
greater their chances of spiralling downwards into a long
and support them in becoming sustainable, and
term life on the streets where they are very vulnerable to crime, drugs and alcohol, and at high risk of serious illness,
•
Support the introduction of ‘No Second Night
and potential early death.
Out’ standard to end rough sleeping and other innovations.
No Second Night Out involves the community working together to identify people who are sleeping rough and
The fund offers grants to help services secure their long-
ensuring they can quickly access a place of safety, where
term future and grants to help services pilot new ways of
their needs can be assessed and they can get the right
working that support the ambition to end rough sleeping
advice.
– such as ‘No Second Night Out’. Under No Second Night Out a rough sleeper should be Voluntary sector organisations, that spend most of their
able to access emergency accomodation and other
income on homelessness services, will be able to apply
services such as healthcare. If they come from outside
for grants if they meet the criteria of each funding round.
an area or country, No Second Night Out also involves
Applications are also welcome from consortiums of
reconnecting people back to their local communities
organisations, which are led by a homelessness agency.
and ensuring they are able to access the housing and support they need.
BACKGROUND Government, local councils and homelessness charities
No Second Night Out means having the right services in
have made significant progress since the 1990s in
place to respond and involving the whole community in
preventing people from losing their homes and, if they
reporting and referring rough sleepers.
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CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
THE NEW GOVERNMENT STRATEGY
COMMENT
HOMELESSNESS TRANSITION FUND QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
The new Fund is a crucial part of the first of six commitments outlined in Vision to end rough sleeping: No
What is the Fund for?
Second Night Out nationwide, published on 6 July.
The fund aims to prevent critical services for single homeless people from closing, especially those helping
•
COMMITMENT 1: Helping people off the streets
rough sleepers and find a sustainable future. The fund
Adopting the No Second Night Out model across
also aims to support the Governments ambition to end
the country, with a specific mention of help for local
rough sleeping by rolling out the standard of No Second
authorities that have prioritised action to tackle
Night Out and other innovations.
significant numbers of migrant rough sleepers to reconnect them with their home countries.
How will it work? The £20m fund will run over three years, with money given
•
COMMITMENT 2: Helping people to access healthcare
out in successive funding rounds. We plan to give out £8m
Aiming that vulnerable groups are properly
in 2011/12, £8m in 2012/13 and £4m in 2013/14.
represented in Joint Strategic Needs Assessments; recognising the role of specialist services in treating
Voluntary sector organisations, which spend at most of
homeless people; looking at what needs to be done
their income on homelessness services, will be able to
around commissioning services for homeless people.
apply for grants if they meet the criteria of each round. Grants will vary depending upon the assessed level of
•
COMMITMENT 3: Helping people into work
need but are not expected to exceed £250,000.
Offering voluntary early access into the Work Programme for homeless people claiming Jobseekers
The funding criteria will be reviewed before each round to
Allowance; undertaking a review of employment
take into account the evolving needs of the homelessness
support for homeless people; prioritising further
sector. They will be announced in advance.
education and skills services. Applications will be considered on their individual merits •
COMMITMENT 4: Reducing bureaucratic burdens
by an independent panel that includes representatives
Includes a reduction in guidance from central
from central and local government, as well as the
government; simplifiying funding for further education
voluntary sector.
and skills; will no longer require local authorities and providers of services to submit ongoing data returns
Who can apply?
to Government on Supporting People services; will
The fund is aimed at charities, voluntary organisations
end plans for those seeking to work or volunteer with
and social enterprises that deliver front-line homelessness
vulnerable groups to register with the Vetting and
services and are affected by reductions in public
Barring Scheme.
spending. To apply an organisation or the lead applicant of a consortium of organisations must be one of the
•
COMMITMENT 5: Increasing local control over
following:
investment in services Analysing the cost of homelessness to help
•
a registered charity
communities identify where investment in
•
a voluntary and community unincorporated charitable association
homelessness prevention can best be made • •
COMMITMENT 6: Devolving responsibility for tackling
a community benefit society registered as an industrial and provident society
homelessness
•
a community interest company
In London, the Mayor has been given new
•
a social enterprise that reinvests
responsibilities and £34m of government investment to help end rough sleeping in the capital by the end of 2012.
For more Q&As visit www.homeless.org.uk/fund Read the new government strategy: www.communities.gov.uk No Second Night Out: www.nosecondnightout.org.uk WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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COMMENT
CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
LOCALISM: PITFALL OR OPPORTUNITY? One of the main goals of the Coalition Government
would be reviewed against the criteria of: household
is a “radical devolution of power” and the promotion
income; occupation; and job/seeking behaviour/benefit
of “decentralisation and democratic engagement”.
dependency. If tenants are deemed to no longer satisfy
Jacqui McCluskey, Homeless Link’s Director of Policy
these criteria they will be forced to vacate the property
and Communications explains how they intend to do this and what are the implications.
Social housing allocations reform – the Bill will give local authorities greater freedom to set their own policies
The Government’s main vehicle for achieving this
about who should qualify to go on the waiting list for
devolution is the Localism Bill, published in December
social housing in their area.
2010 – the aim of which is to help build the ‘Big Society’ by “radically transforming relationships between central
Reform of homelessness legislation – local authorities
government, local government, communities and
will be able to meet their homelessness duty by providing
individuals”.
an tenancy offer in the private rented sector, with a minimum 12 month fixed term, without the consent of
But how will this translate into practice? And what does it
the tenant. Previously, a social home had to be offered
mean for homelessness?
unless the tenant opted for a private tenancy. If an offer is refused, for whatever reason, the local authority no
FOUR CORNERS OF THE LOCALISM BILL
longer have a duty to house them.
There are four key areas of the Bill: Other proposals include reform of council housing finance, whereby councils will be able to keep rent and
•
New freedoms and flexibilities for local government
•
New rights and powers for communities and
Scheme for those in social rented homes who want to
individuals
swap; providing social tenants with stronger tools to hold
use it to maintain social homes; National Homeswap
their landlords to account and local authorities expected •
Reform to make the planning system more
to support tenant panels; abolition of the Tenants
democratic and more effective
Services Authority and transfer functions to Homes and Communities Agency, establishing the Independent
•
Reform to ensure that decisions about housing are
Housing Ombudsman specialising in complaints about
taken locally
social housing.
Arguably it’s this last point that will most impact on the
OUR CONCERNS
people who use homelessness services, in four specific
The proposed reforms to homelessness legislation and
areas:
security of tenure in social housing significantly undermine critical protection for vulnerable people in housing
Social housing tenure reform – the Bill will allow for more
need at a time when the housing safety net is needed
flexible arrangements for people entering social housing
more than ever. It is these reforms that Homeless Link
in the future and removes security of tenure in general
and others in the sector have been most concerned
needs housing for new tenants. The proposals mean
about. Shelter and Crisis have been leading on tabling
that councils will be able to set time limited tenancies
amendments to the Localism Bill, which Homeless Link has
where, after a minimum of two years, the tenancy
supported.
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CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
COMMENT
SOCIAL HOUSING PROPOSALS
homelessness for people as they struggle to settle in
While a recent survey found that over 40% of councils
the insecure private rented sector.
said they would not use the new powers , concerns remain that where flexible tenancies are introduced
While lobbying to have these proposals removed from
there will be negative impacts and, as Shelter has
the Bill, Shelter and Crisis have also been lobbying
identified, these include:
to improve standards in the PRS. We have supported Shelter’s amendment for local authorities to be required
•
Creation of a powerful work disincentive – tenants
to introduce PRS accreditation schemes setting out
would be forced from their homes when they gain
the minimum standards for landlord compliance. At
more or better paid work, potentially undermining
Report Stage, the Minister, Andrew Stunell identified that
the positive outcomes from Universal Credit.
while the Government was not minded to introduce a national accreditation scheme, they would give further
•
Creating a highly bureaucratic and costly system of
consideration to some of the aspects of such a scheme.
complex reviews whilst increasing the potential for costly legal challenges from tenants.
STRENGTHENING ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE FOR NONPRIORITY HOMELESS PEOPLE
•
Further concentration of deprivation and
Despite there being an existing duty on local authorities
worklessness in social housing.
to provide advice and assistance for non-priority homeless people (mainly single people and couples
•
Undermining the role of social housing in providing a
without dependent children), in practice, the help and
secure and stable home for future residents.
support given is often poor and inadequate. Research by Crisis highlights that a third of single homeless
•
Vulnerable, low income families and tenants will be
people do not get to see a housing advisor, are given
rotated between social housing and an insecure,
unhelpful advice, signposted to hostels which are full
unaffordable and under-regulated private rented
or given useless written material and 20% left council
sector. There is a real risk of homelessness if landlords
offices without being given the opportunity to make
and local authorities provide inadequate support in
a homelessness application. Crisis has led on tabling
the transition.
amendments on this issue and Homeless Link has supported their amendments.
HOMELESSNESS DUTY We share the concerns of Shelter and Crisis that the
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
proposal to discharge homelessness duties by local
The Localism Bill has passed through the House of
authorities by offers of private sector tenancies represents
Commons Committee Stage and is now in the Lords. At
a threat to the existing homelessness safety net. As Shelter
the Committee stage the opposition tabled and debated
set out in their amendment briefings:
40 amendments and new clauses in relation to the housing and homelessness provisions and not one was
•
Allowing councils to discharge homeless families
accepted by the Government.
into the private rented sector – with just a 12 month tenancy – offers no meaningful security to vulnerable
We are continuing to work with Shelter and Crisis to
homeless households.
support their lobbying work on the Bill on changes to homelessness duty, strengthening advice and assistance
•
This measure will not alleviate homelessness but has
for non-priority homeless people, flexible tenancies
the potential to strip homelessness legislation of its
and improving standards in PRS through accreditation
force and leave the most vulnerable with little more
schemes.
support than non-statutory homeless people. •
These changes could reduce the support offered to homeless people and make repeat homelessness
For full details on the proposals of the Localism Bill visit www.communities.gov.uk/publications/ localgovernment/localismplainenglishguide
more likely. •
The lack of security risks creating cycles of
For updates on all of Homeless Link’s policy work: www.homeless.org.uk/policy-roundup WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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COMMENT
CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
BIG SOCIETY: IS IT BIG ENOUGH? Hazel Cheeseman, Policy and Public Affairs Manager
not homeless people.
at St Mungo’s, explains why they chose homeless people and their inclusion in society as the focus for
There was a desire, however, among homeless people
this year’s Action Week.
to be included. Of St Mungo’s homeless clients surveyed, 70% wanted to volunteer to “give something back to their
One of the essential foundation stones for tackling
local community” or to “help other people”.
homelessness is the active and visible inclusion of homeless people themselves – yet one of the conclusions
Lorette is a volunteer peer advisor as part of St Mungo’s
of the new report published by St Mungo’s is that there
resettlement service. She said: “When I started
is no guarantee that this principle is embedded in the
volunteering firstly I wanted to give something back- I
Government’s new approach.
know that’s a cliché but I really mean it and secondly I want to work in this field and this is the best way to gain
Enough Room: is society big enough for homeless people? is based on 20 peer research interviews with homeless people; a survey of 200 St Mungo’s staff and clients; a YouGov survey of 2,000 members of the public; and qualitative interviews with leaders and senior staff in the homelessness sector. What it found was a bit bleak.
experience. “I think everyone should do some sort of volunteering. It’s great for your self esteem and confidence, especially if you have been out of work for a long time. There are new skills to learn, great people to meet and a great feeling of self worth that you really are helping people and doing
Some illustrative words taken from the 20 peer research
something really worthwhile.”
interviews included ‘overlooked, ‘shunned’, ‘swept under the carpet’, ‘ignored’, ‘watching from the sidelines’, ‘out
As Charles Fraser, chief executive, of St Mungo’s writes
in the cold’, ‘nuisance’.
in the foreword, he too had “mixed feelings” when David Cameron was launching the Big Society. “Here
Most of the clients surveyed talked of stigma,
was a leader embracing the charitable sector and
ostracisation and being looked down on and although
acknowledging the contribution it makes to the greater
many of them said that services were there to help, they
social good. He was also setting out a philosophy that
also said there were not enough. A common theme
aimed to: “help the most disadvantaged in our country”.
was that they felt entitled to be part of society simply
All of this seemed a good thing – but what did it mean
by being a human being. Another theme was the ‘it’s
in practice? And how would it make a difference for
their own fault’ mentality among the public, with many
homeless people?”
commenting on the lack of understanding about the complexity of homelessness.
Phillip Blond, director of ResPublica, and Big Society ‘architect’, has also contributed a foreword to what he
The report asked what homeless people thought of the
calls “this welcome and timely” report.
Big Society. They were sceptical. Whilst there was support for the concept and specific policy thrusts, there was real
He said: “The Big Society has nothing to do with austerity
concern that they would be losers - not only because
or public service cutbacks; it involves the state insofar
services which support them are being cut but also
as to improve and augment public services to better
because there are fears that more community based
the outcomes for those most dependent on them… For
decision making will benefit the ‘articulate middle class’,
those on the margins and with multiple needs, social
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CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
COMMENT
networks, family and friends are an invaluable source of support and can have a huge and transformative impact on lives. But for those who lack such vital connections, action is required to ensure that a truly responsible society is encouraged and facilitated. With many services that offer accommodation, support and advice for the homeless facing the challenges of current public spending constraints, the importance of accessing the resources and leveraging the impact of the surrounding community becomes all the more important.” Commenting on the findings, Charles Fraser continued: “The report finds that homeless people were generally positive about many of the principles of the Big Society. They liked the idea of devolved decision-making, and were positive about opportunities for volunteering. Currently, though, only 14% of St Mungo’s clients and staff think homeless people are included in society – the
•
Set the standard for inclusion on the ground
unvalued as human beings.
•
Tackle the stigma which excludes people
“They were also worried that the good intentions of
•
Develop a volunteering strategy for the most
others feel homeless people are looked down on and
the Big Society would be betrayed at local level and
disadvantaged, and
that transferring greater powers to communities would encourage them to be more exclusive. Worryingly, all of our clients thought the Big Society would have a
•
Review its current approaches against the Inclusion Checklist
negative impact on them personally, and they drew a very clear link in their minds between this and the cuts in
At the Action Week’s Parliamentary reception, Jake
public spending.
Berry MP promised to take back the report and its recommendations to the Ministerial Working Group
“That reflected the views of sector leaders, who were
on preventing and tackling homelessness for their
concerned that the cuts – homeless services are typically
consideration.
reporting a 25% loss of funding – are curtailing the sector’s ability to deliver the Big Society. The report highlights
Charles Fraser said: “Strong and concerted government
the disproportionate burden of cuts being carried by
action has not yet materialised. We badly need to see it,
homelessness services – because the client group is not
even in chrysalis form. We need government to stand up
a statutory priority. The real fear is that short-term actions
for tolerance and inclusion, and to challenge, wherever
to balance the books will lead to long-term increases in
it comes across it, the view that vulnerability is a lifestyle
homelessness.”
choice.
The challenge for the Government is how to translate this
“Big Society cannot exist in a vacuum: the vital role
idea of community activism and social renewal so that it
of government is to take some action, not just to set
reaches homeless people. St Mungo’s says the solution to
priorities, but to lead and kick-start broader participation.
this conundrum needs leadership ahead of compromise.
We hope our report offers some answers to both local and central government on how to make the Big Society work
The report also includes an Inclusion Checklist. This is a
for the most disadvantaged. We, as much as the Prime
list of specific actions that the charity believes would
Minister, want to “create a more united and equal place
help include homeless people much more within society,
for us all”.
across a range of Government departments from health, to work and pensions, to communities and local
Read the report and find out more at:
government. Broadly, these are:
www.mungos.org/actionweek WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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COMMENT
CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
NO SECOND NIGHT OUT: ENDING ROUGH SLEEPING LOCALLY 12 OCTOBER 2011 | LONDON | ONE-DAY CONFERENCE
SHARING EFFECTIVE REAL-LIFE SOLUTIONS TO END ROUGH SLEEPING IN BRITAIN. In 21st century Britain no-one should be destitute on our streets. Over the past two decades successive government initiatives have helped our country make real progress in tackling the issues of one its most excluded groups – rough sleepers. Now is the time to make the final push and end rough sleeping for good. This event will share expertise in what strategic approaches have worked so far and will explore the role that each Local Authority and each homelessness charity can play in ending rough sleeping locally. There will be two equal strands to the day, running through the programme: •
the measures that can be put in place to prevent rough sleeping
•
the work that can be done to support those who are rough sleeping away from the streets, stopping it becoming their home.
JOIN OUR PLEDGE: No-one should spend more than 1 night on the streets no-one should make the streets their home THIS COULD HAPPEN ANYWHERE During these challenging economic times more people, in more areas, are living on the margins, vulnerable to rough sleeping. This isn’t just an issue confined to our cities; all parts of the country are home to individuals who are at risk. To prevent this issue from worsening, we need there to be preventative measures and response plans in place across the UK, should someone end up on the streets. And we need services to ensure that noone is turned away, when they need them most. Drawing on an understanding of what works, this event will share solutions that can be tailored to your local needs, enabling all communities to tackle and prevent rough sleeping. PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS •
street count guidance
•
no second night out: implementing the pilot more widely
•
preventative measures
•
reducing evictions and abandonments from hostels
•
reconnecting rough sleepers
•
emergency accommodation responses
•
contribution of faith groups
•
resettlement: alternative models of accommodation
•
assertive models of outreach and enforcement
•
engaging entrenched rough sleepers with complex needs.
For more information or to book your place: T: 020 7840 4461 E: events@homelesslink.org.uk www.homeless.org.uk/ROUGH-SLEEPING
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COMMENT
LOCAL ADVICE, NATIONAL CODE As the Localism Bill is
Some local authorities understand the benefits, both
reviewed in the House of
to their communities and financially, of ensuring good
Lords, Shadow Housing
advice – even if it is to simply point someone to a safe
Minister Alison Seabeck MP
place for the night to prevent rough sleeping and help
argues that with devolution of
them to avoid the risk of the downward spiral.
power to local government, it is essential to impose basic
I would want, and indeed argued, to see the introduction
minimum standards of advice
of some basic minimum standards that would compel
nationally.
local authorities that cannot or will not offer a decent standard of service to do so. The pressures on local
The Localism Bill has now moved into the House of Lords
authorities and cuts to their services which have already
for further scrutiny. There were many areas specific to
gone too far and too fast are well understood. But so too
community empowerment on which we found consensus
is the financial net benefit of ensuring that this first point
in the House of Commons, however the area where
of contact for a homeless person or family understands
the Party political divide was at its most stark was in
homelessness enough to ask the right questions and
the housing clauses of this Bill. The first was around
importantly give sound advice about their rights and
security of tenure, the second on the introduction of
what is available to them.
flexible tenancies and the third around changes to the homelessness duty.
People, who may be drug or alcohol dependent, perhaps have mental health problems or have been the
The debates specific to homelessness were very well
victims of abuse will benefit from access to people and
informed, with members from all sides speaking with
organisations that can support them to get them back
knowledge and commitment. That, you could say, ought
on track. I often hear or read of examples of people
to be a positive. The Housing Minister’s move to set up
whose lives have been turned around by the simple fact
cross-departmental meetings, allowing consideration
that advice was offered early and was of a high quality.
of all the issues which cause homelessness and which
I recently attended a Homeless Link event at which
are exacerbated by it – including health, education
people described their experiences of homelessness,
and crime - is also to be welcomed. We also raised in
their personal journeys from the street to the warmth of
committee the issue of ‘no more than one night’ and
a home. None of them had an easy time but all had
I am pleased to see that the Government are taking
received great advice and all are now back working,
this forward. It remains to be seen if the £20 million is
paying tax and contributing to the wider society
adequate in terms of supporting the extra beds which will be needed in suitable accommodation.
We are facing a period of climbing homelessness and a wider population which, while broadly accepting the
So it was a shame that we could not persuade his
need to cut the benefits bill, does not feel this action
colleagues on the Bill Committee to support amendments
is acceptable if it results in more people becoming
designed to enhance the advice offered to people who
homeless. Clearly housing supply has to be increased.
are homeless or who are at risk of becoming homeless.
Homelessness can be prevented – and I would argue that
These amendments had very broad support from those
good advice, nationwide would make a difference.
working in the field – Crisis and Shelter – among them as well as many smaller charities and organisations.
Read more about Alison at www.alisonseabeck.org.uk WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
AFTER THE POWER SHIFT Joe Kent, Homeless Link’s
programme, instigated by central government, that
Head of Regions, looks at
encompasses Places of Change; the prevention and
the practical ways in which
housing options shifts and Supporting People. Couple
homelessness services have
these initiatives from central government with initiatives
to adapt as decision making
from the homelessness sector, such as the drive to end
becomes increasingly local.
rough sleeping, and you can see why there has been incredible progress.
A local authority strategic lead homelessness officer recently
FROM CENTRAL TO LOCAL
said to me: “I really miss our
Now we are seeing another great shift in the dynamics
CLG advisor coming in and
of the sector, with a decentralisation in the balance of
having a go at me and telling
power between central and local government.
me what to do”. It is a surprising statement when taken at face value. But it’s really a statement about the politics
It used to be the norm that the central government
and the art of getting things done in a Local Authority -
advisor would go out and look at what was happening
and how that is changing.
from area to area and seek improvements from local authorities. There were small grant incentives and this
THE DUSTBIN OF LOCAL SERVICES
would create powerful levers for change and really help
For many years homelessness was the dustbin of local
that lead homelessness officer to get things done within
services. I am sure that for a couple of decades Directors
their authority.
and Chief Officers groaned when they heard the lead homelessness officer knocking on their door.
This approach has gone now and it is up
It could only mean three things...
to local authorities to decide how best to
1. there was a crisis that might get to the politicians and press
prioritise their services locally. This leaves the
“I really miss our CLG advisor coming in and having a go at me and telling me what to do”
homelessness lead 2. it would be expensive to sort out
officer more isolated than before. They are representing a service area that receives clients who have dropped
3. there wouldn’t be a good outcome
through the protective nets of many other service areas. They are also facing the twin demands for savings
But, since the changes in recent years to the ways that
and improvements. Now this is something they have
services operate, the sector now delivers good outcomes
been doing successfully for several years, but can the
which are value for money - and it has proved this time
improvements continue exponentially?
and time again. Yes, there are still crisis situations, but we have better ways of handling them and improving
The Comprehensive Spending Review saw the sector
prevention work means better, and cheaper, outcomes
achieve a lot of success with the Treasury largely
for the individual and the state purse.
preserving Supporting People funding and increases in homelessness grant for local authorities. But, once that
Some of the reasons for this improvement are the change
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funding was put in a combined ‘formula grant’ pot, then
CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
finance officers have been able to distribute it according
COMMENT
and specific portfolio holders - now have new powers.
to local priorities – just as the central government declared they should.
Unfortunately, the current decisions are about where the biggest cuts will fall. If the homelessness sector
There are a number of effects beginning to appear: firstly,
has divided and critical voices, and is not achieving
as Local Authorities restructure, let staff go and merge
demonstrable outcomes, then there may be a tendency
teams, much of the specialist knowledge, skills and know-
to cut those services and instead have critical voices and
how are being lost.
no outcomes, but at a much cheaper price? This is a risk to the sector and the only way around it is constructive
FROM HOMELESSNESS SERVICE TO CARE HOME
engagement and professional relationships with local
In Supporting People teams in particular, mergers
decision makers - helping them to understand the
into Social Care departments are putting funding for
important, and often complex work, of homelessness
homelessness at risk. In the UK, there is a unique and
services.
highly specialised approach to supporting vulnerable people by linking their accommodation and support
THE WAY WE SHOW OUR CLIENTS
together. The most frequent complaint from other sectors
Another risk is the way that we present homeless people
is that these services are difficult to access because they
to the public. We know that 60% of people who beg are
are always in demand and full.
not homeless, yet as a sector we continue to present the image of a person in a doorway begging.
This unique homelessness approach is complex and not easy to operate well. Predictably, it is not always
Opinion polls show that the public is supportive of work
understood by Social Care departments, which have a
with people on the streets if we can get them back on
different ethos and approach driven by statutory care
their feet and help them to make a future contribution
requirements.
to society. But, they are not really interested if we dwell on their problems of addiction or offending. We need
The loss of homelessness specialists and lack of
to present previously homeless people who have
understanding that comes from merging Supporting
successfully climbed that cliff face of homelessness to
People into Social Care could result in services becoming
celebrate their achievement, inspire others to follow them
increasingly at risk of direct cuts, re-direction of funding
and inspire the public who are both potential donors and
to other areas, or simply further erosion of funding and
voters. This public engagement is essential if we are to
support.
give our political leaders the confidence to understand and protect the sector.
For example, an emerging trend appears to be the decommissioning of children’s homes for young people in care whilst requiring youth homelessness
turning homelessness services into care homes by the back door...sends completely the wrong message to care leavers
NEW ALLIANCES A common trait for the voluntary sector has been to criticise the statutory sector. This is because many services were originally founded as part of a campaign to fill a service gap and highlight the need for such services. That campaign has been won, but new alliances need to be considered and drawn - and the closest allies
projects to take
for a VCS provider is the lead homelessness officer and
quotas of care leavers. This is turning homelessness
the Supporting People commissioner (who is probably
services into care homes by the back door and sends
seeking ever more savings).
completely the wrong message to care leavers. This is essential if we are to market and evolve SO WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?
homelessness services and to protect them over the short
What can the voluntary sector do about this changing
term until new opportunities emerge and other models of
shift of power? There will always be a place for
service provision are developed.
influencing central government - but we also need a new focus on influencing local decision makers. Local councillors - in particular the Leader, the elected mayor
To meet Homeless Link’s regional manager in your area visit www.homeless.org.uk/in-your-area WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
RETHINKING RISK Joanne Crellen, Homeless Link’s Head of Innovation
forced to leave support networks in order to seek services
and Good Practice, asks why an increasing number
further afield; and a lack of resolution or support to tackle
of services are denying entry to the people they are
their issues. They can feel judged and disenfranchised by
designed to accommodate. What does this mean for
the lack of control over their lives, while routes into other
people who are homeless? How should funders and
accommodation, work, volunteering, even specialist
service providers respond?
services that might be better suited to their needs, may be similarly blocked. Many return to previously
Homeless Link’s Survey of Needs and Provision (SNAP)
negative behaviour, such as offending or drug use. The
2011 revealed that 90% of the 500 homelessness services
likelihood that they will escape the cycle of homelessness
surveyed will refuse clients access to their services for set
decreases exponentially.
reasons or criteria. This proportion is up on previous years, which means that projects are becoming increasingly
COMPLEX GHETTOS
difficult to access.
Services that do not have such barriers in place are being overloaded with these most complex clients, often
Earlier this year, we spoke to a number of service
challenging their ability to manage risk or work effectively.
managers, staff and clients across the country to
Because these clients are significantly more difficult to
understand the extent, reasons and impact of barriers
move on, services often have to accommodate them
to accessing services. Very few projects openly have
for longer than they would other clients. The risk for these
blanket exclusion policies or bans, but barriers take
services is that they can become stigmatised by clients
different forms and can be implemented either formally
and other providers alike, while the outcomes expected
or informally, and often unconsciously, to exclude certain
by commissioners become difficult to maintain.
people from services. TIME TO RETHINK WHEN RISK MEANS ‘NO’
One thing is clear: against a backdrop of increased
So why are the barriers there at all? In most cases, it is
local decision making, it is down to the local authorities
because of perceived risk and attempts to manage
and service providers to take responsibility for finding
this risk. Most commonly, this risk pertains to individuals
solutions to support even the most challenging individuals
with histories of certain convictions, past difficulties in
out of homelessness. As a sector, we must reconsider
sustaining accommodation, and those who display
how we perceive risk, looking beyond an event or
multiple or high support needs. As a result, the
action in a client’s history as a defining focus of risk
accommodation options for many clients, many with
assessment, to the circumstances, motivations and
complex needs, are becoming increasingly narrow.
conditions around that action, the time elapsed since, and how these factors relate to the client currently. As
At a time when many services are being reduced and
one accommodation manager said: “All [services] need
providers are being required to demonstrate increasingly
to think about how we actually manage the risk of the
competitive outcomes, there is a real risk of this
people we are there to support. Lose the labels, lose the
particularly vulnerable, and often most difficult to work
categories and look at people as individuals.”
with, group of people falling through the gaps. ALICE’S STORY - PART ONE The impact on clients is immediate and significant: longer
Now in her mid-20s, Alice (not her real name) was
periods of sleeping rough or staying with friends; being
convicted for committing arson in 2007. Born partially
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COMMENT
sighted and registered disabled, she was in a series of
respond to the circumstances of those who need them
unsuccessful foster placements from the age of three,
most.
in one of which she alleged physical and sexual abuse. At 19, a relationship for which she moved away from the
ALICE’S STORY - PART TWO
area, ended due to domestic violence.
Alice moved into a 4-bed shared house with a visiting support worker.
Alice lived independently in a local authority tenancy for three years, but during this time she became isolated
The arson task force was contacted prior to her move and
and vulnerable, and started misusing alcohol on a daily
an inspection of the property took place. A service was
basis. She also self-harmed and attempted suicide.
contacted regarding her eyesight, and her new home adapted to allow her
During the same
to be independent
period, social
and safe.
services, on her request, gave her
Initially feeling very
the files of her time
self-conscious and
in their care. Alice
vulnerable, with
couldn’t bring herself
support from her
to read them.
keyworker, Alice has made positive
She describes feeling
relationships with
out of control, useless
peers, and family
and worthless, and
relations have also
ended up setting
improved.
fire to the files on her bed.
She has strategies in place for coping
The fire spread and caused £12,000 worth of damage.
with self-harm lapses, including regular GP check-ups and medication reviews. Having completed an outreach program on
Alice served 9 months of an 18 month custodial sentence
personal development, Alice is growing in confidence
before being released on license. The probation service
although she still does not feel comfortable going out
referred her to a number of accommodation services
unaccompanied.
but had difficulty placing her because of her conviction. Eventually, they managed to find her accommodation in
Alice has been settled in her accommodation for 18
a service that did not operate barrier policies.
months and is interacting in the house and the local community. During this time she has not been in any other
PREVENTION, NOT EXCLUSION
trouble with the police or probation.
Clients’ behavioural patterns must be viewed as a basis for preventing future difficulties rather than as a tool for
ENCOURAGING CHANGE
exclusion.
While it is in services that new approaches need to be found, funders and strategic managers within local
There are excellent examples across the country of how
government are crucial to ensuring the standard is
services can work with clients who have needs that are
applied consistently. They are in a unique position to
most commonly cited as being ‘legitimate’ reasons for
facilitate change and make certain every individual has
exclusion: ex-offenders, arsonists, those with high support
access to local services that are appropriate to their
needs and histories of eviction and abandonment. All
needs.
providers should be looking to these services to see how this can be done. Misunderstandings of law, a lack of personalised response, and a risk-averse approach can all be overcome to enable inclusive services that can
You can find more on Homeless Link’s work on barriers to finding accommodation on our website: www.homeless.org.uk/barriers WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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COMMENT
CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
SIGNPOSTING THE ALTERNATIVE David Ford, member of
in the fast lane of the homelessness motorway, oblivious
Homeless Link’s Expert Panel,
to the possible exits as I passed them because there was
considers what might have
nothing to tell me they were there. Homelessness isn’t
helped him to avoid becoming
something people plan for. For those of us who become
homeless in 2009 and looks
homeless without any of the deep-rooted baggage
at how we could all be taking
others have had to endure, we need quick, clearly
greater responsibility for
signed exits to escape the road we’re on. The further you
avoiding more preventable
go, the harder it is to turn around and the more distant
homelessness.
‘normality’ becomes. In practical terms, you become increasingly dependant on the state - and the likelihood
I’m often asked what might have prevented me
of you turning to drugs, alcohol and crime becomes ever
from becoming homeless. Although it’s asked of me
stronger.
personally, it’s probably the biggest question that should be on the minds of everyone involved in homelessness
LOCAL AUTHORITY SIGNPOSTS
services. It’s the real holy grail of the sector: how can we
Local authority housing offices should be key players in
prevent homelessness? Wouldn’t finding the answer be
this. Predictably, that’s the first place I went for help. But
an incredible thing? End homelessness. Job done. Let’s
having pored out my heart, I was given a long list of things
find a new career.
the council couldn’t do for me, and nothing constructive that they could do for me.
For me personally, the question leads to a list of what ifs. What if I hadn’t gone into care? What if I’d done better
What I needed at that point was clear information to
at school? What if I hadn’t joined the Army? What if drink
help me to get out of the situation I was in. Basic practical
and drugs hadn’t been so appealing? A whole load of
advice. A list of landlords that accepted housing benefit
what ifs about managing money, depression, career and
clients would have been a start. And perhaps some
business. Most importantly, what if I had managed to
advice on the different ways around the required deposits
keep hold of a loving relationship? What if? What if? The
(I now know of at least three). With that knowledge,
fact is there is no single thing that would have stopped
perhaps, I wouldn’t have ended up in the night shelters.
me from becoming homeless. A stream of decisions and events took me there. Lots and lots of cause and effect.
It doesn’t seem like a great deal to expect of council
But it might have been avoided.
offices. I can’t help but wonder how much suffering might be avoided if all local housing staff were trained
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
to be able to deliver consistent and constructive advice
I don’t recall at any time coming across or being given
like this. For the couple of minutes it might take, it could
any specific information about homelessness. This is
change lives.
actually surprising, considering the fact I’ve trodden so many of the well known paths into homelessness – leaving
SIGNPOSTING AMONG PEERS
care, armed forces, depression, substance misuse,
Many service users prefer to talk with ex-service users
relationship breakdown and money problems.
when confronting their issues. The levels of empathy and rapport gained by a professional who has had firsthand
What I never spotted at any point was signposts, offering
experience navigating the system, can often eclipse
me options that might have helped. I just kept straight on
the engagement of professionals who have not. From
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COMMENT
my own experience, having been a service user prior to
relatively simple. I work with a lot of long-term homeless
working in the sector, I’m in no doubt that it does make
people for whom it is painfully obvious that the reasons
a difference. Advice from someone who’s been where
for their cyclical homelessness are frighteningly deep.
you have will always resonate more than advice from
These are people whose improvement depends on
someone who hasn’t.
services working together – housing, drug and alcohol teams, mental health services, probation, the police, the
There are some excellent models for training people with
NHS. The signposts need to be in place not just for these
experience of homelessness to become professionals
service users but for everyone trying to help them. But I’ve
within our community, but they aren’t as widely used
lost count of the number of times the good work of one
as they could be. When we recognise the increasing
provider is undone by the well intentioned but ill advised
need to deliver more with less along with the need to get
actions of another.
people into meaningful and sustainable employment, can we not lobby for a government initiative to answer
In his article “Beyond Polarisation” (Connect 42) John
both these needs? The ripple effect of such an initiative
Kurht argued that we must put more effort into closing
could be incredibly powerful.
the divide between state funded organisations and community based projects. How right he is. Now
SIGNPOST FOR THE SECTOR
more than ever, everyone involved in housing and
Without the choices I’ve made, I suppose I wouldn’t
homelessness – from central government and local
be writing this, urging you to empower the people you
housing to charities and service users - needs to pull
work with to take better choices at every stage. How
together to work transparently and clearly – to make sure
can we signpost the practical options for care leavers,
that the signposts are in place for everyone, providing
or for ex-servicemen returning to Civvy Street? Which
core information that might just help people make the
way should people be turning to stop their relationships
right choices and avoid homelessness.
from breaking down? Where re the stigma-free routes for people with depression and mental health issues?
It actually needn’t be complicated, especially when you consider the alternative of letting people slip through
It’ll be a challenge, offering real alternatives to people,
the holes and onto the streets. Every time someone isn’t
instead of just ticking boxes and going through the
prevented from losing their home, dignity and wellbeing –
motions. But it’ll be worth it.
now that’s when things really do become complicated.
Compared with others, my experience has been
David Ford writes at www.davidford.co WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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FEATURES
CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
PERSONAL, LOCAL INNOVATive As services navigate a world of cuts, welfare
This sophisticated process is undertaken only by those
reforms and uncertainty, Jon Cox, Head of Business
who have been appropriately trained and accredited –
Development at Two Saints and Chair of Homeless
and needs to be started as soon as possible if people are
Link’s National Advisory Council, argues that for
to feel they can trust and engage with it.
services to thrive they have to refocus. Core Services Personalisation Pilot: We want to Two Saints has lost 10% of its income through negotiated
change the way support is configured and provided in
reductions in Supporting People contracts to date.
our core block commissioned services. To test this we are
We’ve had to take some tough decisions about affected
about to embark on an innovative West Berkshire Council
services, but our job remains the same - to provide good
supported pilot in our 55 bed direct access hostel in
value, relevant, accessible and effective services and
Newbury, West Berkshire.
to ensure that people get the best service possible, whatever the budget. Less money in the sector does not
The team will be reconfigured to include core support,
mean less demand in the sector.
flexible support and assessment roles, allowing support to be delivered at a time and place and by a worker
The Two Saints response has become a drive towards
selected by the client, within certain boundaries. Clients
an increasingly customer focussed and personalised
will be given a ‘Free Resource’, to help achieve agreed
approach.
and eligible support outcomes. We believe that this will yield a higher number of outcomes per pound spent than
THINKING LOCAL, ACTING PERSONAL
traditional models.
Personalisation is the empowerment of an individual to be the identifier of their needs and goals, and the chief
The Psychologically Informed Environment: We are
architect of the plan to achieve them. Localism has a lot
working with Dr Nick McGuire (author of the CLG funded
in common. It’s personalisation for a community – so to a
‘The Psychological needs of those that are homeless’)
certain extent there’s an overlap between the needs of
to significantly enhance the awareness of psychology in
the individual and needs of the community.
our services. This is as much about staff understanding contributions to positive and negative communications,
Our response as an organisation is to evolve to meet our customers’ demands and anticipated changes in commissioning models. Two Saints is geographically diverse and we are listening hard to the differing needs of our commissioners and the community. Person Centred Assessment and Support Planning (PCASP): This is the backbone of our increasingly personalised offer and kept separate from any eligibility assessments. The overall process focuses on the areas of an individual’s life they are keen to maintain or change and helps people self identify their options and the resources that can enable this to happen. It focuses on what people have rather than solely on what they don’t.
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CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
This ongoing piece of cultural work dovetails well with our
FEATURES
Southampton and Portsmouth in October.
other innovations. HOMELESSNESS CHANGE PROGRAMME Changes to Outcomes Frameworks and
We have submitted bids for this third incarnation capital
Commissioning Models: Reconfiguring our support
stream. Our focus is on meeting local needs in terms of
database to encompass the PCASP process has afforded
rough sleeping and over demand for accommodation
us a fresh look at how we can respond to a variable
based services without need for increased revenue
and more localised outcomes landscape. We now
funding. Better configured and designed buildings
have enough flexibility to allow for any changes and
enable more effective, efficient and engaging services.
to evidence what we believe is important. We are also ready to more readily support the choices that individuals will make about services they wish to commission or have commissioned on their behalf. INNOVATION IS THE WORD To meet local demands in the face of cuts, the only way forward is to innovate. Here are a few examples: Day Centre When our day centre (newly refurbished with Places of Change funding) had its statutory funding cut by 77% we had to think quickly and cleverly. What we could have
PARTNERSHIPS & OPERATIONAL CHANGES
viewed as a disaster has given us the opportunity to
As teams and in some cases organisations shrink we
move away from a traditional day centre approach to
are looking to increasingly close partnership working,
what we term a Community Hub model.
including the potential for sharing of back office functions and other practical resources. At the front end, in our
This functional facility includes a range of services under
tendering activity there is an increased emphasis on
one roof, each playing a part in the overall survival
ensuring services are complimentary, focussed and do
of the hub. The hub now consists of a training facility,
not overlap to ensure clients and commissioners get the
an accommodation finding service, a homelessness
best from the funds available.
healthcare team, a street services team, a basic needs service and, we hope in the future, at least one social
The key challenge is continuing to work with the most
enterprise.
disadvantaged and marginalised in a culture of payment by results and outcomes, even though the results
SPARK
prescribed may be beyond some of those people’s
This social enterprise, offering fabricated steel products
reasonable expectations.
to order, bridges the river of exclusion many of our clients face. People gain independence, skills, confidence,
Two Saints are keen to ‘keep it real’. We work with those
work experience and training in a supported industrial
that others exclude and pride ourselves on this reputation.
setting - manufacturing and marketing commercially
This is not without issue though, and that’s why none of
competitive products on the open market with all profits
this would work without meaningful client involvement.
being channelled back to the social objectives of Two Saints and SPARK. The aim is to move away from reliance
Co-production and co-regulation, whereever possible,
on grants to reliance in sales income.
is the Two Saints way. We would be truly rudderless without input from members of the client led teams, the
Real Lettings South
Project Assessment Team, the Joint Asset Management
There is not enough move on accommodation and
Team, the Service Excellence Group Members and those
where there is a supply it is often of a poor standard. After
who contribute at the Challenge Group and in-house
discussions with Broadway, we are embarking on an
meetings.
exciting partnership to bring their successful REAL Lettings Private Sector Leasing Model to our area, starting in
Read more about Two Saints at www.twosaints.org.uk WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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TO COLLECT OR NOT TO COLLECT Homeless Link’s Elizabeth Schertler and Joanne
CRITICAL MASS
Crellen ask why information collection is so important - especially in an environment where there is little time
Homeless Link’s Critical Mass project is a three year Big Lottery funded research project designed to explore whether operational data collected by homelessness agencies can be used to inform research, as well as to influence policy and practice.
for tasks beyond the day to day running of front line services. And once you’ve got it, what is it good for? With localism so high on the political agenda, with all its promises of more local decision making and less bureaucracy, services may find a reduction in the mandatory data requested of them.
Data from seven frontline organisations was analysed for the Critical Mass research project, on over 51,000 individuals who accessed the services run by partner organisations between 2005 to 2009.
For example, some local authorities are no longer asking services to complete Supporting People Client Record Returns. But should services be collecting that data anyway? WHY BOTHER IF IT TAKES TIME WE DON’T HAVE? There’s always a balance to be achieved between the time and resources required to collect and use the information, and the benefits gained by doing so. If you
•
The ability to demonstrate impact. At a time of
collect no information, you’ll reap none of the related
reduced provision and less funding, services need to
rewards; if you collect too much, you’ll lose valuable time
become increasingly competitive and demonstrate
that could have been spent working with clients.
to funders the effect that they are having.
So, it’s about getting the systems and processes in place
•
The focus to improve. The most effective services are
to allow you to collect the most important, high quality
those that are able to reflect on their achievements
information possible, while keeping the time impact on
and identify areas that could be better. This is vital for
staff as low as possible.
services to demonstrate their effectiveness.
To do that, you need to be able to answer four questions.
WORKING WITH FUNDERS
What are the benefits? What information will be most
Funders’ decisions are influenced by national and local
useful? How can you ensure it is of a good quality? How
priorities, so you need to be clear how your service, and
can you minimise the impact on staff?
the needs you have identified, relate to these priorities. Make sure you’re signed up to Homeless Link’s member
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
bulletins, such as Memberlink and Policy Round-Up (www.
Collected consistently over time, good quality service
homeless.org.uk/policy-roundup) to stay up to speed on
data can give you:
recent key developments.
•
Access to funding. While mandatory reporting is
Commissioning structures and processes for how
reducing nationally, funding bodies will still require
services are commissioned can vary greatly from area
information on the services they fund.
to area. Invest some time to understand how things are
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administered near you, so that you are able to target the
FEATURES
most appropriate funders effectively.
TIPS FOR ORGANISATIONS...
Funders vary in the extent to which they specify the
TRAINING:
outcomes they want services to achieve. Some will be
Implement client data collection and analysis
explicit not only about the outcomes but also about
training as part of the induction process for all staff
the means by which they expect them to be achieved;
and volunteers.
others will have broad categories of services they fund and developing the outcomes and indicators becomes a
PRODUCE SIMPLE GUIDELINES:
mutual process.
Produce a reminder sheet to have by computers offering step by step guidance.
The more dialogue you are able to have with your funders the more likely you are to have outcomes and
USE YOUR DATA:
indicators that you can meet, and that are the most
Use pre- and post-evaluation methods to see
effective ones for achieving what you want. The data you
whether certain programmes/activities have an
collect will be essential in gauging this.
impact on certain outcomes.
Different funders respond to different data sources, so
TIPS FOR TEAMS...
use both qualitative and quantitative data to make your case, backed up by case studies that support that
DISCUSS YOUR DATA:
data. If you can draw on statistical data that is absolutely
Insert a standing item on team meeting agendas
backed up by quotes and personal stories, then you can
to share thoughts on current practices and any
make a powerful case for support.
challenges that arise. Plan for future proposals by discussing what relevant information needs to be
KEEP YOUR DATA JARGON-FREE
collected, how to gather such data and how to
Commissioning processes often involve colleagues of
analyse it. Update each other on interesting findings
the funder or clients. Therefore your data needs to be
that you have noticed. Nominate a member of staff
accessible to everyone during any funding applications
with an interest in data as a data champion.
or campaigning work. UPDATE YOUR FIELDS: Make your message simple and clear; keep your
Ensure that the data collection form you use
information short.
responds to any new client groups you may see. If other information is being collected on a regular
DEMONSTRATING IMPACT
basis, create a new question in your form, and new
Once you have funding, you need to be able to show
data field in your data inputting system
you are meeting the required outcomes and having the greatest impact on your clients’ lives. Raw data or large
TIPS FOR INDIVIDUALS...
spread-sheets can put funders off, so make information as simple and easy to understand as possible and
MANAGERS:
provide summaries of the data.
Try to stress the importance of data collection on your frontline staff.
It’s important that you don’t expect the data to stand alone – it’s there to support the story you are telling or the
FRONTLINE STAFF:
case you are putting forward.
Remember that the data you collect will help your clients. Frontline data collection also feeds into
In terms of how you can make it easier for your project to
the bigger picture of homelessness – potentially
collect and analyse information, the panel on the right
informing different levels of government as well as the
shows some of the tips from our data collection toolkit.
homelessness sector as a whole. In filling in forms and files correctly, you are telling politicians what it is to
Read more on Critical Mass and the toolkits at www.homeless.org.uk/critical-mass
be homeless.
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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WE DON’T WANT MIRACLES Michelle Cornes of the Social
there is a tendency to back off.
Care Workforce Research Unit, King’s College London,
Another regular scenario is that when people move
describes some innovative
into their new accommodation there is sometimes a
approaches to workforce
honeymoon period during which there is excitement and
development which promote
a sense of relief about having found a new home. All of
interprofessional working
this can give the impression that neat linear pathways
in dealing with Multiple
through the system are entirely possible precluding the
Exclusion Homelessness.
need for more long term support.
When Supporting People was launched, housing support
However, the problem with parallel or uni-professional
services were thought of as forming a bridge between
ways of working is that when people’s needs change -
general housing services and community care. Such
for example, if a person’s mental health deteriorates or if
services were designed to have a largely preventative
they relapse following a period of abstinence - it can be
function and to work with people with low levels of need.
very difficult to pull interagency support back in quickly enough to prevent a crisis. It is in these circumstances that
However, preliminary findings from one of the four research projects commissioned as part of the Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) ‘Multiple Exclusion Homelessness Research Programme’ suggest that housing support services have evolved to become the mainstay of support for people with complex and multiple needs often rooted in drug and alcohol dependencies, mental
Clients don’t want miracles but for you to do what you can ... sometimes less is more ... they are not superwomen, but human beings with all that brings.
health problems, as well as institutional and homelessness experiences.
housing support workers can suddenly find themselves having to take on the mantle of unappointed case
In this article I want to highlight some of the workforce
manager, liaising with a utility company one minute and
issues which arise from this largely unplanned
a psychiatrist the next.
development and what agencies might do to begin to address this.
‘PROFESSIONAL PROTECTIONISM’ Within the orbit of homelessness services there is also a
ISSUES WITH COMMON PRACTICE
degree of ‘professional protectionism’ whereby workers
At present, housing support workers can often find
are sometimes made to feel less confident about certain
themselves working alone to manage some very
areas of practice. For example, many housing support
challenging and complex situations. A typical scenario
workers will argue that they do not have expertise in
is where someone moves on into private rented
mental health work or drug and alcohol recovery beyond
accommodation and is provided with floating support.
signposting or making a referral for specialist help.
When agencies make referrals to housing support providers this often comes with promises of further
This overshadows the fact that it is impossible to separate
support, however the pressure on caseloads across all
‘housing issues’ from the wider mesh of people’s everyday
sectors can be such that once a person is ‘handed over’
lives. There are many scenarios that are familiar to
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housing support workers – for instance self-neglect, failure
health worker or a drug and alcohol recovery specialist)
to keep a property in good condition and anti-social
with an ‘expert by experience’ in attendance at all three
behaviour all of which can have their roots in the myriad
sessions. Workers particularly appreciated this additional
of more complex issues technically outside the remit of
tier of expertise, commenting how much it meant to them
the housing support worker’s role.
to be able to receive feedback from someone with first hand experience of using housing support services.
Indeed, housing support workers are especially disadvantaged because, unlike many other groups of non-professionally qualified support staff, they do not generally have access to professional (as opposed to managerial) supervision. In contrast, a physiotherapy assistant would always have access to a qualified physiotherapist, if not the back-up of a much wider multiprofessional team. INTERPROFESSIONAL WORKING At national level, there is still a need to promote policy
housing support workers are especially disadvantaged because, unlike many other groups of non-professionally qualified support staff, they do not generally have access to professional (rather than managerial) supervision
frameworks which encourage more integrated ways of working, such as the ‘Common Assessment Framework
The supervision sessions were observed by a researcher
for Adults’. However, there are many other ways in which
who recorded the themes and issues arising during the
local service providers can support their workforce –
natural flow of discussion around the cases.
approaches which can be delivered cost effectively while simultaneously promoting more collegiate ways of
This might some indication of the breadth of knowledge
working across agency boundaries.
and competency required to satisfactorily undertake a support worker role when working within the field of
Researchers from the MEH Research Programme recently
multiple exclusion homelessness.
piloted two such projects. Working with Cumbria Action for Social Support in rural West Cumbria, an
Overall, both schemes evaluated well from the
interprofessional community of practice was established
perspective of the workers taking part in them. The
to bring together workers and professionals from different
opportunity to work more reflectively and with better
disciplines who see themselves as being passionate
practices, amongst other things, acted as a spur to seek
about the topic of multiple exclusion homelessness.
further interprofessional collaboration.
This community of practice meets informally to discuss
As for the broader implications, the expert by experience
practice issues, and to share experiences and innovative
commented:
ideas. Indeed, the main advantage of this approach is that it enables workers to build good relationships
‘Organisations have got to redefine their job roles and
with one another away from day to day organisational
instil the need to not swamp themselves with jobs outside
constraints which can often impact negatively on
their remit. Clients don’t want miracles but for you to do
relationships – for instance, where one worker has to act
what you can. They won’t expect more if boundaries and
as advocate and another as gate keeper.
limitations are set from the outset. I hope the workers see from the supervision sessions that sometimes less is more
In the second project, researchers worked in partnership
and that they are not superwomen, but human beings
with Calderdale Smartmove and Foundation to deliver
with all that brings.’
a programme of interprofessional group supervision for front line housing support workers. Over a period of three weeks, workers brought accounts of their most challenging cases to the sessions. Each
The research project ‘Rethinking Multiple Exclusion Homelessness: Implications for Interprofessional Practice and Workforce Development’ is due to launch its findings in September 2011.
session was chaired by a ‘supervisor’ from a different professional background (a social worker, a mental WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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CONNECTION INTO BENEFIT Raising local support for a project – both financial
chaotic lifestyles to ones of relative stability. The work
and moral – can mean the difference between
impacts on the public purse, the city centre environment,
surviving and thriving. Tim Renshaw and Tracy Viner of
it contributes to local policies and initiatives and if it didn’t
The Cathedral Archer Project look at tested methods
exist someone would create it. This is information that our
that have changed the fortunes and local reputation
city leaders need to know.
of their Sheffield day centre. In our case they do. This includes the Chief Executive of We all know that homelessness is not the sexiest
the local authority and his deputies, significant office
charitable cause and that getting and maintaining
holders in the local authority, past and present Lord
support can be an uphill struggle. This article is about the
Mayors, elected councillors, local MPs, chief officers
importance of understanding the power and influence
in health services and criminal justice organisations,
networks in your area so that your organisation can
the Lord Lieutenant, current and past High Sheriffs
influence the right people to support its mission and to
and Presidents of the Chamber of Commerce, radio
raise funds.
presenters and news paper editors. The list goes on. We know they know about us because we invite them to the
It is not enough to run a wonderful, worthwhile project
project, often to help serve breakfast. And when they
that changes people’s lives. One of the burdens of
have visited we keep them informed and invite them to
such work is maintaining it and unless there is a long
events or for return visits to the project. We ask how they
term strategic view the maintenance can end up as a
can support us then try to use their offers of support in as
continuous short term fire-fighting exercise. We’ve been
many ways as possible.
there and done that, and it is exhausting. FACE TO FACE TOPPING UP THE KNOWLEDGE
Civic dignitaries visiting projects is sometimes viewed as
Understanding the networks in your local area, and
a little lame with the potential for patronisation. However,
the relationships between different networks, has the
our experience suggests this is largely untrue. These are
potential to benefit your organisation exponentially. Let
people who have a responsibility to see and understand
us be candid; this is not a quick fix for a funding crisis but
all aspects of the communities in which they serve.
neither is it incredibly difficult and it doesn’t necessarily
We know from experience that telling people about
take up a lot of time.
homelessness does not always have an impact. Face to face meetings when homeless people can speak freely
The reason for doing this is, quite simply, to get the work of your organisation into the thinking of networks of influence and the wider community. If your work is valuable or even indispensable then people who have the means to help maintain it need to know about you. Networks are about communication. Once the network knows about you it is relatively simple to keep topping up the knowledge. We run a fairly typical day centre for homeless people. It does wonderful work and helps people move from
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Fostering links with local media is something we find organisations are less keen to do. However, our experience suggests radio stations and newspapers value reasonable input. Being prepared to talk about homeless issues has helped raise the profile of success stories. Once you are known by local reporters there will be repeated opportunities to represent your project through their airwaves, websites and columns. THE RESULTS The big test is whether this investment in your local area about their lives, their struggles and the work they are
networks affects support and fund raising. In our case
doing or have done to change their lives has enormous
it has had a significant impact in a number of ways. In
impact.
2005, when our networking skills were very poor, we raised £21,500 in general donations. By comparison, in 2010,
It’s at this point that a little homework on networks proves
after significant investment in support networks we raised
really valuable. First of all, it is important to realise there
£130,000 in general donations. However, support from the
are a lot of useful and influential networks and you are
local community wasn’t the only support we received.
not going to know them all. Secondly, there are some key networks to understand and participate in. Thirdly,
A good example is our ongoing relationship with the local
it is also useful to know that people who can be of real
NatWest corporate team. There have been numerous
influence for your organisation will belong to several
opportunities – fundraising, introductions, a Nat West
networks and this should work in your favour.
team building exercise which benefitted the project.
UNDERSTANDING THE LANDSCAPE
A conversation at our Board of Directors meeting about
The most obvious that you should try to understand is
this article reminded us that that four current directors
the local decision making structure. The Local Authority
came to know about our project through the networking
will be a lead organisation and has a responsibility
routes described. One of these has introduced several
to help you know how it works. It may run courses on
influential people to the project who have become
understanding decision making structures and these will
supporters and major donors.
help you understand how the organisations of law and order, health, education and private enterprise work with
The monetary reward from this relationship is an
local authorities to develop and implement strategies.
undoubted benefit, but the support to help develop our
There will be lists of elected and co-opted members you
work with homeless people is the real gain because it
may want to invite to your project and who might inform
symbolises the extent to which the work we do is valued
your strategic development. Check your local authority
and supported across different sectors of society.
website for information. There are many more stories to tell about MP’s, The business community should not be ignored. Even
councillors, commissioners, business people, web
through the last two years of depressed markets,
designers, film makers and donations from individuals
businesses have found ways to support our project. You
who have simply heard about us as the networks have
will find that businesses will want to support you. The
rippled out. However, as we look at the work we have
difficulty is finding the one to work with you. In some
undertaken the most significant outcome is the variety of
cases the support comes through contact with a single
places where the project is now spoken about. There are
company but there are organisations bringing businesses
many who still haven’t heard of us, but there is a sense
together. These networks are useful means for businesses
that we have got into the conscience of our local area
to find ways to be involved in the community. Business
and changed the perception of the work we do and the
in the Community (BITC) is set up to do just this; but
people we serve.
Chambers of Commerce, livery companies and local societies (e.g Law Societies) are other good ways of meeting businesses.
Read more about The Cathedral Archer Project at www.archerproject.org.uk WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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STEP (BY STEP) INTO VOLUNTEERING What is the difference between working and volunteering? Glenn Austin shares his thoughts on volunteering in a local youth homelessness charity after a 32 year career in the Civil Service. The last 15 years of my time in the Civil Service were spent at the Government Office for the South East. Frankly, the writing was on the wall for the Government Offices as soon as the 2010 Election result was announced. By the summer our fate was sealed, with around 3,000 civil servants working in Government Offices up and down the country, learning that they would be losing their jobs.
Actually, after 32 years I was probably ready for a change. For the last 2 years, my role included advising
JOB FOR LIFE?
local authorities about the implications of the Child
But we were civil servants, typically thought of as the most
Poverty Act 2010, helping them to take forward new
secure of careers (a job for life and all that) - surely there
statutory duties placed upon them, putting in place
wouldn’t be any redundancies, would there? Obviously
effective regional structures to help tackle child poverty
there were. We learned that central Government
at a regional level, and generally raising the profile of the
departments also faced severe cuts, said to amount to
agenda. It had been a natural progression from Regional
almost half a million spread over 3 years. For many, all
Homelessness Manager at the Government Office for
future prospects in the Civil Service ebbed away.
the South East, a role which I had enjoyed immensely, meeting many highly inspirational people dedicated to making a real difference to people facing homelessness. NEXT STEPS I spent the last 3 months of 2010 helping two local authorities to take forward their new work to address child poverty, before contacting Step by Step, my local homelessness charity, to offer them my services as the Government Office for the South East hurtled towards closure. I’d made a choice. I wanted to utilise my knowledge, skills and experience to help vulnerable people by working in a third sector organisation. Step by Step is a youth homelessness charity based in Aldershot, Hampshire. Established just over 20 years ago, it now helps 500 young people aged 16-25 each
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year who are either homeless, or at risk of becoming
themselves. Their involvement in the award-winning Peer
homeless, to deal with their problems and become self-
Education initiative is a powerful example, where our
sufficient, independent members of the community. At
young people offer their time to share their experiences
first, I dipped into a variety of different tasks, looking at
and raise awareness of the risks and challenges of
their policies and procedures ahead of the move to the
homelessness with their peer groups. The head teacher
new building, learning about their youth development
of one school commented after a visit by the peer
services, and supporting the community fundraisers.
educators: “The demonstration was effective in focusing pupils’ minds on what it might really feel like to be
I was made very welcome, and when the Government
homeless. Even more powerful was the opportunity to
Office for the South
hear real experiences
East closed at the
from people who
end of March 2011,
were brave enough
Step by Step were
to share very
happy for me to
personal and difficult
continue to volunteer
experiences in an
with them as part of
honest and open
the fundraising team.
way.”
VOLUNTEERING FOR
The young people
CHANGE
help and encourage
It has been an
each other too.
interesting time
One young Step by
to join Step by
Step resident with a
Step, as it gears
history of suffering
up to moving into
from domestic abuse
new purpose-built
said: “Step by Step is
accommodation (a
helping me rebuild
part legacy of the
my life and make new
Places of Change Programme) which, coincidentally, has
friendships after missing so many opportunities because
been a project largely run by a team of volunteers who
of domestic violence. It is really helping me to sort out
have used their business skills to help raise the money, get
my trust issues, especially with males. The other residents
the building designed, and manage the project.
have plenty of issues of their own, and I have found that I can help others, even if it’s only a shoulder to cry on or
But in that time, I have also seen first hand the impact
someone to listen. My ambition is to become a carer, as
of public spending cuts as they start to trickle down to
I’ve needed carers for the whole 17 years of my life. I also
the voluntary sector, and the Localism agenda as that
want to challenge the stereotype that all young people
too impacts on the ability of local authorities to house
are bad, or that we can be judged by what we wear or
homeless people, making it harder for them to access
how we talk. Pretty much all I want from life is to achieve
stable, secure accommodation. From a personal point
those goals and to inspire others to achieve.”
of view, I can’t help feeling that much of the sterling work carried out by all sectors in the mid-late part of the
THE RIGHT MENTALITY
last decade, to reduce and prevent homelessness, is in
Volunteering has given me an important focus, as well as
danger of being undone. Of course the issue goes way
enabling me to contribute to a worthwhile cause close
back, stemming from a lack of new affordable social
to my heart. It does take a certain mindset to do a day’s
housing provision since the 1980s, which has in turn
work for no pay, but I am rewarded knowing that in a
meant that homelessness has become a route into social
small way I am contributing to making a real difference
housing for too many, rather than the safety net it was
to some of the most vulnerable young people in our small
always designed to be.
society.
PEER VOLUNTEERS
Read more about Step by Step at
Clients of Step by Step are encouraged to volunteer
www.stepbystep.org.uk WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
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MANAGING PEOPLE
Dear Helen,
Helen Giles, Managing Director of Broadway’s Real People HR Consultancy, now has a regular column in Connect aimed at helping you to make the most of your most important resource – your staff teams. This edition focuses on staff development. Engage to Change is still a relatively new qualification in terms of the homeless sector and so it’s a very relevant question. Since being launched in 2010, the programme has been rolled out across more than
I am a Hostel Pro ject Worke r a nd I have wo rked in the se ctor for five years . I’ve heard a bout the Eng age to C ha nge qualif ication a nd I wondered if there’s a ny po int in me doin g it. What will I lea rn that I have n’t learned on th e job? How m uch time will I have to put in? Will it help me get a hig her level job?
twenty homelessness charities nationwide, but given that it takes an average of five months to complete the programme, many organisations running it are only now
Engage to Change is a challenging
beginning to evaluate its effectiveness.
programme; if it wasn’t it wouldn’t provide the depth of learning that it does and nor would it lead to a
To bring you up to speed, Engage to Change was
recognised Level 3 qualification. The course has 4
commissioned by the Department for Communities and
modules spread over 5 months with one assignment per
Local Government for hostel staff looking for an “industry
module. Assignments are typically about 3,000 words
standard qualification”.
but often you are able to use your own support planning paperwork to cut down on words and time spent.
In commissioning training we know that traditional accredited qualifications like the City & Guilds don’t
No qualification can guarantee you will get a higher
always work for people with a few years experience who
level job. But participation in the Engage to Change
don’t want to be taught to suck eggs. We’ve also found
programme will demonstrate that you are a reflective
one day courses can be limiting, however good they are
practitioner who is committed to thinking about doing
in their own right. A frequent criticism of any training is
things differently.
that the examples “don’t fit our circumstances”. Some larger organisations are commissioning the The Engage to Change programme aims to counter
programme internally for a number of workers. If your
this. For managers, it facilitates a deep exploration of
organisation is not able to offer this, perhaps because you
why professional boundaries, service user involvement
work for a smaller organisation, there are a number of
and support planning are useful. For front-line workers,
accredited centres – for example Homeless Link and Real
Engage to Change challenges staff to identify new ways
Skills - offering the qualification on an open-course basis.
of working and proactively fostering their own opinions on how services should run. Rather than teach you
Helen Giles is HR Director of Broadway and Managing
one particular support planning style, the programme
Director of Broadway’s Real People HR consultancy
encourages you to compare and evaluate them all.
www.broadwaysrealpeople.com WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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IRRATIONALLY OPTIMISTIC? In 2012, Liverpool will host
region. This needs to be taken down to an individual
England’s first National
project level. The key is to look at what facilities are
Homeless Games. For it to be a
already available in your area – not just at the local
success, we want participants
leisure centre, but also the forgotten spaces like gardens,
from throughout England.
parks and rivers.
Lindsey Horsfield, Homeless Link’s Sports Development
Sometimes bringing someone along
Officer, looks at some of the
from outside to take a fresh look
dos and don’ts of setting up a
can help. I know of a hostel that
local sports project.
was planning to raise funds to install expensive gym
There is no fixed approach to take when setting up a
equipment in a small room
sports project in your hostel or day centre. However, if it
– until a visitor pointed
is going to be long-lasting, engaging and meaningful
out that there’s another
for the people who take part, there are three key things
service just a few
that every project should consider – location, people,
doors away already
consistency.
with far better gym facilities than the
LOCATION: TAKING A LOOK WITH FRESH EYES
hostel could ever
It’s unlikely that any of the teams taking part in the Games
afford itself.
will have a sizeable budget behind them. Most will have been put together with enthusiasm, available resources,
PEOPLE
goodwill and a liberal dose of irrational optimism.
Many sports projects that don’t
In fact the 2012 National Homeless Games has been
take off fail because
planned with that in mind. The Games will include ten
they have misjudged
core sports that participants from any area can do,
what participants
but beyond these there will also be a range of sports to
want - or they don’t do
represent what is available in the areas that teams are
enough to get people
based.
interested.
This reflects the first obstacle facing many projects when
Any sports projects needs to be
they are starting up. What do they focus on? For instance,
every bit as diverse as the client
it’s all very well planning to start a swimming project, but if
groups you work with. Don’t start
there are no available, affordable leisure centres in easy
fundraising for a gym if what people really
travelling distance for everyone, then you aren’t off to a
want is to go jogging. If people aren’t sure what
good start.
they’d like to do, offer some taster sessions. How can a future Homeless Games running star know that that’s
The Games is aiming to take an idea and make it fit a
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what she wants to do if she’s never done any running?
CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
Communication is key too. An initial session could become a non-event if you only put an A4 printout on a noticeboard along with a load of out of date flyers and posters. If you really want people to come along, put the information right in people’s hands and under their doors - and encourage people spread the word. CONSISTENCY Choose a day, time and place and stick to it every week.
INSPIRED
A PERFECT COMBINATION OF PASSIONS
Don’t do it on Monday one week and Wednesday the next. You have the potential to create something that is a
Jon Regler, Chairman of Oxford based Streets
true constant in the lives of the people who take part.
Revolution, explains how what started as a local, all inclusive football club, has evolved to become so
And don’t give up on the project if you get minimal
much more.
interest at first. Try and find out why interest is low. Are you offering a sport that interests enough people? Does it clash with something else? As Jon Regler points out in the next article, for some people just turning up to something like a sports event is an achievement. Find out what you
Streets Revolution is in Kenya now. Seriously. Oxford, Bicester, Swindon, Huntingdon and Kenya. I didn’t see that one coming. But they liked the name and they had the same aims, so they asked if they could use it. We’ve just sent them some footballs!
can do to help them make it. In fact this is one of the key recommendations of a recent Groundswell study on the Aiming High:
The first I’d heard of the Homeless World Cup was back in 2009. They were looking for volunteers to go to Milan and it sounded like a great opportunity, so with no preconceptions I put myself forward.
Sport for All Project. For me, it was the perfect combination of two passions – A core theme in
making a difference and football - so I wanted to carry it
many of their 15
on when I got back to Oxford, but there was nothing like
recommendations
it around. So Streets Revolution all started with me offering
is to recognise
to coach two lads in a local hostel. I started contacting
the complexity
other hostels in the area in April 2010.
of the lives your project will touch.
There was a stigma attached because of these were
Things like offering
homeless people – people with ‘issues’. Some saw risk
different ways to
where there was none. For instance, the local university
participate, such
offered access to their astroturf pitch for a nominal rate,
as coaching and promoting; giving clients the opportunity to co-ordinate things for
which was great, but threw in the caveat that they’d see how it was going in four weeks because they were wary about who I’d be bringing along. It was fine, just annoying we had to prove it.
themselves; recognising achievements - whether it’s scoring a goal, finishing a race or simply turning up.
In the first week we had six players. The following week there were eight, then ten, then sixteen. It grew week by week, purely by word of mouth. But it wasn’t always the same players coming along. By week four, some of the
If you can do that, what you offer won’t just be healthy - it can and will improve lives.
players from earlier weeks were missing – so really that sixteen was really twenty-four people overall who would come along when they could.
Find out more about Aiming High: Sport for All: www.homeless.org.uk/sport-for-all
There’s no demand on them for weekly attendance – no WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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INSPIRED FEATURES
CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
commitment expected. It’s a drop-in. No pay, just play, I
difference to the people he talks to.
tell them. FROM WHERE PEOPLE ARE BUT WHAT’S IT ALL FOR?
Streets Revolution isn’t going to end homelessness – but
You can only go so far with a something like this before
we are determined to engage and help the individuals
people start asking what we’re doing all this training for,
who come to us. It’s about acknowledging where people
so we arranged a friendly with a hostel in Newbury, then
are in their lives, seeing it through with them.
joined the Oxfordshire County FA BOBi League, a social inclusion league for hostels in the area.
We’re 100% inclusive. No matter where people are in their lives, we’ll be here for them. They know that. With the
We started to get more of a focus on it, with lots of
football, we meet every Wednesday. No matter what is
friendlies, both locally and around the country.
happening in their lives – they might be in a good place, or they might just have lost their hostel bed – we’ll be
BEYOND FOOTBALL
here, same time, same place. We’re a constant.
But Streets Revolution isn’t all just about football. During this time, we were coming across people who were
But then we can also help people learn through this –
interested in getting involved in something but not so
help make them accountable for where they are, and
interested in football. So I’d always ask them: “so what do
not being afraid to say things like: “Don’t be surprised if
you want to do?”
your performance is off if you’re up smoking whatever till 3AM the night before.”
One guy wanted to do cycling, so we’re going to go with that. He’s completely involved in pulling together a plan.
NOW AND NEXT
It’s taking a while but I think we might be quite close to
What I’ve realised over the last couple of years is how
launching something now.
much our actions can have a ripple effect. Small actions having a huge impact. I’ve worked out my own strengths
I’m just keen to engage with people on whatever
enough to know where I can help the most.
level – whatever their focus. The purpose of Streets Revolution is to give people something to associate
Margaret Mead once said: “A small group of thoughtful
themselves with, something to label themselves with that
people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only
isn’t homelessness or mental health or any of the other
thing that ever has.” When I see the difference over time
negatives in their lives. It’s about giving them something
in some of the people who come to us, I think maybe
really positive.
Streets Revolution is just such a group.
THE POWER OF WORDS
I know we can build far more on what we’ve started.
Words are important. Everyone who comes along to
There are lots of unknowns, but it would be great to
Streets Revolution has been harmed or marginalised by
launch a more structured framework for people who are
words in some way – whether through labels that society
really interested. Accredited courses, not just in football
has decided to put on them, or simply because of a lack
but computers too, and other things; making links with
positive, affirmative words in their lives. There has to be
local colleges – and really working to develop people’s
more than one way of measuring success. For some, just
life skills. I’ll be happy if we can offer people structured
turning up is the success.
route, then say to people: “Here’s the path – it’s up to you how far you go on it.”
It’s the same for labels or roles as well. I want everyone involved in Streets Revolution to be able to define
But longer term, I have dreams of launching a sporting
themselves by something other than their homelessness.
social academy, offering people six month tenures with a
We’ve got one lad who took it further – he’s done his
real focus on improving lives by engaging people in sport.
FA Level One Coaching Badge and he’ll be going on
We’ve achieved a lot already, but in the future something
to do his Level Two. He’s not homeless. He’s a football
on that scale would be incredible.
coach. For the guy who started the cycling project, he introduces himself as the Streets Revolution Cycle Project
For more on Streets Revolution visit
Coordinator. It makes a difference to him. It makes a
www.streetsrevolution.moonfruit.com
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WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
what’s on?
INSPIRED
Upcoming training and events for the homelessness sector:
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
27
2
CONSERVATIVE PARTY FRINGE EVENT
4
Engage and Empower: Raising
COMPLEX TRAUMA A one-day training course that helps staff to recognise behaviours associated with complex trauma and to support clients through them. www.homeless.org.uk/training-complex_trauma
An invitation only event building on the Government’s commitment to end homelessness, that will inspire every area to adopt the No Second Night Out principles and standard.
clients’ confidence, motivation and communication skills A one-day training course teaching staff how to help clients improve self-awareness, build motivation and self-esteem. www.homeless.org.uk/training-engage-andempower
NOVEMBER 16 16
THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE Enabling agencies to demonstrate their impact, influence local commissioners and attract funding, identify gaps in service provision and improve the support they offer to their clients.
11
Drawing on an understanding of what works, this event will share solutions that can be tailored to your local needs, enabling all communities to tackle and prevent rough sleeping. www.homeless.org.uk/rough-sleeping
MANAGING CONFLICT A one-day course covering conflict situations that are likely to be faced by staff working in homelessness services. This course emphasises the distinction between minor forms of conflict and major incidents, giving staff techniques for managing both types of situation. www.homeless.org.uk/training-managing-conflict
NO SECOND NIGHT OUT: ENDING ROUGH SLEEPING LOCALLY
12
WELFARE BENEFITS OVERVIEW
9
How to Use the Outcomes Star
An essential one-day course for staff helping service users to claim benefits. It provides an excellent, upto-date introduction to the welfare benefits system and offers practical guidance on claiming the most important benefits. www.homeless.org.uk/training-welfare-benefits
DECEMBER 8
Drug and Alcohol Awareness A one day course teaching staff how to recognise substance misuse and how to tackle the problem in a hostel environment. Staff are given information on the services that provide advice on referring clients to substance misuse services. www.homeless.org.uk/training-drug-awareness
The Homelessness Outcomes Star is a comprehensive tool for measuring the outcomes of work with homeless people. This one –day course shows staff how to implement the star, how to use the star to report on outcomes and how to use the star effectively in keyworking sessions. www.homeless.org.uk/training-outcomes-star
www.homeless.org.uk WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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COMMENT
CONNECT 2011 | ISSUE 43
RESOURCES We’ve pulled together a list of resources and research related to the features in CONNECT 43. If you have any information you would like to share with our member organisations, please write to editor@homelesslink.org.uk.
Homeless Link information
PUBLICATIONS
Our policy work
Vision to end rough sleeping: No Second Night
Where to start looking for information on our policy
Out nationwide
campaigning and lobbying.
The new rough sleeping strategy from DCLG.
www.homeless.org.uk/policy-roundup
www.communities.gov.uk
Critical Mass toolkits
The Localism Bill
The Critical Mass toolkits offer advice and
Full details of what the Bill contains.
guidance to homelessness services about how to
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/
develop and use operational data for a range of
localgovernment/localismplainenglishguide
opportunities in addition to client support. These opportunities include improving service provision,
Enough Room: is society big enough for
influencing funders and preparing to use data for
homeless people
research purposes.
Report from St Mungo’s.
www.homeless.org.uk/toolkits-and-handbooks/
www.mungos.org/actionweek
critical-mass Barriers research The extensive findings from our Barriers research. www.homeless.org.uk/barriers
CONTRIBUTOR LINKS Alison Seabeck MP - www.alisonseabeck.org.uk
Aiming High: Sport for All Full details on our ongoing sports projects.
David Ford - www.davidford.co
www.homeless.org.uk/sport-for-all Two Saints - www.twosaints.org.uk In the regions Meet your Homeless Link regional managers.
The Cathedral Archer Project
homeless.org.uk/contact-regional-manager
www.archerproject.org.uk
And your NAC representatives.
Step by Step - www.stepbystep.org.uk
wwwhomeless.org.uk/contact-nac Streets Reveloption www.streetsrevolution.moonfruit.com
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WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK