The Scottish Government

« Previous | Contents | Next »

Listen

Indicators of progress: Definitions, data, baseline and trends information

Milestone 12: No one has to sleep rough

Indicators

The data provided for this milestone for 2001/02 is taken from the research carried out on behalf of the Executive specifically to monitor the impact of the Rough Sleepers Initiative (RSI) and to assess progress towards delivery of the Executive's target. This work has three parts:

1. A bi-annual (spring and autumn) prevalence assessment of the numbers of rough sleepers across Scotland, to be measured as a 'snapshot' figure for a typical week.

2. A bi-annual audit of available accommodation for homeless people and rough sleepers. This work to be carried out alongside the prevalence assessment (above).

3. A qualitative assessment of how demand and supply factors work together in various localities across Scotland.

The data presented in this year's report against the milestone is based on the results gained from the first two parts (above) for May 2001, October 2001 and May 2002.

Data will also be available in future from the Homelessness (HL1) survey of all local authority homeless applicants. This survey has been revised and data on rough sleeping has been collected from December 2001. The survey now asks questions about rough sleeping at the time the applicant presents as homeless. The definition of rough sleeping used in the HL1 survey is the same as the policy definition of rough sleeping used in the RSI. The questions asked are as follows:

• Has any member of the applicant household slept rough during the 3 months preceding their application
• Did any member of the applicant household sleep rough on the night immediately preceding the date of application

This data is currently being analysed and we expect to include this data in the future.

Availability of data

The information was collected from rough sleepers by those organisations who come into contact with them on a daily basis. The organisations who participated in the survey included RSI funded projects, as well as other projects and services working closely with rough sleepers. All housing department RSI contacts were included (for appropriate inclusion of local housing offices and other nominated projects) plus a mix of RSI partner agencies, as appropriate to local circumstances. The information collected is available by age, gender and local authority.

Total numbers sleeping rough in the study period

The total number of individuals identified as sleeping rough over the previous 7 days has decreased over each wave of data collection, falling from 500 in May 2001, to 471 in October 2001 and then to 406 in May 2002.

Of these, in May 2001, 172 individuals were in Glasgow, 154 in Edinburgh and 174 in the rest of Scotland. In October 2001 the relative figures were 137 (-5%) in Glasgow, 183 (+8%) in Edinburgh and 151 (-3%) in the rest of Scotland. In May 2002 the relative figures were 117 in Glasgow (-32% compared with May 2001), 124 in Edinburgh (-19% on May 2001) and 165 in the rest of Scotland (-5% on May 2001).

In terms of the profile of those sleeping rough, each of the three count waves support the proposition that most of those sleeping rough are men (81-85%). Only around 15% of those sleeping rough are women. Since the first wave of research was undertaken the number of women sleeping rough has declined slightly overall, but the number of males sleeping rough has declined significantly, from 418 in May 2001 to 328 in May 2002

In all waves to date, the age group which makes up the largest proportion of rough sleepers is the 25-40 age group, consistently comprising almost half of all those identified as sleeping rough. Very few under 16's are ever recorded. In both counts in 2001, the number of 16-24 year olds exceeded the numbers in the 40 plus age group (around 27% aged 16-24 and around 22% aged 40 plus) but this had altered by May 2002. This reflects a decline amongst the number of 16-24 year olds from 136 in May 2001, to 128 in October and then 92 in May 2002.

Average number of people sleeping rough per day

In recognition of the fact that people generally do not sleep rough every night, but may be accommodated with friends, in hostels, in other insecure accommodation between rough sleeping nights, the report assesses the average number of people sleeping rough on any one night.

In May 2001 the average number of people sleeping rough each night was 64. In October 2001, this average had increased to 87 and in May 2002 the average number recorded as sleeping rough the previous night was 94 per night. So, although a lower total number of individuals slept out in October 2001 and May 2002 than was recorded in May 2001, those who did were reported as sleeping out on more occasions when measured in terms of the numbers who had slept rough the previous night.

The increase between May 2001 and May 2002 was more prevalent in the rest of Scotland (increasing from an average number of 22 in May 2001 to 51 in May 2002) than in Glasgow (where the increase was from increase from 23 to 24) or Edinburgh (where the increase was from 18 to 19). The increase in Aberdeen (from 4 in May 2001 to 24 in May 2002) accounts for much of the increase in the rest of Scotland.

The study is able to identify individuals, and therefore able to assess whether those recorded as sleeping out in May 2002 were the same individuals as those recorded in October 2001, or in May 2001.

Relatively low numbers emerge as repeatedly sleeping rough over each of the three count periods, although the data on this is not comprehensive as it relies upon complete identifiers being known for each individual sleeping rough who appears in the counts.

A total of 7 individuals have been identified as appearing in all three counts to date (1 in Edinburgh and 6 in Glasgow). A further 5 individuals appeared in both the May 2001 and May 2002 data, but not in the intervening count for October 2001.

Further overlaps noted were:

• 32 individuals appearing in both of the 2001 counts (but, to our knowledge, they were not present in the most recent May 2002 count)
• 27 individuals in both the two most recent counts (but not present in the first count in May 2001). These individuals were identified in Aberdeen (16), Dundee (2), Edinburgh (2), Glasgow (6) and Perth and Kinross (1).

Supply of accommodation

Two "spotter nights" were used in each of the study periods to compare the rough sleeping figures with the available accommodation in those areas with direct access provision. The comparisons given below are for the mid-week spotter night, which - in all three study studies - had a higher number of rough sleepers than the weekend spotter night.

In May 2001 155 bed spaces were available on the night that 70 people were recorded sleeping rough. In October 2001 187 bed spaces were available, when 117 people reported they had slept rough, and in May 2002 there were 297 spaces on a night when 121 rough sleepers were recorded.

The tables below show the figures of rough sleepers and available direct access accommodation by local authority area (for those authorities that have direct access accommodation). The tables shows that out of the local authorities with direct access hostel accommodation (15 authorities in 2001 and 16 in 2002), the number of authorities that did not have sufficient spaces across the authority to accommodate the rough sleepers identified in their areas increased from 3 in May 2001 6 in May 2002

Additionally, the tables shows that those authorities with the highest number of people sleeping rough also had the highest number of vacancies. This reinforces the view that the problem is not simply one of lack of provision, but of the suitability of the provision, its location, access to it, and the extent to which it could meet the needs of those seeking access to it.

Table 12a: Numbers of rough sleepers and available direct access accommodation by local authority area, May 2001

*includes Argyll and Bute (6 individuals reported), South Ayrshire (2 individuals reported) and South Lanarkshire (4 individuals reported).

Table 12b: Numbers of rough sleepers and available direct access accommodation by local authority area, October 2001

*includes South Lanarkshire (4 individuals reported), Aberdeenshire (6 individuals reported) and Falkirk (7 individuals reported).

Table 12c: Numbers of rough sleepers and available direct access accommodation by local authority area, May 2002

*includes Aberdeenshire (2 individuals reported), Falkirk (7 individuals reported), South Lanarkshire (1 individual reported) and Stirling (1 individual reported).

On the mid-week spotter nights in May and October 2001 and May 2002, 22, 12 and 30 individuals respectively were actually refused entry to accommodation. This suggests that even when issues of location and accessibility are addressed the needs of a minority of people sleeping rough remain unmet. This exclusion may arise from their behaviour which in turn may be a consequence of more complex problems such as mental health or addictions.

Data was collected from direct access hostels on the reasons why any individuals were refused access to accommodation. This collection took place at 1.00am of the two spotter nights. This hour was chosen as the hostels were liable to be at their maximum capacity at this time. Of the 60 people refused entry to the hostels on the two spotter nights in May 2002 (30 on mid-week spotter night of 9 ^th May and 30 on the weekend spotter night of 12 ^th May) accommodation providers reported that 20 refusals were because of lack of space. Ten refusals were attributable to banning, 4 due to no suitable vacancy for the individual or a couple and 3 due to other reasons related to the accommodation itself. Refusals because the individuals concerned appeared to have specific problems such as drugs, alcohol, mental health, and behavioural problems or combinations of these affected 23 individuals. The most prevalent mentioned were drug, alcohol and behavioural problems or combinations of these; each was mentioned in five instances.

« Previous | Contents | Next »