Prevention of Homelessness
Local authorities should work corporately to identify local causes of homelessness and high risk groups and to ensure that their policies and procedures are designed to prevent homelessness occurring wherever possible. This should include consideration of housing management (particularly rent arrears and dealing with anti-social behaviour); housing benefit administration; domestic abuse; social work and social care services; and transition planning for looked-after children. More broadly, the provision of appropriate housing advice and information should also be considered as the local housing strategy is developed and a network of providers established to ensure high-quality accessible advice is available to all those who need it.
It will also be essential to work closely with local partners to ensure that the local housing strategy sets out the required actions to prevent homelessness. This should include other landlords in the area but also creditors; major institutions such as prisons, hospitals (linked to the health and homelessness action plan) and the armed forces; and relevant voluntary sector partners, particularly those providing support and advice to vulnerable households.
A local authority may consider that it requires to supplement its supply of specialist or supported accommodation in order to prevent homelessness amongst certain groups - for example young people making the transition from local authority care to independent living. Often this will entail working in partnership with voluntary organisations that have the relevant experience of providing support to these households.
Planning support services for rough sleepers
Such considerations may also inform planning accommodation and support services designed to prevent and alleviate rough sleeping. Many authorities will have existing arrangements in place, but these should be reviewed to ensure that they comprise an adequate crisis response system. As was previously set out in guidance on homelessness strategies, such a system should ensure that:
- all those without accommodation are able to access immediate emergency accommodation until appropriate assessment is carried out;
- assistance is, in some form, permanently available and accessible, acting as a gateway to accommodation and services;
- an initial 'triage' function is in place to carry out initial assessment, provide basic information and ensure correct referral across a full range of services;
- there are flexible and individualised responses to the different experience of homelessness of different groups and the different service requirements of people of differing age, race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, family background and belief;
- responses are based on joint protocols and procedures for needs assessment to ensure appropriate support for people with multiple/complex needs;
- effective referral arrangements are in place ensuring linkage into the full range of relevant services; and
- explicit exit strategies are devised immediately upon assessment of homelessness, to ensure the resettlement process begins immediately.
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Repeat Homelessness
In order to ensure that repeat homelessness is avoided, and that homeless households have the best opportunities to sustain their new accommodation, a range of partners should be engaged to offer the following assistance where required:
- Furniture/Starter packs
- Money, benefits and debt advice
- Healthcare
- Employment and training advice
- Housing support
- Strengthening and promoting social networks.
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Links to addition information and useful contacts
In considering local provision, local authorities may find it useful to liaise with national co-ordinators specialising in these areas or to refer to relevant toolkits etc developed recently. Details are as follows:
Scottish Homelessness and Employability Network:
Geraldine Wooley,
SHEN co-ordinator,
c/o SCSH, 5th Floor,
Wellgate House,
200 Cowgate,
Edinburgh EH1 1NQ,
Tel. 0131 226 4382,
Fax 0131 225 4382,
email: SHEN@scsh.org.uk
Website : www.shen-scotland.org
Furniture Re-use Projects Co-ordinator:
Linsay Chalmers , Community Re-cycling Network Scotland (CRNS),
Suite 27, Stirling Business Centre, Wellgreen Place, Stirling FK8 2DZ Tel: 01786 469002
A Toolkit can be obtained from:
CRNS), Suite 27, Stirling Business Centre, Wellgreen Place, Stirling FK8 2DZ
or Tel: 01786 469002
Scottish Social Networks Co-ordinator: info@scottishsocialnetworks.org
telephone 0131 524 9869
or write to Scottish Social Networks, 55 Albany Street, Edinburgh EH1 3QY
Social Networks Toolkit
Social Networks Training packs can be ordered from:
Scottish Social Networks, 55 Albany Street, Edinburgh EH1 3QY
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