POLICY BRIEFING. Making Every Contact Count: A Joint Approach to Preventing Homelessness

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1 Making Every Contact Count: A Joint Approach to Preventing Homelessness Author: Toby Hill, LGiU Associate Date: 13 September 2012 Summary Making Every Contact Count, published by the Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness on 16 August, puts forward a strategy based on early intervention to tackle the root causes of homelessness. It contains a number of Government commitments in key areas such as childhood, health, crime, unemployment and immigration. It also promulgates a list of ten local challenges that it encourages local authorities to consider. Overview The second report to come from Grant Shapp s Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness, Making Every Contact Count focuses on tackling the underlying issues that can cause homelessness. It emphasises a coordinated approach across central and local government, health services, the justice system, and third sector organisations. The strategy puts forward Government commitments in a range of problem areas: troubled childhoods and adolescence; health and drug and alcohol addiction; crime; skills, unemployment, and debt; and immigration. It also considers innovative funding approaches. Significant measures outlined in the strategy include: Funding for the Government s Troubled Families Team, for St Basils to promote use of the youth accommodation pathway, and for 300 schools to trial different approaches to working with permanently excluded pupils Funding for Homeless Link to work on improving outcomes for homeless people with dual mental health and drugs/alcohol needs, and to ensure that medical professionals know whom to recommend approaching for help with housing needs Keeping in payment the housing element of the new Universal Credit benefit to those serving prison sentences of six months or less (current rules keep this payment only up to 3 months)

2 Piloting a range of Community Learning Trust models in 2012/13, and analysing the issues faced by homeless people in accessing skills training and whether a payment by results approach could work Testing the support required to help claimants budget and manage their rent payments effectively through a series of Housing Demonstration Projects Encouraging the use of Social Impact Bonds to fund homelessness initiatives. The strategy also calls on councils and local authorities to develop their role in preventing homelessness. It gives ten local challenges for local authorities : 1. To adopt a corporate commitment to prevent homelessness that has a buy-in across all local authority services 2. To actively work in partnership with voluntary sector and other local partners to address support, education, employment, and training needs 3. To offer a Housing Options prevention service to all clients, including written advice 4. To adopt a No Second Night Out model, or an effective local alternative 5. To have housing pathways agreed or in development with each key partner or client 6. To develop a suitable private rented sector offer for all client groups 7. To actively engage in preventing mortgage repossessions 8. To have a homelessness strategy that sets out a proactive approach to preventing homelessness and that is reviewed annually 9. To not place anyone young person 16 or 17 in B&B accommodation 10. To commit not to place families in B&B accommodation except in an emergency, and then for less than six weeks. Briefing in full Background Making Every Contact Count: A Joint Approach to Preventing Homelessness is the second strategy document to be published by the Government s Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness. The Group was set up in 2010 by the (then) Housing Minister Grant Shapps in order to provide a cross-departmental body to consider issues of homelessness. Their first report, published in July 2011, was Vision to end rough sleeping: No second night out nationwide, instigating a programme aimed at minimising sleeping on the streets that is currently in the process of being rolled-out nationwide.

3 Making Every Contact Count sees the Working Group take a different approach to tackling homelessness. It looks up stream to emphasise intervening earlier to prevent households reaching a crisis point where they are faced with homelessness. Preventing Homelessness The strategy begins by briefly outlining the Working Group s broad perspective on homelessness. It states that, as seen in Government statistics, the immediate homelessness triggers remain fairly consistent: primarily either eviction by parents, relatives or friends, or an inability to find alternative accommodation when tenancy comes to an end. It continues that many people face these kind of life experiences, but that most manage to cope and find accommodation through their own resources. For others, however, these events tip them into homelessness, either because they don t have sufficient resources to deal with the problem, or because of other underlying issues such as mental health problems or addiction. This gives rise to the strategy s two consistent themes. Firstly, that every contact should be made to count by giving local services the incentives and flexibility to intervene earlier to tackle these underlying problems. Secondly, that a joined-up approach drawing on expertise from across central and local government as well as third sector organisations is necessary to combat the often multifaceted nature of the issues that can result in homelessness. Tackling Underlying Problems Having outlined its vision, the strategy moves on to consider several issues that can contribute towards an individual or family facing homelessness. It outlines Government commitments in each area and makes suggestions for local authorities, voluntary organisations, and other local agencies. Tackling Troubled Childhoods and Adolescence The strategy notes both that a significant proportion of those who experience homelessness had problems in childhood and youth, and that young people are a key risk group, with 25% of those accepted as homeless by local authorities in 2011/12 under 25. Moreover, young people with experiences of care are particularly vulnerable. It highlights a number of Government efforts to prevent young people becoming homeless. Its first example is the Government s Troubled Families Team, which, alongside the relevant local authorities, works intensively with a group of families with particularly entrenched difficulties. Secondly it discusses the DCLG s work with leading voluntary organisations to develop a positive youth accommodation pathway for those who cannot stay within the family unit, or who are leaving care.

4 The strategy also emphasises the role of schools in being a first point of contact with children at risk of exclusion. It re-states the Government s intention to increase schools autonomy, so they can use their own expertise and experience to make intervention decisions. As part of this, the Government are testing a new approach of allowing schools to use a devolved budget to take responsibility for sourcing alternative placements for excluded pupils. The strategy summarises work in this area by outlining a number of Government commitments : To help schools, local services, and other delivery partners to support vulnerable young people at risk of homelessness by producing an evidence based document showcasing effective local approaches to preventing youth homelessness To fund the St Basils youth homelessness charity to promote use of the youth accommodation pathway To invest 448m to turn around the lives of troubled families over next 3 years To support 300 schools to take part in a three year exclusion trial to improve the education of permanently excluded pupils. Improving Health and Managing Drug and Alcohol Dependency The strategy acknowledges the link between inequalities in health and homelessness. It outlines some of the most relevant steps that the Government are taking to tackle these inequalities. Firstly, it points to the forthcoming draft of the Care and Support bill that will set a duty on local authorities to promote the integration of services (health, care and support.) It also points to the new Public Health Outcomes Framework, which includes two indicators on homelessness. The strategy also recognises the link between housing, homelessness and mental health. It states that the forthcoming Mental Health Strategy implementation framework will support local organisations in ensuring that the mental health needs of homeless people are properly taken into account by local services. And the strategy recognises the link between drug and alcohol dependency and homelessness. It points readers to the Government s Alcohol strategy, and again emphasises the need for flexible and integrated local services. Local authorities will become responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol misuse services, including prevention, treatment and recovery, from April Government commitments on health and related matters include:

5 To work with the Inclusion Health Board to improve the evidence base on the health of homeless people To fund Homeless Link (the umbrella body for homelessness charities) to improve outcomes for homeless people with dual drugs/alcohol and mental health needs. Homeless Link will work with 5 local authority areas to support local services and commissioners to understand and identify clients with dual needs, and to develop and disseminate effective service models To work with the Chartered Institute of Housing, the Recovery Partnership, and local Drugs and Alcohol Treatment Teams to develop sector led guidance to improve understanding of how the two sectors can work together to support people to achieve full recovery. Initial findings will be published in the summer To work with Homeless Link to ensure medical professionals discharging patients who are homeless or at risk of becoming so know whom to approach for help with meeting housing needs. Reducing Involvement in Crime The strategy states that the Government is looking to promote better offender housing support and joint working with local authority housing departments. It points to studies showing that targeted help with accommodation on release when predicated on an understanding of the prisoner s circumstances pre-incarceration can impact positively on re-offending rates. In consequence, the Youth Justice Board is exploring the possibility of producing a best practise toolkit to ensure that young offenders are able to access accommodation on their release. Prison leavers claiming Jobseeker s Allowance are now mandated to the Work Programme immediately on leaving custody. Government commitments on reducing involvement in crime include: To commission Crisis to develop guidance for prison and probation practitioners on improving offender access to private rented sector accommodation To highlight homelessness prevention to new police and crime commissioners To keep in payment the housing element of the new Universal Credit for those serving sentences of six months or less (current rules keep up this payment only up to 3 months). Improving Access to Skills, Employment, and Financial Services The strategy notes that unemployment and low skills are significant issues for homeless families, with 64% out of work in 2008 compared to 14% of the general population. It points to wider changes such as those contained in the Welfare Reform

6 Act, and states that homeless clients will have quicker access to the Work Programme than other Jobseeker claimants. It promises that the Government will use the opportunity offered by the introduction of Universal Credit to explore whether data on homeless claimants can be improved. And it points to the BIS s recent document Investing In a World Class Skills System as an example of the Government s commitment to provide a clear vocational route from education or unemployment to employment. The strategy also considers the significance of debt for many households facing homelessness, stating that 44% of people in an average homelessness project are affected. It highlights schemes such as the Mortgage Rescue scheme, the Preventing Repossession Fund, and the Housing Court Possession Duty scheme which local authorities can use to help households avoid repossession. It puts forward a number of Government commitments to improve access to skills, employment and financial services for those faced with homelessness: To support the not-for-profit advice sector to adapt to changes in the way that it is funded by providing 33.6m over two years ( ) To pilot a range of Community Learning Trust models in 2012/13 To analyse the issues faced by homeless people in accessing skills training. The Ministerial Working Group will consider the findings and agree next steps later this year To explore options for supporting individuals facing multiple disadvantages that are some distance from the labour market (such as homeless rough sleepers) on a payment by results basis Homeless Link will support a pilot in one area bringing the local voluntary homelessness sector and the local authority together with Jobcentre Plus, Work Programme and Work Choice providers To test the support required to help claimants budget and manage their rent payments effectively through a series of Housing Demonstration Projects which will run to June Lack of income due to immigration status Migrants can be disproportionately at risk of homelessness, with 52% of London s rough sleepers non-uk nationals. To prevent this contributing to cases of homelessness, the strategy details Government plans to work with embassies and in partnership with The Passage to raise awareness of the realities of moving to the UK without proper preparation.

7 New Approaches: Local Leadership, Service Integration, and Innovative Funding While acknowledging that its emphasis on a coordinated and integrated approach is not a new message, the strategy outlines a few innovative approaches that this Government is taking. Returning to the Government s broad localism theme, it states that after the success of four Community Budget pilots it expects their focus to be expanded from a single issue to a range of local services. Each pilot area will give a full report in October. The strategy also praises the innovative work of a few specific voluntary groups. It praises Emmaus for providing support for a range of needs in a community setting, and for providing volunteering opportunities. It praises the Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) coalition for their work on coordinating local services for individuals facing multiple disadvantages, and highlights their conclusions on the benefits of intensive case management coupled with a flexible response. It praises Broadway for its work with private sector landlords. To spread these pockets of innovation, it says that strong partnerships are needed, and states that it wants to see all areas of England have their own multi agency partnerships to prevent homelessness. Local authorities are best placed to decide what will work best for their local communities, the strategy states. The strategy also considers innovative ways of providing funding, including payment by results and social investment. Two Government commitments on driving forward innovative social funding for dealing with homelessness are given: To provide 5m to launch the world s first homelessness Social Impact Bond, in London, to attract social investment into homelessness. The bond will use a payments by results model To provide light-touch support to help other local commissioners with promising Social Impact Bond propositions. Challenges for Local Authorities Finally, the strategy draws together its analysis to put forward ten local challenges for local authorities to consider : 1. To adopt a corporate commitment to prevent homelessness that has a buy-in across all local authority services 2. To actively work in partnership with voluntary sector and other local partners to address support, education, employment, and training needs 3. To offer a Housing Options prevention service to all clients, including written advice

8 4. To adopt a No Second Night Out model, or an effective local alternative 5. To have housing pathways agreed or in development with each key partner or client 6. To develop a suitable private rented sector offer for all client groups 7. To actively engage in preventing mortgage repossessions 8. To have a homelessness strategy that sets out a proactive approach to preventing homelessness and that is reviewed annually 9. To not place anyone young person, aged 16 or 17, in B&B accommodation 10. To commit not to place families in B&B accommodation except in an emergency, and then for less than six weeks. Comment Making Every Contact Count is successful in developing the work of the Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness in the right direction. It moves beyond the limited, crisis-only focus of its previous report, No Second Night Out. It clearly sets out the issues that need to be tackled, and is sensitive to the complexity of the causes and, therefore, solutions of homelessness. It is also vocal in encouraging local authorities to be dynamic in working with those at risk of homelessness in their area. However, it is not so successful when it comes to translating its understanding into meaningful action. The strategy is keen to emphasise the importance of the role of third sector organisations, and its most promising measures involve partnership with Homeless Link and individual charities such as Crisis. However, these same organisations have been critical of the strategy, in particular its failure to address key, specific issues. Rick Henderson, the Chief Executive of Homeless Link, responded to the strategy s publication by expressing disappointment that it lacks detail as to how its worthy ambitions will be achieved. Crisis, the national charity for single homeless people, criticised the strategy s failure to engage with the impact of welfare cuts or the desperate shortage of housing. It points out that the strategy was released on the same day as Government statistics showing evictions are rising while house building is falling, but failed to suggest any meaningful way of increasing the supply of housing. The LGA has also criticised the strategy for side-stepping the changes needed for councils and local authorities to combat problems of housing shortage. Mike Jones, Chairman of the LGA Environment Board, said that councils are keen to play their part in this and could go further and faster to support the development of badlyneeded new homes, while investing in existing ones, if Government removed some of the obstacles that stand in their way by giving councils greater financial flexibility."

9 For all its understanding and ambition, Making Every Contact Count has frustrated most of the organisations it hoped to engage. It finishes with a long list of challenges for local authorities, but does not contain many practical measures to help them overcome them. This is especially disappointing at a time of budget cuts and changes to the welfare system, such as a tightening of housing benefit, that threaten to exacerbate homelessness in the UK. For more information about this, or any other LGiU member briefing, please contact Janet Sillett, Briefings Manager, on janet.sillett@lgiu.org.uk