Implementing a homelessness strategy

How producing a homelessness strategy helped Chester-le-Street District Council improve its practice and address the homelessness issues it was facing.

By Anne Smith, Housing Policy & Strategy Manager, Chester-le-Street District Council

A low starting point

Chester-le-Street is a small district council. We process about 55 applications as homeless under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 each quarter. We only have two officers employed dealing with homelessness policy and practice. Accordingly we have been heavily reliant on our partnership agencies in the district to enable us to develop an effective homelessness strategy and action plan.

Our Best Value reinspection by the Audit Commission told us 'the lack of any strategic development of homelessness and advice services ranks this aspect of the service amongst the worst we have seen'. Their finding of a 'poor service' was made as a result of identifying a number of weaknesses including:

• no specialist housing advice provision, with general, basic advice being provided by two 'allocation and lettings' officers
• a very basic quality of housing advice
• the quality of information for homeless people was poor
• little preventative homelessness work took place
• no temporary accommodation to house families and others who require it
• no accommodation support services in place, and
• no engagement with homeless people in service development.

Government intervention

The original Best Value inspection and the reinspection led to Government intervention. An interim Director of Housing was appointed to oversee service improvement identified within key priority areas, including homelessness. In addition a Housing Advisory Board was set up to provide ongoing advice and support. The board consisted of:

• housing specialists
• tenants representatives
• executive members of the council.

Priority action plan

A priority action plan was developed to demonstrate:

• the service weaknesses
• how we aimed to address those areas, and
• specified timescales.

Improvements started in February 2003 with responsibility for developing the service being passed across to the Housing Policy Team. A dedicated Housing Options Officer was employed to deal with homeless applications.

Progress had to be monitored monthly by the Housing Advisory Board.

Steering group

In February 2003, contact was made with relevant local statutory and voluntary organisations. As a result they joined us on a Homelessness Steering Group to oversee changes and improvements to the homelessness service.

Monthly meetings were arranged to utilise skills, knowledge and different perspectives on service improvement from the group members. Terms of reference for the group were developed in May 2003 and a clear vision and core aims for the homelessness service agreed. The organisations involved include:

• Centrepoint
• Shelter
• Mind
• Norcare
• Connexions
• Stonham Housing Association, and
• Citizens Advice.

Homelessness strategy

Compiling the homelessness strategy proved difficult due to the scale of the required service improvements. With the support of the steering group the strategy was developed into an effective document. This highlighted positive outcomes and provided an achievable and realistic action plan, aspects of which are outlined below. The strategy had to be monitored by the steering group on a quarterly basis.

Action plan

Listed below are some of the results and initiatives born out of the homelessness strategies' action plan.

Independent advice service

Using a homelessness grant from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now the Department for Communities and Local Government) and a contribution from Citizens Advice, an independent homelessness advice service started in September 2003.

Young people

Centrepoint is providing support to the council, and the other district councils in Durham County, by helping with the development of a county-wide joint protocol when working with young people.

In addition, a local single homelessness project is working with the steering group to:

• develop young peoples' life skills project within the district, and
• raise the profile of youth homelessness.

Support for vulnerable groups

We now make available furnished tenancies, if required. We have made links with agencies to provide floating support for a number of vulnerable groups including:

• people with mental health issues
• people with substance misuse problems, and
• young people.

Other initiatives

Recent initiatives being considered with partner agencies include:

• mediation and floating support for women fleeing domestic violence to enable them to remain within the family home
• short term live-in training and support facility within the district for young people.

Customer service

Addressing the criticisms of the Best Value reinspection included provision of Shelter advice guides in our housing reception to ensure that independent advice was readily available to our customers.

We developed a service user questionnaire to gain feedback regarding the service they were receiving and to recommend areas for improvement.

Training

Members of our Council Tenants' Panel, executive members of the council, and members of our staff attended training, provided by Shelter, to widen their knowledge and understanding of homelessness and support needs.

Partnership event

To engage with the wider community and local stakeholders, a homelessness partnership event was held to enable attendees to understand and learn more about the partner agencies involved within the homelessness strategy.

Members of the steering group attended and produced displays, advice leaflets and promotional information regarding their individual organisations. Staff were available to discuss their organisation and involvement within the homelessness service with attendees at the event. Feedback showed that the event was extremely successful.

A county wide strategy

We have formed a county-wide group to discuss common priorities held within our separate homelessness strategies.

We expect to address issues in partnership, due to cross boundary working and the sharing of good practice, as part of our implementation strategies.