Multi-agency assessment panels

Shelter's Street Homeless Project helps local authorities and other agencies establish multi-agency assessment panels to work with street homeless people.

Needs assessment

Panels use a comprehensive needs assessment as the basis for a resettlement and support package for each client. The assessment is made to identify the range of problems experienced by the client and the agencies that will need to be involved in tackling them.

The 'multi-agency assessment panel' model is designed to work with people who have multiple or complex needs. Many of these people have a long history of being excluded from services, and can experience street homelessness as a result.

Panels

A panel meeting involves the client, their key worker and relevant agencies meeting to discuss the client's situation. An action plan for housing and ongoing support will be arranged at this meeting.

The 'multi-agency assessment panel' model operates on two levels:

• as an operations panel with the authority to make decisions about service delivery
• as a steering group with senior managers overseeing the operations panel, addressing strategic issues.

The panels are comprised of statutory and voluntary agencies. Statutory agencies involved may be:

• the council's housing department
• Social Services
• NHS mental health teams
• the probation service
• drug action teams
• the police (possibly as a referral agency only).

Voluntary agencies may include:

• supported housing providers
• night shelters
• day centres
• drug and alcohol projects
• outreach teams.

MAAP good practice guidelines

Shelter has produced these multi-agency assessment panel good practice guidelines for agencies and projects working with homeless people who have complex needs. Read more