Shelter housing rights worker Laura Browne shares insight into the partnership between Shelter and Sovereign Network Group
Published September 2025
Working in partnership
Since 2021 Shelter and Sovereign Network Group (SNG) have been working in partnership to support tenants who are at risk of eviction. The project focuses on tenants that have stopped engaging with their landlord due to rent arrears. This is often a sign of underlying issues such as domestic abuse, poor health, or financial problems.
What started as a small pilot in Plymouth has now grown to cover the entire South West region. At the heart of it is the concept of preventing eviction by offering compassionate support.
Court is the last resort
The project began with a clear aim of reaching tenants before things escalated to court. Possession proceedings are not only expensive and time consuming for landlords, but also extremely stressful for tenants.
Often people aren't refusing to pay or engage with the landlord. They're overwhelmed, scared, or dealing with complex life situations. The project is about breaking through that and connecting tenants to support available before it is too late.
Rebuilding relationships with tenants
Sovereign Network Group shares this ethos. As a social housing provider they don't want to evict people. Sovereign want to rebuild the relationships with tenants and offer support to help keep them in their homes. From financial advice to energy grants they have resources to offer, but need a way to reconnect with tenants where communication has broken down.
People driven processes
In the early stages I carried out face to face home visits. Referrals came from Sovereign's income team and I followed up by contacting tenants directly. There were no rigid templates or processes so I was able to develop my own approaches as I went.
This helped me to build trust and rapport with tenants quickly. I created my own checklists, sent letters to clients and would follow up with home visits. It was flexible and personal. I could sit with someone in their home, where they felt comfortable and really understand their situation. It was a learning curve, but having that freedom meant that I could build processes that were genuinely useful and guided by the people I was trying to support.
Over time I gained insight into why people disengaged and the best ways to reach them. Arrears weren't always the real issue. Language barriers, mental health challenges and domestic abuse were just some of the root causes for tenants I supported.
Maintaining a personal touch
While the project is more process driven now, it is important to maintain a personal touch. If I see a glimmer of that tenant trying to connect then I will continue to reach out.
You lose something when you move away from home visits, body language, that deeper connection. But phone support is less emotionally intense for staff and it helps us to reach more people.
Being a neutral voice
Most referrals are because the tenant has rent arrears, but the real barrier is often fear or misunderstanding. Tenants often say they are ashamed or afraid of judgment. Shelter's role as an independent organisation is key to getting that engagement.
We are not the landlord, and we make that clear to tenants. What they tell us is confidential and they stay in control of what we share. It makes a big difference to building trust and once that is built tenant's are happy to share information and rebuild that relationship with the landlord. Having someone listen who is on their side is enough to encourage them to re-engage.
How we support tenants
One of the biggest benefits of the partnership is the holistic support it enables. I remember a tenant that I supported who was a survivor of domestic abuse. There were language barriers and immigration issues. By visiting her home I was able to see the full picture and work with other agencies to provide support. I was able to help her apply for benefits, communicate using the language line and help her access food parcels and support with her energy costs.
Working together to tackle the root cause
I think the project's success is the collaborative approach. We are all working to support the same person, so why not do it together? The outcomes for tenants have been stronger when Shelter, Sovereign Network Group and other services come together to tackle the root cause of the crisis and not just the symptoms.
By avoiding silo working it helps with supporting tenants in a trauma informed manner. It reduces the need for them to keep repeating their story to different professionals or organisations. Instead we can offer co-ordinated and compassionate support that addresses the issues. The aim is always for us to help the tenant to resolve the situation and then be empowered and able to manage that situation themselves moving forward.
Partnership doesn't mean taking sides
Engagement doesn’t happen by accident. You have to try different approaches - texts, letters, doorstep visits. It takes time to build trust. This project highlights that partnership doesn't mean taking sides, it means everyone working together to achieve a shared goal.
Shelter, Sovereign Network Group and the tenant all want the same thing, to keep the home and improve the tenant's circumstances. When we remember that and work together, we get the best outcomes.
Scaling up the project
Today the project covers the entire South West region and a more structured system was developed by our hub management and Sovereign Network Group. The work has moved to telephone support. Staff try different approaches to contact tenants, calls, letters or emails.
What's possible when working together
The Shelter and Sovereign Network Group project shows what’s possible when housing providers and advice services work together with a shared goal of keeping people in safe, secure homes.
Shelter has reconnected 125 clients with their landlord, helping them access vital support services and rebuild trust. Two thirds of those referred had already received an eviction notice, highlighting the urgency and complexity of the cases we handle.
Stuart Francis-Dubois │ Strategic Lead Shelter Devon
