Homelessness Delivery Plan

1.      Introduction

The Homelessness Delivery Plan sits under the Bath & North East Somerset Local Strategic Partnership Housing Strategy 2005 – 2010. It responds to the BE: at home improvement ambition within the Community Strategy for Bath & North East Somerset.

The Plan has clear links with the Supporting People 5 Year Strategy and the Independent Living and Affordable Housing Delivery Plans. Development of the themes and specific targets came about as an integral part of the Homelessness Sector Review 2006/07. More detail of the methodology used is included below and in the appendices.

The Local Area Agreement (LAA) for Bath & North East Somerset contains targets relevant to homelessness. These have been set out in detail.

Consultation on the Delivery Plan targets has been extensive. Key themes and targets were developed through the Homelessness Sector Review (more details in Section 2). Voluntary and statutory sector partners were fully involved in the Review and were consulted at key points of the process. Service users and potential service users were consulted in two separate phases:

• In November 2006, the Supporting People team held an open session for service users and potential service users to pass on their views on current service provision
• In March 2007, Groundswell, a national user-empowerment organisation specialising in homelessness, ran 3 sessions across Bath & North East Somerset. These were aimed at specific household types – families, single people & rough sleepers, young people.

Feedback from both has informed the development of the Homelessness Sector Review targets and this Delivery Plan.

2.      Scope

This Delivery Plan has been drawn from the recent Homelessness Sector Review (completed in April 2007) and associated action plan.

Background and scope of the Homelessness Sector Review

Two major factors led to the Homelessness Sector Review:

1. Bath & North East Somerset has a wide range of services in place to address homelessness and its’ prevention.  Many of these services were developed reactively, rather than in response to strategic targets or analysis of the homelessness sector in general.
2. A number of local and national developments were identified that needed to be taken into account in future service provision. These included:
3. The completion of the Supporting People service review programme in March 2006 and issues arising from individual reviews
4. The target set by DCLG to reduce use of temporary accommodation by 50% by 2010
5. Local statistical information, which indicated that there have been changes in the needs of homeless people. Providers had been experiencing high void levels in temporary accommodation schemes. Meanwhile, a need has been identified for more temporary accommodation for young people (16+)

The review provided an opportunity to ensure that future service provision meets the identified needs of homeless people in Bath & North East Somerset.

The Sector Review comprised the following elements:

• Current supply and expenditure
• Value for money
• Available Funds, Investment Commitments & Future Resources
• Needs
• Consultation with Service Providers and Service Users
• Model of Provision for the Next 3 Years
• Reducing our use of Temporary Accommodation
• Recommendations for service development
• Issues for further development

3.      Priorities for the future

The Sector Review identified the following priorities for future provision:

• Increasing available accommodation

By developing flexibility and increasing the volume of available accommodation, issues around rough sleeping and use of temporary accommodation can be more effectively addressed.

• Sustaining tenancies

Prevention of homelessness is a national and local priority. If we are to tackle homelessness in the long term, we need to ensure that those people for whom a solution is found do not become homeless again. Prevention is also a better use of limited resources.

• Reducing exclusion

Homeless people are by definition excluded from many aspects of mainstream society. Activities, training and employment reduce isolation and exclusion, leading to greater stability and increased abilities to sustain accommodation.

In order to convert these priorities into meaningful developments, the action plan in Section 4 will be implemented.

4.      Action Planning

The Action Plan  sets out the tasks identified for delivery of the priorities set out in Section 3

5.      The Bath & North East Somerset Local Area Agreement

Local Area Agreements (LAA’s) aim to improve services in local areas by better co-ordination between central government, local authorities and partners.

The LAA has been developed so that it reflects local priorities.  It builds on the work of the Community Strategy, working with the Local Strategic Partnership, Councillors and voluntary and community organisations.  LAA's bring extra Government money, while streamlining existing funds and targets. A range of targets have been agreed for the Bath & North East Somerset area. In terms of the Homelessness Delivery Plan, the relevant target is

Increase sustainable housing choices for vulnerable people

This target will largely (though not exclusively) focus on those tasks that will improve existing provision and develop new solutions for homeless people.

Background to the target

Many vulnerable residents currently have very limited housing options.  While these options vary depending upon the individual and their circumstances it does not usually include the private rented sector.  This is unfortunate given the benefits, for some, of this sector including a greater freedom to choose between the type and location of property.  This target aims to redress this disadvantage through a range of pro-active actions and measures.

Indicators by which performance will be measured

1. Number of ex-offenders in receipt of housing-related support services funded by Supporting People
2. Number of households who have held a tenancy, facilitated by the Homefinders Scheme, for 6 months or more
3. Number of places available as supported lodgings placements for care leavers and young homeless people
4. Number of young people who have moved from a supported lodgings placement and successfully held either a private or social sector tenancy for greater than 6 months

Current performance

1. In 2006/07, at any one time there was capacity for 26 offenders to be in receipt of a housing related support service funded by Supporting People.
2. During 2005/06; 4 households were offered and accepted tenancies via the Homefinders Scheme. In the first 6 months of 2006/07, this had risen to 20.  These figures represent the number of active Homefinder tenancies within the specified period that have been running for a period of 6 months or more. 
3. The Supported Lodgings Scheme is currently accommodating 10 supported lodging placements at any one time. 
4. At April 2007, no young people had moved from the Supported Lodgings Scheme to permanent accommodation                                                                                       

Performance at the end of the period of the Local Area Agreement

This is the year ending 31 March 2010 for all indicators. 

Performance expected without the Reward Element

1. 2009/10: 26
2. 2009/10: 70
3. 2009/10: 10
4. During life of LAA: 12

Performance target with the Reward Element

1.      Ex-offenders.
On the 31 March 2010 there will be capacity for 41 offenders to be in receipt of a housing related support service funded by Supporting People.

Further to conversations with GOSW we can confirm that DCLG have approved a carry forward relating to the Supporting People budget into 2007-08. The Commissioning Body have approved £40,000 from this carry forward to further develop services for ex offenders.  We will therefore seek to meet target 1. (41) through an appropriate combination of this carried-forward funding (which has been aligned into the relevant block of the LAA) and pump priming grant.'

2.  Homefinders Scheme.
During the financial year 2009/10 their will be 90 households who have during that year held a tenancy facilitated by the Homefinders Scheme for 6 months or more.

3.  Supported Lodgings Scheme
On the 31 March 2010 there will be capacity for 20 supported lodging placements

4.  Move-on from the Supported Lodgings Scheme
During the life of the LAA, 20 young people will, having moved from a supported lodgings placement, have successfully held a private or social sector tenancy for greater than 6 months.

What difference will this make?

Success against these stretched targets will produce the following outcomes:

• 15 more ex-offenders in receipt of housing –related support funded by Supporting People
• 20 more households sustaining tenancies via the Homefinders Scheme
• 10 more young people living in Supported Lodgings
• 8 more young people will have left the Supported Lodgings Scheme to sustain tenancies for over 6 months

Allocation of Performance Reward Grant
£325,000 has been earmarked for Reward Grant on successful completion of the above targets.           

6.      Monitoring, Evaluation & Risk Assessment

The Homelessness Delivery Plan will be monitored and evaluated by the Bath & North East Somerset Homelessness Partnership. Reports on progress on outcomes will be provided for the Housing Key Partnership and the Supporting People Commissioning Body by the Bath & North East Somerset Council Planning & Partnership Manager.

LAA targets relating to homelessness will be monitored by the Housing Key Partnership.

An annual review of the targets will be undertaken by the Homelessness Partnership, with analysis of outcomes and effectiveness reported to the Housing Key Partnership. The Delivery Plan will be reviewed during 2009 and a new Plan published by April 2010.