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LPSA Target 8: Homelessness

• To provide more availability and choice in affordable housing.  

Confidence in achieving at least 60% stretch:

The LPSA2 Homelessness Project Board is confident that the stretch targets are achievable and data is now being collected in a more consistent format.  

Targets:

To reduce homelessness among vulnerable young people (total for the 3 years ending 31 March 2008)

1. Number of young people aged 16-17 living in bed and breakfast accommodation - to 0 (132 fewer)
2. Number of young people aged 16-17 living in unsuitable accommodation - to 45 (225 fewer)

Current STATS - March 2007

• Number of young people aged 16-17 living in bed and breakfast accommodation = 7
• Number of young people aged 16-17 living in unsuitable accommodation = 0

The targets have been under discussion regarding interpretation, this has now been resolved.

How and when targets are measured:

Data is being collected in a consistent format and reported at monthly Project Board meetings.  Improvements have been made in collecting the data resulting in timely returns from partners as reflected in the figures quoted.  Agreement has been reached with all partners about the definition to be used for 'suitable' accommodation.  

Progress planned at this stage:

The following are the objectives set out in the original business case:

• The LPSA Target 8 Project Board meetings held on a monthly basis to continue to provide strategic oversight: Ongoing
• Project Board to finalise project plan: January 2006
• LPSA Conference Launch: February 2006
• Recruit Young Person’s Homeless Officer: March 2006
• Accommodation Providers sign up to the Accommodation & Support Standard July 2006
• Set a common assessment framework and standard ways of working to enable joined up working within the agencies through the continuing development of countywide partnership
• Develop links within the existing countywide 16/17-year-old homeless protocol December 2006
• Establish finance and performance management framework: December 2006
• Develop countywide accredited life skills programmes: December 2006

Progress achieved at this stage:

• The project board continues to meet monthly.
• A detailed project plan has been produced setting out targets and actions with clear milestones to reach the targets at the end of March 2008.
• A successful launch was held in March 06 and a further conference is planned on the 04/06/07 to review progress and plan for the future post March 08.
• Quarterly newsletters have been produced and distributed to stakeholders and partners in April 06
• Awareness raising with referring agencies is taking place across the county, with a specific event held in Salisbury by Salisbury District Council.  
• A comprehensive referral assessment form has been introduced and is now in use.
• The Young Persons Housing Support Officer has taken over 30 referrals from partner agencies since September 2006.
• Finance and performance frameworks are in place to ensure accuracy of data gathering and reporting.
• Revision of the 16/17 year old homelessness protocol is underway.
• Four sub groups continue to meet to deliver the targets. These are:
• The Route Map sub group is looking at the 16/17 year old protocol and referral criteria and the common assessment tool.
• The Alternative Accommodation sub group is looking at alternatives to B&B, the Accommodation & Support Standard and Accredited Life Skills Programmes.
• The Involving Young People sub group is looking at ways of involving young people in the project.
• The Communications and Awareness sub group is looking at publicity,  profile raising and access to information.

     Achievements of the sub-groups include:

• A route map has been established for 16/17 year olds who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless and the 16/17 year old multi-agency protocol is being reviewed.
• Referral criteria for the Young Persons Support Officer have been agreed and enacted.
• A database of suitable accommodation for young people available across Wiltshire has been established.
• Proposals have been put forward for carrying out group work with young people who have experienced homelessness to enable them to contribute to the project.
• A young person's homelessness survey has been undertaken by Connexions with 56 young people aged between 16 & 19 who have experienced homelessness participating.
• A communications strategy has been developed.

     Progress report March - June 2007

• We have been awarded beacon status as a regional centre of excellence acknowledging the valuable achievements of our multi-agency approach to working with 16 and 17 year olds.  
• The young people’s involvement sub group hosted ‘An Audience with a County Councillor’ which gave a group of young people an opportunity to share their experiences of becoming homeless with Cllr Nancy Bryant. This meeting resulted in the production of a DVD ‘Been There’ in conjunction with Wiltshire College Trowbridge, about the experience of two of the young people.  One of the young people featured in the DVD took the DVD to a Ministerial Conference in Bristol, where she handed a copy to Pamjit Dhanda MP the Minister for Children and Families.   This sub group have also been busy surveying the experiences of young people who have been homeless with some interesting responses.
• The Communications Sub Group organised a successful conference for stakeholders early in June.  The conference updated the delegates on the work of the LPSA.  A keynote speech was given by Rebecca Pritchard who is the Specialist Advisor for Youth Homelessness at the Department for Communities and Local Government.  The DVD was launched at the conference and agencies  are now planning to use the DVD as part of training for frontline staff.
• The Alternative Accommodation Sub Group have submitted a paper detailing accommodation schemes that we would like to proceed with to Supporting People.
• We are currently exploring ways in which we can adopt the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) form to use as the way to refer young people to the LPSA in order to come in line with partner agencies.
• We are working closely with accommodation providers in looking at eviction policies.  We are encouraging early identification of problems and multi-agency approaches to preventing evictions.
• We are looking at training accommodation providers in restorative approaches as away of preventing evictions.

Significant problems encountered/predicted:

None.

Recovery actions in hand (where applicable):

None.

External assistance required:

None.

Comments:

None.

Contact Details

By Post

Sue Nash
Youth Offending Team
Top Floor
Court Mills
Polebarn Road
Trowbridge
BA14 7EG

By Telephone

01225 781202

By Email

Opening Hours

Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm

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