Aim 2: Where homelessness occurs, there will be positive outcomes for people
Access to housing and support services
This strategic aim is about intervening quickly to provide appropriate accommodation and support for those who are homeless. To achieve positive outcomes, the right accommodation and support will need to be provided at the right time.
Gateshead currently has a combination of commissioned, non-commissioned and internally provided housing and support services. The homelessness review has identified that there is a lack of appropriate housing and support options for people with multiple complex needs and with challenging behaviours and lifestyles. There are also considerable difficulties with placing MAPPA clients in supported accommodation.
Individuals with multiple complex needs and challenging behaviours can end up being inappropriately placed in mainstream social housing. Their behaviours spill into the community and cause antisocial behaviour. Breaking the cycle becomes difficult as individuals often represent themselves to the Council as homeless.
Gateshead will use the data from the homelessness review to inform a recommissioning process for housing and support services, including appropriate provision to meet those with multiple complex needs. Internal provision will also need to be remodelled to provide a better fit.
The purpose of supported housing will be to prepare individuals to become 'tenancy ready' and Gateshead will produce guidance on this issue as part of the recommissioning process. Once individuals are 'tenancy ready', they will be able to move onto mainstream general needs housing.
Some individuals will be able to move directly into mainstream housing with the right level of support. Where individuals with support needs have moved into mainstream accommodation, or are already living in mainstream accommodation, we intend to provide floating support services that incorporate comprehensive tenancy training. For those with the most complex needs, Gateshead will explore the Housing First model.
The private rented sector is an important option for moving out of homelessness. We will work with the private rented sector to remove barriers to those who are homeless or potentially homeless. As part of the recommissioning process, we will develop a contract management framework that will include monitoring the number of referrals received, the number accommodated, the level of risk and other KPIs. The framework will also monitor outcomes, including the number who become 'tenancy ready', the number who make planned moves, and the number who engage with health services.
The homelessness review has set out proposals for a new Gateway to housing and support services. This Gateway will involve the assessment and placement of homeless households into emergency and short-term temporary accommodation, as well as commissioned housing and support services. This arrangement will also be extended to internal services and noncommissioned services, where possible.
Gateshead Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy 13 Gateshead is working towards a Connected Services model to delivering housing and homelessness services. This is an innovative approach that connects the Council and partner agencies, working collaboratively across housing, homelessness and linked support services to build positive outcomes for residents in Gateshead. This type of partnership can focus on challenges and design operational service delivery models that best meet those challenges.
The Connected Service model includes five core elements. Each of these elements will help Gateshead move from a reactive to a proactive provider, focused on prevention and collaborative working with other services, partner agencies, the third sector and other housing providers in Gateshead.
The five core elements of the Connected Services model are as follows:
Multidisciplinary working in localities
Embedding strong joint working between housing workers, colleagues from Health and Adult Social Care Services and wider partners, we are aiming to reduce handoffs and create a more collaborative approach when providing support on individual cases.
Homelessness Forum
Establishing a forum for leaders across services and partner organisations that meets regularly, so we can address collective challenges using data and insights and discuss strategic priorities that will help people in need and inform the long-term strategy.
Holistic advice, homelessness and allocations service
Ensuring that frontline teams work as an integrated delivery team, to assess people's situations in a holistic way, providing advice and bringing them into contact with the right support services, including the development of joint support plans. We are aiming to pull on services and support, not refer.
Insights and innovation
Collecting qualitative and quantitative data about people's needs in Gateshead so we can work at all levels, from predicting tenancy sustainment to modelling future housing and support needs in Gateshead.
A Homelessness Gateway
Overseeing access to emergency and short-term temporary accommodation as well as commissioned supported housing in Gateshead. The Housing Options service will oversee access, eligibility and move-on activity, linking with the range of housing and support providers operating in Gateshead in order to deliver sustainable housing and support solutions.
The Connected services model shows the elements that feed into the Homelessness Gateway:
Homelessness Forum
Multidisciplinary working in localities
Holistic advice, homelessness and allocations service
Insights and innovation
Actions
Carry out a needs analysis using the data generated from the homelessness review, as well as other data, to identify the types of supported accommodation and support services required, particularly for people with multiple complex needs, young people and those subject to domestic abuse.
Review and remodel existing floating support services (both internal and commissioned) to match the levels of needs identified.
Review and remodel existing accommodation-based services (both internal and commissioned) to match the needs identified.
Consider introducing a Housing First model for those who have been the most difficult to engage, with wraparound support in independent housing.
Develop service specifications for those services that are to be commissioned, including Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE) principles for those with complex needs, to provide a trauma-informed approach to support.
Carry out a commissioning exercise to source the types of supported accommodation and support services required as a result of the needs analysis, in particular services for people with multiple complex needs including MAPPA clients, young people and those subject to domestic abuse.
Introduce a contract monitoring/performance management framework to provide KPIs and to monitor the outcomes of supported accommodation and support services, both commissioned and internal, to ensure a pathway to independence.
As a result of the needs analysis, identify any gaps and work with strategic partners and housing providers to develop new provision and access future funding opportunities.
Continue to develop a Connected Services model to ensure collaborative working with partner agencies.
Develop a pathway into commissioned accommodation and support services through a new Gateway to ensure that those most in need are targeted at appropriate services. Embed the duty to refer within this.
Develop a person-centred approach to ensure that individuals are placed in the right accommodation at the right time.
Develop a 'tenancy ready' framework for commissioned services to ensure that individuals remain in supported accommodation for the right length of time with the right support to become tenancy ready.
Enable individuals to access permanent accommodation directly, with appropriate support, where a supported housing environment is not considered the right solution.
Ensure consistent support along the pathway, including support where an individual does not go through a supported housing pathway.
Test and review current pre-eviction protocols and build in strategies to help providers and support those struggling to sustain their accommodation.
Provide access to personal budgets so that individuals can source furniture and white goods when they move into permanent accommodation.
As part of the review of the allocations policy, ensure that appropriate permanent housing is allocated to those who are owed a homelessness duty.
Work with registered providers to provide access for homeless people to housing in mainstream general needs housing.
How will we measure success?
A greater proportion of homeless people with multiple complex needs are placed in supported housing or are in receipt of support services.
An increase in the number of planned moves from supported housing to independent housing as a result of preparing individuals to become 'tenancy ready'.
The introduction of a new homelessness pathway that matches needs with accommodation and support, and results in positive outcomes.
An increase in the number of homeless households that are housed by registered providers in mainstream general needs housing.
