To consider a report on the outcomes and lessons learnt from the Homelessness Trailblazer Project and the cost-benefit analysis of early homelessness intervention to the Council and wider public services. Report to follow and will be published as a supplement.

Councillor Linda Smith and Paul Wilding (System Change Manager, Homelessness Prevention) will be available to present the report and answer any questions.

Paul Wilding, Systems Change Manager (Rough Sleeping) presented a report to the Panel on the Outcomes of the Homelessness Prevention Trailblazer programme.

The purpose of the Trailblazer programme was introduced as being an opportunity to learn what was needed and how homelessness prevention might be implemented across local authorities and other public sector organisations in the county, rather than the launch of a new set of services. Whilst some regret at the ending of the services was understandable, an encouraging element of the learning was that the Trailblazer indicated the need for improved communication – between individuals at risk of homelessness and service providers, and also between the service providers involved in homelessness prevention – and that improving such communication was relatively straightforward and did not require ongoing services, but simply maintaining the relationships created by the programme. The positive impact of the services, however, was recognised. There had been a great value in providing support to 1400 individuals, and funding had been received by Aspire from the Lottery to extend its element of the programme, the Community Navigators for another three years. Aspire had also raised fund locally to support the extension of this service, which had been match funded by the Oxfordshire Community Foundation.

The Panel sought to identify what work would  be undertaken to ensure that homelessness did not create a delayed transfer of care from hospital, and was informed that funding for the healthcare element of the programme had also been extended by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, albeit presently only until March. Beyond that, discussions were being held between the Council and the Health Improvement Board.

Other questions were raised in regards to the opportunities for external funding. Government sources of funding were reported to be automatically flagged to the team, but funding had also been raised from elsewhere.

Clarification was also sought by the Panel on the impact of Universal Credit as a cause of homelessness. Whilst in the second half of the programme a significant number of people who were referred to the programme were on Universal Credit because their referrals come via the Job Centre, it was not felt that the experience from the programme indicated that Universal Credit was a cause of homelessness. Though over 50% of referees did have financial and debt issues, this was a consistent issue across both Universal Credit and non-Universal Credit referrals. Though not a cause of homelessness, the delay in payment of Universal Credit did at times mean that it could exacerbate existing issues and make homelessness more likely.

In response to questions as to how the lessons of the programme would be embedded rather than allowed to drift away the Panel was informed that the Homelessness Champions Network would be extended for a further year, providing a forum to provide wider stakeholders in homelessness prevention training and updates, as well as aiding communication and relationships. Also, an e-learning module had been made available on the back of the learning from the programme, which had been made available across the county and would help to safeguard the knowledge derived from the programme in the face of future staff turnover.