To consider the report of the No Local Connection Review Group. Report to follow as a supplement.

Councillor Linda Smith, Rachel Lawrence (Rough Sleeping & Single Homelessness Manager) and Polly McKinlay (Senior Commissioning Officer,

Rough Sleeping & Single Homelessness) will be available to present the report and answer any questions.

Polly McKinlay, Senior Commissioning Officer, introduced the six month update report on the work of the No Local Connection Group.

Addressing the overall themes of the report, strong progress had been made regarding the key driver behind its recommendations – to become more person centred in its approach. The Council’s view that after a period of six months living in Oxford, the likelihood would be that a homeless individual would have developed a network and a connection to Oxford, and that reconnection to another area would not necessarily be in their interests, was now embedded into its service structure. Improved and increased services, such as 12 Somewhere Safe to Stay places in Simon House had been were not contingent on a local connection, meaning any rough sleeper would be able to access the service. 

The changes made had had significant impacts on individuals, including helping a rough sleeper of 12 years who had been able to find a suitable tenancy.

A number of recommendations were highlighted as having not yet been implemented, namely around the extension of the Council’s rules to the wider Common Operating Protocol used across the county. Significant amount of work had been done in preparing the ground for implementing the changes, other districts had begun implementing the changes, and agreement reached in principle across all districts. However, the finalised legal text was not agreed.

Questions from the Panel arose around the degree to which the changes would encourage homeless people to gravitate towards Oxford in order to access improved services, particularly around addiction. Whilst it was recognised as a risk, there was a need for to make a judgement call on whether reconnecting individuals to their original area would be in their best interests, or whether it was better for them to stay and receive services, and that this exercise should be understood in the context of the Council not wishing to participate in a race to the bottom for services. Further, the view of those with lived experience of homelessness indicated that this risk was not being realised, and that minimal numbers of individuals were being drawn to Oxford solely due to the quality of its services. 

The Panel formally recognised the work done by the No Local Connection Group and commended it.