To consider a report on the outcome of the year one Homelessness Prevention Trailblazer Programme.

Paul Wilding, Systems Change Manager (Homelessness Prevention), explained that the Trailblazer was a two year programme, funded in the main by MHCLG, focussed on early intervention and support to prevent homelessness. It involved working with other public services providers to work as upstream as possible to identify people at risk of becoming homeless. This was not about filling a gap in provision, but instead about supporting long term systemic connections between services, and helping other services to identify the warning signs of someone at risk of homelessness, and what to do in these circumstances. The report presented to the Panel provided a comprehensive review of year one of the programme, and the quality of the report and level of detail was welcomed by the Panel.

The Systems Change Manager explained that there were three stands to the programme:

1)    Embedded Housing Workers: These workers were located within the criminal justice, health and social care settings to improve the organisational understanding of housing principles and how and when to refer people to relevant support services. A key area already identified as potentially saving money related to speeding up delayed transfers of care, which averaged 31 days when housing was a barrier to exiting hospital.

2)    Community Navigators: These workers sought to identify people at risk of homelessness, and work with them to link them with the relevant services. Some of these people had previous experience of homelessness, and their advice was sometimes heeded more reciprocally than it would otherwise be from a council officer.

3)    Homeless Champions Network: The network supported the upskilling of ~60 people working in partner organisations to broaden their understanding of the housing system, and how to make effective referrals. The process had already found a lack of knowledge within partner organisations about peoples housing entitlements and the housing allocations process. It was hoped that this would help instil a legacy within these organisations of providing more effective referrals and advice to service users.

The Panel asked for more information about what the programme had found in year one. The Systems Change Manager explained that many people were left in beds when they were medically fit, because they did not have a home to be discharged too. The report highlighted that 2744 days had been accumulated for people awaiting discharge for this reasons within year one, totalling an indicative cost of £1.2m to the NHS.

The Chair highlighted that in relation to embedded housing workers, 103 cases had unknown outcomes, and that this uncertainty in the data may hinder any future funding bids to Central Government to extend the programme. The Systems Change Manager said that recording in this area would likely improve, but it highlighted that the sometimes brief and chaotic interactions do not lend themselves to effective tracking of outcomes. One example was given where people discharge themselves early from hospital, without providing a destination or discussing with the embedded workers.

Councillor Howett asked about opportunities for pooled funding arrangements, and future funding of the programme. The Systems Change Manager explained that there was a business case to be made for pooled funding arrangements, but that this did not necessarily mean partners would be willing to fund further work, particularly in light of current public sector finances. Councillor Howlett drew attention to the idea that the Community Navigators may have more effective interactions with people experiencing homelessness than council officers, because of their wider experiences in relation to homelessness. Other members suggested that people experiencing homelessness could be better involved in the Council’s decision making processes.

The Chair expressed particular concern about the potential to lose the skills and experience of the specialist workers in the programme, once it finished in August 2019. The Systems Change Manager agreed that there was uncertainty ahead and that it was a difficult situation owing to short term funding.

Resolved

That the Housing Panel requests an update return to the Panel concerning the year two outcome of the Trailblazer Programme.