PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN THE CURE

THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WORKING

Contents

1. New Charter: a Great Partner

2. Knowsley Housing Options

3. Preventing Homelessness

4. Partnership – Young Person Protocol

5. Kayleighs Story

6. Contacts

A Great Partner: The Group

• New Charter was formed in April 2000

• AKSA Homes joined the Group in 2005

• Gedling Homes joined the Group in 2008

• Managing 18,600 homes

New Charter: Homelessness

Services

• Delivered Knowsley Housing Options Service for Knowsley

MBC since May 2011

• Delivered Tameside Housing Advice for Tameside MBC since

April 2000

• Delivered the Supported Homelessness Accommodation for

Tameside MBC since April 2000

• Sanctuary Service, Bridges - Independent Domestic Violence

Advice service and ROOTS Project

• Housing Register – Tameside MBC since April 2000

• BBO £10m – Building Better Opportunities

• Hospital Discharge Project

New Charter: Benefits

• Nationally recognised as a leader in this field

• Options service with a dedicated website

• High performing, innovative

• Shared management support

• Shared service development – one leads, then

shares, no duplication of effort

• Job shadowing across services

• Joint procurement

Our Model

A partnership approach

• New Charter

• Knowsley & Tameside MBC

• Services

• Customers

• Stakeholders

Knowsley Housing Options

Key Principles:

• Customer centred service

• Involvement of customers

• Flexible to changing demand

• Prevention focused

• Partnership driven

Knowsley Housing Options

• Commitment from New Charter Group

• Telephone based service delivered from River Alt

Resource Centre

• Out-reach surgeries at Huyton & Kirkby One-Stop

Shops

• Appointments

• Home visits

• Specialist Out-of-Hours service

Knowsley Housing Options

• Early intervention

• Reduced acceptances & placements to temporary

accommodation

• Appropriate referrals to supported housing

• Effective use of the private sector

• Access to trained mediators to assist in conciliation

to reduce exclusions from home

• Increased focus on prevention which allow

customers to remain in their home

Service Improvements:

• An active & positive partner in assisting Knowsley achieve its

Housing Strategy and Homelessness Strategy objectives

• Invested in a software system to improve case management

and contract monitoring

• Development of a dedicated website

www.knowsleyhousingoptions.org

• Development of a service newsletter (stakeholders)

• Use customer profiling from 1-Stop Shop Events to identify

hard-to-reach groups and non-traditional Options customers

Homeless Prevention Tools-

• High Priority Resettlement Panel

• Debt Advice

• Resolving Housing Benefit Issues

• RSL nominations

• Sanctuary Scheme

• Tenancy Bond Scheme

• Homeless Prevention Fund

• Merseyside Family Support

Young Persons Protocol

• Developed – 3 partners – Housing Strategy, Children Social Care, Youth Offending

• Consistent and co-ordinated response

• Launched 2014

• Workshops rolled out

Responsibilities• Children’s Social Care

• Single Assessment/ Risk assessment

• Joint assessment with HOS Mindful of timescales Agency information sharing

• Feedback assessment outcome to HOS within timescales

Dependent on YP’s route in provision of accommodation

• Housing Options

• Homeless Prevention

• Provide interim accommodation(S188)

• Joint assessment with CSC

• Complete Homeless assessment pending outcome of single assessment

• Provide temporary accommodation (S193) – if housing duty owed

• Youth Offending Service

• Explore accommodation options with YP

• Support YP to HOS/ CSC

• Provide information to support assessments including risk information

• If in court contact CSC directly re accommodation re Bail address

• Refer to CSC prior to release from custody if accommodation issues

Process – First contact HOSYP presents as homeless to

any partner

YP supported to attend Housing Options Service for Assessment

HOS request joint assessment of need with CSC

Joint assessment of YP's need undertaken

HOS assessment & CSC assessment undertaken

separately

YP assessed as able to

return home immediately

HOS-Mediation support

offered in preventative

capacity

HOS inform CSC of

outcome

YP assessed not S17 or

S20 but S193 Housing Duty

owed

Housing Legislation

S193 0f Housing Act

1996

HOS responsible for

re-housing

YP assessed in S17 need

& S193 Housing Duty

owed

CSC- CIN Plan & S193

Housing Duty

CIN Plan supported by

partners involved &

HOS responsible for

rehousing

Duty Owed under Sec 20 &

in accommodation

need

YP agrees to accommodation

under S 20

CSC provide accommodation &

support. Can request HOS

support re accommodation

provision

YP assessed

in S17 need

Intentionally Homeless

No HA duty. HOS notify CSC

CSC undertake assessment &

provide accommodation

under Sec 20

Possible Outcomes

24 hrs

4days to max of 10

workingdays

ContAssessment

Process – First contact CSCYP presents as homeless to

any CSC

CSC rejoint joint assessment with HOS

If required CSC provide accommodation under Sec 20

Joint assessment of YP's need undertaken

HOS assessment & CSC assessment undertaken

separately

YP assessed as able to

return home immediately

HOS-Mediation support

offered in preventative

capacity

HOS inform CSC of

outcome

YP assessed no S17 or

S20 need but S193 housing

duty

Housing Legislation S

193 0f Housing Act

1996

HOS responsible

for re-housing

YP assessed S17 need &

S193 housing duty owed

CSC- CIN Plan & S193 housing duty

CIN Plan supported by

partners involved &

HOS responsible for housing

Duty Owed under Sec 20 &

in accommodation

need

YP agrees to accommodation

under S 20

CSC provide accommodation &

support. Can request HOS

support re accommodation

provision

YP assessed

S17 need

Intentionally Homeless

No HA duty. HOS notify CSC

CSC undertake assessment &

provide accommodation

under Sec 20

Possible Outcomes

24 hrs

4days to max of 10

workingdays

ContAssessment

Kayleighs Story

Key contacts

Maureen Ashcroft Housing Options Service

Manager - 0800 694 0280

Jacquie Byrne -Principal Housing Delivery

Officer – 0151 443 5819 ,

Questions

CASE STUDIES