Homelessness Strategy 2020-2025
Action Plan
Priority 1
Action(s) What we will do | Resources (Funding/Staff etc...) | Timescales | Outcomes/ Measures of success |
Monitor, Learn from and Act on the implementation of the Homelessness reduction Act | South Ribble Borough Council Housing Needs team | Up to 2025 | 50% Reduction in number of cases where contact is lost. Baseline 20% of presentations
Increased preventions / reliefs by 5% )on the baseline of 284 per year
Reduction in number of main duty decisions by 5% on the baseline 66 per year |
Ensure that the information on the website is relevant and up to date
| Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer | Up to 2025- Review website at 6 monthly intervals or when there is a change in legislation and service provided
| Up to date information available for the public |
Identify good practise around successful initiatives in the early identification of people at risk of homelessness. Develop options to introduce | Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer | Produce an action plan by December 2020 | Increased preventions / reliefs by 5%on the baseline of 284 per year
Reduction in number of main duty decisions by 5% on the baseline 66 per year |
Develop training on homelessness for partner agencies | Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer | Develop training and commence delivery by December 2020 | Deliver at least 4 sessions over the course of 2021
Increase early referrals with referral being no later than 5 days after first contact Increase the number of successful preventions by 5% |
Involve customers in the design of service delivery | Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer | March 2021 | Customer insight and intelligence to be developed through customer satisfaction survey and used to shape services. |
Review early intervention activities with Registered providers | Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer | Carry out a review of notifications and outcomes by December 2020 | Appropriate and timely referrals received and acted upon and a reduction in the number of homelessness referrals received? |
Evaluate and commission initiatives funded via homelessness grant to prevent homelessness | Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer
Homelessness grant funding
Procurement, legal and finance | Evaluate by end of March 2020 and consider options to re-commission | Services evaluated and re commissioned as required |
Develop / maintain working relationships with DWP representatives | Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer | Up to 2025 | Representation at forums to be in place and maintained to encourage 2 way communication |
Keep existing protocols with Childrens Social care, hospitals and prisons under review and develop new ones with other services as appropriate | Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer | Up to 2025 | Protocols are current and understood by all participants - and early referrals are increased with no more than 5 days elapsing between first contact and referral |
Priority 2
Action(s) What we will do | Rescources (Funding/Staff etc...) | Timescales | Outcomes/ Measures of success |
Review the allocation and procurement of temporary accommodation policies and procedures | Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer | Allocation and procurement policies to be reviewed September 2020 and annually thereafter
Service level agreements for temporary accommodation updated annually | Policies and procedures up to date - Efficient use of temporary accommodation which meets the needs of clients and provides value for money to the council |
Evaluate and re commission as appropriate temporary accommodation | Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer Joint with Preston City Council | By June 2021 | Evaluation and commissioning exercise undertaken by June 2021 and good quality value for money accommodation commissioned |
Work with Central Lancashire Authorities and the Lancashire County Council on accommodation for people with complex needs | Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer LCC Central Lancashire Authorities | By June 2021 | Provision of sufficient accommodation which is available as required for customers requiring support for complex needs
|
Work with private landlords to promote the private rented sector as a viable option including for those aged under 35 | Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer
Private landlords | 6 monthly review reports to be undertaken from June 2020 up to 2025 | Increased access to the private rented sector and more landlords engaging with the service |
Work with the Select Move partnership to monitor the implementation of the common allocations policy | Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer | Attend bi- monthly steering group meetings
Monitor the implementation of the policy quarterly
| Sufficient priority given to households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. |
Ensure adequate support for offenders and ex- offenders | Senior Housing Officer Probation, Prisons ,Shelter | Continue to monitor the Lancashire prison protocol under review and engage with the Lancashire reducing reoffending board and other key stakeholders such as MAPPA to 2025 | Timely referrals for those with an offending background are received. Options for accommodation and support for ex-offenders are reviewed and enhanced. |
Priority 3
Action(s) What we will do | Resources (Funding/Staff etc...) | Timescales | Outcomes/ Measures of success |
Establish joint ways of working to assist homeless households with mental health problems | Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer
Mental Health providers | Joint information sharing event (with whom?) to be held by December 2020
Mapping of provision to be undertaken by December 2020
Joint working pathways to be agreed by December 2020 | Better understanding and referral processes between services |
Utilise referent? to ensure that referrals are made to services that can assist homeless households to improve their health and wellbeing | South Ribble Housing Needs Team | On going to 2025 | Use of Refernet by officers maximised to facilitate referrals |
Utilise the South Ribble Early Intervention Team (SRIT) to access services and support for homeless households | South Ribble Housing Needs Team
SRIT team | On going to 2025 | Access )to early support and intervention for homeless households is increased and is timely |
Priority 4
Actions(s) What we will do | Resources (Funding/Staff etc...) | Timescales | Outcomes/ Measures of success |
Ensure that the information on the website is relevant and up to date including our response to rough sleeping
| Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer
| Review the website by June 2020 and every 6 months thereafter | Improved information and advice available for the public and other agencies. |
Maintain outreach to all sightings of rough sleepers | South Ribble Housing Needs Team | Ongoing to 2025 | Contact made with customers reported to be sleeping rough and support plan provided |
Work with neighbouring authorities to enhance the offer for rough sleepers | Housing Options Team Leader / Senior Housing Officer
Preston City council
Chorley Council
| Meeting to be arranged by June 2020 | Improved access to support , bedspaces and intervention for rough sleepers |