Rough sleeping in Scotland

Background

Rough sleeping significantly higher than HL1 stats

Problematic sofa surfing identified in National Youth Homelessness survey

Question whether rough sleeping increasing

Need to understand if policy responses needed

Context

Rough sleeping population 80-85% white maleGlasgow exception with around 30 – 40% womenPrimarily urban issueServices report numbers significantly higher than HL1Anecdotal reports of some LAs not meeting statutory

duties

HL1

One of the best statistical records in Europe

Robust in what it records

Records only those who contact local authorities

Relies on self reporting by applicants

Who is missing?

Non EU migrants

EEA migrants

Long term rough sleepers with complex needs

‘Sporadic’ rough sleepers with long term patterns of rough sleeping

Women

Issues which need to be addressed

Rough sleepers who are not brought into services within 3 days (in HL1 stats)

EEA migrants who may have recourse to public funds

EEA migrants and other migrants) with no recourse to public funds

Women – hidden rough sleeping

Complex needs and long term rough sleeping

Sporadic but long term rough sleepers

Problematic sofa surfing

Short term rough sleepers People who are not engaged with services within three days

Further work required to identify reasons

Probably requires some changes to practice but relatively straightforward.

Could be a ‘quick win.’

• Further investigation of hidden rough sleeping amongst women

• Often manifests as women ‘having missed last bus’

• Can be with exploitative male

• Can be isolated sleeping in suburbs where ‘safer.’

Women

Migrants

• Clear guidance for services/LAs (and possible expert helpline?) to ensure EEA migrants entitled to public funds get access to them

• Pressure politically for EU policy response to ensure access to basic funds for any EU citizen (‘Solidarity Fund’?)

• Policy development re other migrants not entitled to funds to ensure access to basic shelter

Long term rough sleepers

Health and Social Care Integration to include as a priority tackling complex needs

SG to develop a prevention workstream linked to multiple exclusion homelessness

Health dept to consider HEAT target linked to multiple exclusion

SG to consider rolling out Housing First

Sporadic rough sleepers

Further research to better understand patterns of unstructured lifestyle

Develop better means of identifying people at risk of or involved in sporadic rough sleeping

Develop pilot to identify appropriate cross disciplinary interventions to prevent repeated rough sleeping/ prison sentences/ hospital admissions etc. and prevent worsening of developing complex needs

Problematic sofa surfing

Seek means of identifying levels of problematic sofa surfing and profile of people who experience it (likely to include young people, perhaps women, perhaps minority ethnic communities disproportionately)

Use Leaving Home and Housing Education to help especially young people understand that sofa surfing amounts to homelessness and how to seek assistance

MiscellaneousFurther investigate the three local authorities which report no

rough sleeping (given that remote and rural authorities report some rough sleeping)

Investigate whether HL1 rough sleeping data could be improved by developing a means where 3rd sector partners information could be included

Establish if there is any correlation between findings of intentional homelessness and subsequent rough sleeping

Ask LAs to include a focus on rough sleeping in housing strategies