tackling homelessness in wales - £1.05m funding la programme
TRANSCRIPT
Tackling Homelessness in Wales - £1.05m
fundingLA Programme
Overview
• How it happened
• Overall aims
• Focussed areas
• Key projects
• Conclusions
How it happened
• £1,050,000 revenue funding available for 2010-11announced in draft budget in October
• Network went straight to WAG to investigate what this was
• Possible projects discussed at Network in Oct• Potential projects forwarded to WAG• Meeting with Ceri Breeze, where ‘non-bidding’ process
was agreed• Network in January looked at refining proposals,
included in overarching ‘Project Initiation Document’• Programme drawn up, each LA encouraged to get on
board, submitted in March
Overall Aims
• Utilise the funding over a one year period, but ensure it has a long term impact
• Use the funding as ‘spend to save’. i.e. save money in the longer term
• Incorporate business models into the services we provide, i.e. sustainable models – not grant reliant
• Be creative and cooperate across boundaries• Share learning, experience, etc.
Focused areas
• Raising awareness of how and where to seek advice and assistance for those who are threatened with homelessness, in housing debt, etc.
• Improving how local authorities and their partners advise on, and prevent homelessness and increase social inclusion for all those at threat of homelessness within the community
• Improving access to the private rented sector for all those who are homeless, threatened with homelessness or in housing need
Key projects – Web Tool
Purpose• To develop a web tool across Wales (based on the
Cardiff development) and help raise awareness across the country of the availability of different housing tenures
How it will work• Funding drawn down by Cardiff, redirected to Carms
and Wrexham who will develop in their respective regions across every LA of Wales
Threats• Timescales, engagement of each LA, IT ‘response’
Key Projects – Systems Thinking
Purpose• To explore what it is service users want to draw from the housing
options service and then develop a system that operates in a way that focuses on these expectations and obliterates waste
How it will work• Swansea will draw down funding and then NPT, Monmouthshire,
Wrexham, Ceredigion & Swansea will commission consultant to undertake ‘systems thinking review’
Threats• Timescales (we get bogged down in procurement), senior
management support within housing, the engagement of agencies
Key Projects – Cultural change in Young People’s Projects
Purpose• Drive change in how we deliver services to young
homeless people and listen and respond to service users in terms of how they want to progress in their lives
How it will work• Targeted areas – Mon, Pembs, Gwynedd, Flintshire /
Time banking / Llamau project management / Feasibility studies on how we take this forward / business planning / fundraising expertise
Risks• Involvement of young people, feasibility, rents in
supported housing, threatened support providers
Key Projects – Supported Housing Gateways
Purpose• To explore how we can most effectively utilise
existing supported housing in each city so that it is focussed at providing housing and support to those in the most acute need
How it will work• Newport to draw down funding and redirect
share to Swansea & CardiffThreats• Timescales, provider reluctance, extra
bureaucracy
Other Projects
• Denbighshire EHO
• RCT and Merthyr E-Learning DA
• Southwark (National)
• Film on Youth Homelessness (National)
• Furniture recycling (SE Wales)
• Linking with New Day (Mid & West Wales)
• PRS
Key Projects – Accessing the PRS
Key Purpose• To ‘pump-prime’ organisations to help develop a
social lettings model in every area of WalesHow it will work• Agorfa (Denbs, Conwy & Powys), Charter
(Newport, Torfaen & Mon), NPT CBC and Merthyr & BG CBC’s
Threats • Viability, future of bond schemes, DWP review,
HALS, etc.
Conclusions