Tenancy Support Programme

Steve Clarke & Cathy Whiteside ‘Creating successful and sustainable tenancy

About Welsh Tenants & O.C.Learn

About Welsh Tenants●Our Mission: Is to enhance and promote, the rights

representation, and housing standards, for tenants in Wales

About O.C.Learn●Is a subsidiary of Open communities registered as a social

enterprise dedicated to improving learning among the housing and regeneration community

About the Welsh Tenants / O.C.Learn partnership STEP UP

●STEP UP = Skilled Tenant Education Programme is a collaboration between Welsh Tenants & O.C.Learn

●Aim of the partnership • delivery of education and training in Wales

of which

• The Tenancy Support Programme is our first project

Context - General

● Housing Wales) Act 2014 ‘duty to prevent’● Welfare Reform Act, 2012 & Welfare Reform

and Work bill 2015 ● Rights & Obligations● Access to support

People need educating and support in relation to the above

Context - Local Authority context

Housing (Wales) Act 2014●S.66 - Duty to help to prevent homelessness (‘prevention’ duty)

•When eligible and threatened with homelessness within 56 days, take all reasonable steps to prevent homelessness also blind to priority need, local connection and intentionality

●•S.73 - Duty to help to secure accommodation (‘relief’ duty) •When eligible and homeless, take all reasonable steps to relieve

homelessness, being blind to priority need, local connection and intentionality

●•S.75 - Duty to secure accommodation (‘final’ duty) •When above duties have been unsuccessful, to secure accommodation for

applicants in priority need and unintentionally homeless

= Working with Social housing + Private rented sector to prevent and sometimes secure accommodation

Context – Welfare Reform

●Universal Credit – work commitments, penalties, consequences●Bedroom Tax (social tenants), rent caps and LHA caps ●Direct payments, penalties for rent arrears (recovery at source)●4billion reduction in Tax credits (impacting on working renters)●Increasing debt, access to support for debt relief ●Maintaining the confidence of landlord

All these issues mean that tenants need support to both ‘access’ and ‘maintain’ their tenancy!

Support solutions for tenancy failure for tenants & landlords●Spend to save initiative - Tenancy failure costs between

£3,000 - £7,000. ●People presenting in tenancy failure are supported thereby

enabling the local authority to comply with its S66 duty to ‘prevent’

●Private landlords feel more comfortable letting to people who have had prior tenancy failure if they are better educated to maintain a tenancy

●Reduces the risks of ‘tenancy premiums’ on tenants thereby making tenancy more accessible

●Proactive rather than reactive programme with Innovative branded information campaign (via the AP) to get early support

ABOUT the STEP UP Programme

Tenancy Support Toolkit

Tenancy support Toolkit

Life crisis events Financial Inclusion

Tenancy Maintenance

Creating Positive Neighbourhoods

Flexible learning approaches for Tenant Support Programme

How do I get There?

Initial Teacher Training (AET

L3)

Course Resources and Support

Quality Assurance

Identify learners

Tenancy support

programme

Mobile App On line Community Hub

Opportunities for further

training

Bespoke outcome

monitoring system

On going support NetworkTenancy Support

Programme

Award in Education and Training (AET)

What am I expected to know on the AET programme?

• Teachers, responsibilities and relationships in Education and Training / theory and practice

• Understanding the principles and practice of assessment

• Facilitate Learning and Development in Groups

• Tenant Support Programme

What support will I receive to achieve AET L3?

Training staff / volunteers to become trainers achieving the Award in Education and Training L3

• Blended learning approach on line and classroom

• Comprehensive training resources; presentation, manual/workbook and App and completion of modules

• Resources that can be amended to take account of additional identified subjects/issues

• Involvement in an on-going engagement quality assurance network

• Support in delivering and developing a monitoring process of the Tenant Support Programme

Tenants Support Programme

● The TSP has been designed to support New and Existing tenants who are struggling to maintain their tenancy

● The programme has been designed in consultation with social landlords and tenants to address the following themes:• understand the impact of welfare reforms• Know their rights and obligations as tenants• Personal money management skills• Managing debt• Health and Safety• Basic DIY• Maintaining their tenancy • Being a good neighbour and knowing where support can be

accessed

Housing and tenant focused accreditation route

● Accreditation achieved through the following: criteria;

• External quality assurance system that ensures– quality of training– standardisation of training across all providers– networking opportunities for providers to share good

practice

• ‘Training approved by tenants’ quality mark to accredit the TSP and other tenant related courses called ‘Approved by Tenants Accreditation Scheme’ (ATAS)

Support for tenants who take the TSP

●Training materials are written to level 1 standard to ensure accessible to all tenants

●The course includes video’s and interactive exercises that encourages full tenant participation and helps tenants to share knowledge and experiences with the group

●The TSP course is designed to be flexible and can be delivered in groups over 2-3 hr sessions

●All tenants will receive a comprehensive course manual, which is also used as a workbook during the course

●All tenants will receive access to an interactive App, with links to all referral agencies and information sources discussed during the course

●Get a certificate of competency on each module completed

Approved by tenants accredited route

● Bespoke course designed around the recognised tenants needs, which can include:

● Welfare reforms/Universal credit● Personal money management/budgeting skills● Understanding financial products and services including; Credit Unions● Managing debt● Cash in crisis● Help in emergency● Health & safety and fire safety in the home● Being a model tenant and neighbour● Anti-Social behaviour● Basic DIY awareness● Energy Efficiency● Recycling

‘Training Approved by Tenants’ Quality Mark

● Managed through partnership between Welsh Tenants and OC Learn under the joint brand of STEP UP (Skilled Tenant Education Project)

● Certification Cost £10 per learner● Dedicated landlord and tenant focused robust quality assurance

process;• Postal/electronic sampling for each course• Annual Internal Verification visit• Annual standardisation/sharing good practice event

– All TS programme providers must attend up to 2 representative and share samples of learners work – good practice.

Certification details

● Set up includes;• Initial Teacher Training for volunteers• Customisation of the Tenants Support resources• Co-tutoring support with volunteers until they are ready to deliver alone

• Quality Assurance and Licence • Ongoing review and support for the volunteer programme• Annual full external verification visit • Annual standardisation meeting – share good practice

• Certification• Course certificates issued within 5 working day

Further information

Cathy Whiteside

Director O.C.Learn

Tel: 07881 279451

Email: cathy.whiteside@oclearn.org

Steve Clarke

Managing Director

Tel: 01685 723922

Email: Steve@Welshtenants.org.uk