Our latest Impact Report sets out the work undertaken by Homeless Network Scotland in the first half of 2020. It goes without saying that the circumstances over the spring and early summer were exceptional. We entered the year with a clear focus on our priorities but by March, like everyone, we faced the reality of the Coronavirus pandemic and the national lockdown.
The realities of the public health crisis have already made us reassess our understanding of what it is possible to achieve in terms of ending homelessness in Scotland – and shown how quickly that can be achieved. It also brought into focus what Homeless Network Scotland can continue to contribute under such challenging circumstances – to create, contribute to and maintain positive impact.
In the months to come, going into autumn and then winter, the challenge is to accurately assess how to maintain some of the positive progress that has been made so far, while protecting the principles that underpin Scotland’s approach to ending homelessness, and must now guide our next steps.
In common with everyone who has been fortunate to continue working throughout the lockdown, our team has learned how to make the most of digital technology, hosting webinars and communicating regularly [with] through social media while making improvements to our digital presence and ensuring that this technology is the best that it can be in these times of remote working.
This, and other organisational learning amassed over the period will play an important role in the ways in which we connect, learn, and act alongside others to increase our collective impact going forward. We hope you enjoy looking over this Impact Report for the first six months of 2020 and trust you will contact Homeless Network Scotland with any ideas or inspiration you take from it.
