Author: Janice Higgins

Challenge Poverty Week

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This week is Challenge Poverty Week, an opportunity for you to raise your voice against poverty and unite with others in calling for a more just and equal Scotland.  

The Challenge Poverty campaign believes that too many people in Scotland are living with the constant pressure of poverty, and as we plan our economic recovery, we must redesign our economy to reflect the values of justice and compassion we all share. By boosting people’s incomes and reducing the cost of living we can make sure we all have what we need.

Challenge Poverty Week aims to:

  • raise a unified voice against poverty and show that we all want to live in a more just and equal Scotland  
  • build awareness and support for solutions to poverty.  
  • change the conversation around poverty and help end the stigma of living on a low income. 

You can find more information on the campaign here or by following @PovertyAlliance and @CPW_Scotland on Twitter. Use the hashtags #ChallengePoverty #TogetherWeCan to support Challenge Poverty Week online.

No Recourse to Public Funds Route Map

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The Everyone Home Collective is planning to publish its next Route Map shortly dealing with the issue of No Recourse to Public Funds as it relates to homelessness in Scotland. 

The draft was published for consultation in August and that ended last week on 30 September, thank you to all those who took the time to respond and contribute. 

In a significant development, the draft Route Map was agreed by the COSLA Wellbeing Board in September paving the way for a joint approach to the issue of No Recourse to Public Funds from national and local government as well as the third sector here in Scotland. 

The full Route Map will be published on the Everyone Home website during the week beginning 12 October.

Homeless Network Scotland set to launch a new Learning Lounge

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Homeless Network Scotland is set to launch a new Learning Lounge at the Safe As Houses conference later this month. This represents an expanded programme of learning and training options from Homeless Network Scotland.

Two new courses will be available immediately after the launch, with more courses being added in January 2021. Initially, all training will be delivered via an online training platform and booking priority will be given to existing customers and businesses.

Full details of the new courses and how to book will be available from 20 October on the Homeless Network Scotland website.

All in for Change

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The All in for Change programme has adapted over the past months to new ways of working. With increasing requests for Change Leads to be involved in webinars, the team has begun to review how their unique collaborative voice, of people with front line and lived experience, can continue to influence change.

The Change Team played a central role in consulting the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group (HARSAG) on their updated recommendations for Scottish Government, and have since been invited to review the revised Ending Homelessness Together plan before it is published. 

This has sparked an opportunity for the team to re-visit the four New Directions which underpin the All in for Change programme (people first, no wrong door, at home and good vibes) in light of the changes happening on the ground due to continued restrictions.

This month, the Change Team will be participating in the Homeless Network Scotland annual conference, Safe As Houses, where they will be joining live panel discussions as well as hosting their own webinar. 

They also continue to contribute to the Everyone Home collective and help to shape route maps focussing on Prevention and the Private Rented Sector.  

World Homelessness Day

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This year 10 October is World Homeless Day.

It is an opportunity here in Scotland to reflect on the activity that has taken place over the past six months, and the 12 months since last year’s event including many of the issues that we will be discussing at Safe As Houses, Scotland’s Homelessness Conference 20-22 October.

People can get involved in World Homelessness Day through schools, with work colleagues, places of worship or family groups, either raising money for local and national charities or helping to raise awareness of the issue through social media.

On 10 October tweet @homelessday or #WorldHomelessDay to raise the issues that matter to you and your organisation. For more information on work taking place across the world to address homelessness visit The Institute of Global Homelessness.