The UK-wide New System Alliance is a response to the experiences of people going through tough times. That the systems people need to navigate are at their most rigid when they should be at their most flexible. And whichever door people enter is often the label they have stuck on them – mental health, addictions, offending, homelessness…
The New System Alliance has also been driven by what was heard through a series of workshops and seminars over the summer titled Wisdom from the System. Driven by evidence that current systems people encounter when they go through tough times are not working and need to change, learning from these workshops has informed next steps.
After years of listening and learning from the realities of people’s lives Mayday Trust, Changing Lives, Homeless Network Scotland and Platfform all recognised the same problem – one of the biggest challenges people face going through tough times is the system itself. Funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, the New System Alliance will be a place for those who feel there is something wrong with the current systems for people experiencing tough times – and want to take a role creating a better, fairer one.
Save the date, 1st December 2020 for a week of online events where we will be exploring systems change, hearing from a variety of voices and provide the opportunity to challenge, discuss and reflect. Watch Homeless Network Scotland’s website for more information and on social media at @HomelessNetScot
Necessity is the mother of innovation, they (don’t quite) say – that’s the case for the team here at Homeless Network Scotland as we harness the latest online technology to deliver this year’s Scottish homelessness conference. Over three days, choose from a menu of live lounge panel discussions featuring people with their own homelessness stories; insight from sector leaders and politicians; recent learning as we navigate the pandemic and the latest practice updates. We promise there will be no webinar fatigue here.
From Tuesday 20 to Thursday 22 October, Safe as Houses presents a choice of seminars and interactive online sessions – pick-and-mix the elements that interest you most, creating the conference you want while getting on with the day job when you are not taking part.
There will also be an opportunity to put questions directly to the person responsible for Scottish Government homelessness policy. In total, Safe as Houses offers more than 25 different sessions within five themes. Booking is quick and easy and a special thanks this year to our event partners, Bethany Christian Trust and The Salvation Army.
Although unable to meet friends and colleagues in person as planned this autumn we felt it was essential to find a way to connect and reflect on what we know, what we’ve learned and how we can build a shared understanding from here of what’s really needed to resolve homelessness. Most of all, we want to celebrate the extraordinary efforts across all areas – from colleagues on the frontline walking alongside people during the crisis, to policy makers shifting focus to protect those most at risk.
The Safe as Houses conference is shaping up to be a pivotal moment as we go into winter, lining up a new approach to emergency accommodation in the cities and scaling up plans for rapid rehousing across Scotland. Don’t take our word for it, here is what some of our speakers and guests are saying.
Pat McArdle CEO of Mayday Trust: “Genuinely delighted to be part of this conference with all the key stakeholders in the room bravely discussing the real-world issues raised by people themselves who are going through the toughest of times.”
Lydia Stazen, Director of the Institute of Global Homelessness: “The past six months have accelerated global efforts to end homelessness and taught us so much about what works – and what doesn’t – in ending homelessness. Safe as Houses provides a platform to adapt and tailor those lessons for Scotland.”
The newly updated Ending Homelessness Together Action Plan is the backdrop to one of the cornerstone sessions at the conference on Wednesday, an interactive Q&A with Kevin Stewart MSP, Minister for Local Government, Housing & Planning. The political theme continues that day with ‘Taking the ‘P’ Out of Homelessness, a lively panel discussion with representatives from all five of Scotland’s political parties in Parliament invited. The final day kicks off after lunch with a spoken extract from a new book by award-winning journalist and author Mary O’Hara before moving onto a session on framing homelessness to improve understanding and grow change in society.
We can’t wait to see you at the conference. Finally, we would love to be able to say lunch will be provided, but I think this year that would be a logistical challenge too far. Please, bring your own.
Booking is essential, reserve your place at Scotland’s annual homelessness conference and quickly set up a profile ahead of the event to join on Tuesday morning from 9:45.
The Shared Spaces research now underway in Scotland will assist local authorities and partners delivering local Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans (RRTPs). The research starts from the basis that even in the best managed homelessness systems, with adequate access to affordable and suitable housing, there may be a requirement for other housing options, either while settled accommodation is sourced or decisions are made with people about their medium-to-long-term preferences. But what type, how much – and in what conditions are shared options optimum?
The Shared Spaces research group includes representatives from local and national government, academia and the third sector and launches as part of The Homeless Network Scotland annual conference at a session on Thursday 22 October starting at 2.30pm. It is made possible by our research partners, Action for Children, Turning Point Scotland and Crisis.
Beth Watts, Chair of Shared Spaces and Senior Research Fellow at I-SPHERE, said: “This is an important discussion in the context of Scotland’s commitment to rapid rehousing and Housing First, which will become the default response to homelessness as local authorities implement their rapid rehousing transition plans. At this early stage our priority is to ensure different voices have a chance to contribute to a conversation on shared and supported accommodation. I look forward to chairing this group over the next few months.”
Supported Accommodation is also commonly called supported housing, resettlement or move on projects. It should provide a safe housing option when people do not want a mainstream tenancy of their own or would benefit from access to onsite support. In areas where there is pressure on the housing market supported accommodation is frequently utilised when someone neither needs nor wants that level of support. The research aims to define and firm up the role of supported housing in Scotland and will report in the first half of next year.
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.
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.
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