Category: Events

Homelessness conference sets delegates emergency task

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Delegates at Scotland’s annual homelessness conference on 29 and 30 October will be tasked with creating a route-map out of the housing and homelessness emergency.

The focus of Right Here, Right Now is what action taken now can ease the escalating crisis and what needs to happen next to create a better long-term future. Insight will be gathered through sessions and debates hooked on four urgent themes – Housing Supply, Supporting People, Rights and Duties, and Prevention.

Keynote guests at the event at Perth Concert Hall, delivered in partnership with The Salvation Army, include TV presenter, mental health advocate and motivational speaker Gail Porter, who has experienced homelessness.

Housing Minister Paul McLennan will address conference and be quizzed on stage by members of the All in For Change team who have lived experience of homelessness.

And in another must-see set piece, Alison Watson, director of Shelter Scotland, will interview Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.

This year’s conference is the first since the Scottish Government declared a national housing emergency. Twelve local authorities have declared their own emergencies.

And it comes weeks after annual homelessness statistics released by the Scottish Government revealed rising homelessness applications, rough sleeping, and more than 10,000 children now living in temporary accommodation.

Sessions and debates over the 2 days cover issues including the housing emergency, the impact of hostile UK immigration policy in Scotland, making wider prevention duties in the Housing Bill work, and how to support increasingly pressurised frontline staff.

Helen Murdoch, Assistant Director Strategic Operations and Development (Scotland), with The Salvation Army, said: “The Salvation Army is proud to support this year’s conference, helping to ensure Scotland’s third sector continues to speak with a collective voice on the big issues connected to homelessness.

“In harnessing our collective will, we narrow the gap between great policy and what people are seeing and experiencing. The recent homelessness statistics provide added focus and a sense of urgency. Every 16 minutes in Scotland, someone becomes homeless.

“Over the past decade there has been an 87 per cent rise in the number of homeless households who have both mental health and substance use support needs. This event brings together expertise and experience in these fields and more, all vital to ending homelessness for good.”

Maggie Brünjes, chief executive, Homeless Network Scotland, said: “The people in the room in Perth will bring unrivalled expertise and opinion on what needs to happen to ensure people are prioritised, and the sector united, during a housing emergency.

“You only have to look at the line-up of guests, and to know the kind of supporters who come to the conference, to know that this is the right group of people to set in motion change for the better.”

Full programme and booking

Sponsor or exhibit at Scotland’s annual homelessness conference

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Spread your message by sponsoring or exhibiting at this year’s 2-day homelessness conference, the sector’s largest annual gathering. Reach thousands of homelessness, housing and health and social care professionals in the build-up, and hundreds of delegates over both days.

This year the conference theme is Right Here, Right Now – focusing on the steps that need taken across 4 urgent themes – housing supply, prevention, rights and duties and supporting people. We’re proud to bring you the event in partnership with the Salvation Army.

You can join our main sponsors, who include Blue Triangle, Care Support Scotland, St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity and the Wheatley Group. Or you can select from a range of new opportunities we are offering this year for you to play a key part in the event and to showcase your organisation, its services, solutions, latest learning or messages.

New additions including options for you to host a fringe event where you can highlight a piece of work, provoke discussion, create a networking space – or do something completely different!

Other new opportunities include sponsorship of a networking lunch or dinner to treat the delegates, plus options to advertise in the programme, brand breakout rooms and exhibit in Perth Concert Hall’s bustling foyer.

Check out our brochure detailing all the options and pricing, with a form to book your preferred exhibition and sponsor options. Or if you prefer, get in touch by emailing hello@homelessnetwork.scot

Download the brochure

#AllinForChange on road again to Take Temperature of homelessness

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The All in For Change team of people with personal and professional experience of homelessness is touring Scotland again to find out what’s happening on the ground in services — against a backdrop of unprecedented housing pressures.

The Change team will hold free events in Aberdeen, Greenock, Falkirk, Kirkcaldy and Clydebank on the Taking the Temperature National Roadshow – where they will hear about local issues and solutions before sharing their findings with the Scottish Government.

They want to meet and learn from frontline workers and people who have experienced homelessness as well as local authority staff, managers and councillors. And they are keen for people working in health, social care, social work, addiction and criminal justice to come along — the events are open to anyone who can share their insights.

Prevention is a key theme of the roadshow, as new duties in the upcoming Housing Bill will require the wider public sector to intervene earlier to stop people becoming homeless. The Change Team played a key role in developing the ‘Ask and Act’ duties.

Housing supply and use of temporary accommodation are also up for discussion at the free informal events in February and March.

The team is made up of people who know what homelessness looks and feels like through lived or frontline work experience. Homeless Network Scotland and Cyrenians facilitate All in For Change, which is funded by the Scottish Government and Frontline Network.

Roadshow tour dates

  • Aberdeenshire Council HQ (in Aberdeen) — Tuesday, 20 February    
  • Greenock, Old Auction Rooms — Thursday, 22 February
  • Kirkcaldy, Fife, New Volunteer House — Tuesday, 5 March
  • Falkirk, Arnotdale House — Thursday, 7 March
  • Clydebank, Awestruck Academy — Thursday, 14 March

Book your place for the roadshow events

Suzie McIlloney, Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan Officer at South Ayrshire Council, is also a member of the Change Team.

She said: “We must listen and really hear what people are telling us through their experiences of homelessness. The Roadshows offer an opportunity for further insight into where we can do better but also what worked well.

“Travelling in the direction of being trauma informed and trauma responsive, we need to remind ourselves that when facing uncertainties, people need caring and compassionate connections.

“I got involved with the All in For Change Team because I see the value in bringing policymaking and lived experience together to drive forward real change.

“The more opportunities we have to work closer together, the better the outcomes are for people, services, and communities.

“People thrive off hope, purpose and connection and we can often overlook the significant role communities play in this. I believe everyone should have a place of their own to call home, it is the foundation for people to thrive and live well.

“There is an appetite for change so let’s not lose momentum.”

Change Lead Viki Fox has experienced homelessness and is now Policy and Participation Manager with Cyrenians.

She said: “We are really excited to be hosting our second national roadshow. When I started with the Change Team back in 2019, the roadshows were a key focus as we really wanted to talk to, and learn from, others living and working within the homeless sector throughout Scotland. 

“Contexts and challenges are very different in each area and it is important that we hear this and can feed it back to the Scottish Government. 

“During the pandemic we were doing this online, but nothing beats meeting people in person and having the opportunity to learn from each other. 

“Having experienced homelessness myself and now working for Cyrenians, I know that using this knowledge and hearing about what is working well  in different localities is invaluable if we are to end homelessness in Scotland.”

Paul McLennan, Minister for Housing, said: “Since taking up office, I’ve met with many Housing Convenors across the country to hear about the issues in their area, but these are only views from one perspective.

“I’m interested to hear from people with lived experience and frontline workers, particularly in relation to the barriers they encounter.  

“As we prepare to introduce new homelessness prevention duties, I want to know what people have been through and what works in preventing homelessness from happening in the first place. I’m glad to see the roadshow locations include some more rural communities.

“I’m looking forward to joining the Change Team in Kirkcaldy and hearing some peoples’ experiences first hand.”

The Roadshow events are in five Housing Options Hubs covering local authorities including Aberdeenshire, Inverclyde, Fife, Falkirk and West Dunbartonshire.

The Team will also use the Roadshow to hear evidence of whether the 4 New Directions they have developed to reduce homelessness have been adopted – and where there are barriers.

The directions, designed to help achieve the aims of the Scottish Government Ending Homelessness Together action plan, include co-ordinating services so people don’t have to keep repeating their story when looking for support, and overturning outdated stereotypes of homelessness.

All in For Glasgow

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‘All in For Glasgow’ to support next phase of homelessness services

  • Progression of service model amid housing emergency in Glasgow
  • Change process will draw on local services and lived experience expertise
  • HNS to create structure for partners to collaborate and identify priorities

Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership has appointed Homeless Network Scotland to support the progression of its homelessness services against the backdrop of a housing emergency.
 
The organisation will facilitate a process that draws on expertise of local services and people with experience of homelessness to implement the evidence-backed solutions services can provide and pinpoint what matters most to people seeking help.
 
The ‘All in For Glasgow’ programme of change will focus on the support people need during a housing and cost-of-living crisis. This includes street outreach services for people sleeping rough, drop-in support at city-centre locations and at-home support for people after an experience of homelessness.
 
Branching out Housing First will be a priority – this means more capacity to provide flexible, wraparound support for more people whose homelessness is made harder by experiences with trauma, addiction or mental health. Determining the right capacity of support for people who want shared and supported housing will also be a priority. 
 
It comes after GCHSCP convened sessions with local service providers around the unprecedented pressures on housing and homelessness in the city, driven by factors including the cost-of-living crisis, inflation, UK immigration policy and global events. Glasgow City Council declared a housing emergency in November 2023.
 
All in For Glasgow will focus on creating the conditions for effective collaboration to advance service delivery by implementing the solutions that are proven to work – a crucial factor in this moment.
 
Homeless Network Scotland has been tasked with facilitating a new programme that will draw from recent learning, harness the energy of a sector determined to meet current challenges – and to put in place a strong network of support for people in Glasgow affected by both the cost-of-living crisis and housing emergency.
 
Glasgow is one of only two authorities in Scotland where homelessness is incorporated into health and social care planning structures. The GCHSCP broke new ground by setting up Health and Social Care Connect, a single route for people to access health and social care services.

Susanne Millar, Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership Chief Officer, said:

“We are delighted to continue our work with the homelessness sector within Glasgow and nationally. Our multi-agency work over the past several years provides a robust foundation from which we will move forward together.

“We have worked with Homeless Network Scotland for several years and are confident of their role in the next phase of this work.”


Maggie Brünjes, Homeless Network Scotland Chief Executive, said: 

“It is paramount that services that help people without a settled home are backed by best evidence of what works and deliver on what matters most to people using those services.

“Glasgow faces multiple pressures, but the city has the advantage of a skilled network of service providers, and a forward-looking Health and Social Care Partnership with a strong understanding of the problems and solutions that can have real impact.

“This is an opportunity to forge and reconnect pivotal relationships across the sector for the benefit of people and communities.”

A connect event is being held to welcome all interested parties to hear more about the programme and invite your feedback and collaboration. So make sure to book your space by clicking here.

Calls to build and be bold strike a chord at #FineTuned 

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Hundreds of delegates connected at Scotland’s annual homelessness conference to share and discuss ideas on how to reverse rising homelessness – from being braver and more human together to making real the solutions we know will work. 

Fine Tuned: striking the right chord on homelessness was held in the same week as the scale of the problems the sector faces were laid bare by Edinburgh’s declaration of a housing emergency. 

But the mood in Perth Concert Hall was one of positivity and collaboration in the face of adversity – with the urgent need to build more homes, mitigate Westminster immigration policy, support cash-strapped local authorities and turn progressive Scottish legislation into action the key takeaways. 

Frontline workers, policy experts, local authority chiefs and people with experience of homelessness heard from event sponsor Wheatley Group, Perth & Kinross Council – who are achieving groundbreaking results on homelessness – and Housing Minister Paul McLennan. 

Housing Minister Paul McLennan

More homes and more money

In his keynote address the minister emphasised the Scottish Government’s priority to secure new investment in housing, reduce numbers in temporary accommodation, address rural challenges, the importance of the upcoming prevention duties – and the sector’s need for more money.

Taking questions from the floor on the new Ministerial Oversight Group on homelessness, he was pressed on the need for a joined-up approach to homelessness through the new National Care Service and the housing and budget pressures local authorities face.

In keeping with the event’s musical theme, Homeless Network Scotland chief executive Maggie Brünjes boiled down the five ‘key changes’ we need to take to combat homelessness: build more homes, reduce poverty and inequality, challenge UK Government policy, modernise homeless services and ensure a No Wrong Door approach. With the conference supporting her calls for a route-map to sequence, cost, target and time each of the actions in the Ending Homelessness Together Plan.

Humanity, bravery, music – and biscuits

Buzzing sofa sessions posed questions on how we can be more human and braver in all we do, with wide-ranging conversations covering the personal and the political, organisational and system angles – fuelled by a “favourite biscuit” icebreaker from host Maff Potts.

Our sofa panel considered the vulnerability of being human and the power of deep connection, and the hall was asked to hold a person facing homelessness in their thoughts as Maff played Nina Simone’s I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free on the piano – a profound shared moment.

After lunch, the session on bravery focused on changing systems by making services more joined-up and person-centred, pushing back on hostile UK Government immigration policy, continuing to bang the same drum on homelessness, and even turning up for work each day despite the challenges.

What’s working to help hardest hit

Humanity and bravery were core to breakout sessions that delved into the many efforts underway across the country to support people facing some of the hardest adversity.

Cyrenians and Scottish Women’s Aid outlined the progress of the Everyone’s WISH initiative, which harnesses the resources of the private sector to fund homes for women who have experienced domestic abuse – the largest cause of women’s homelessness in Scotland.

The Fair Way Scotland session heard from Heriot-Watt’s I-SPHERE institute about the first-year impact and future priorities of the partnership, which aims to prevent homelessness and destitution ​among people denied access to state support because of their immigration status.

A workshop on Rapid Rehousing heard about the transformational success of Perth & Kinross Council in reducing the number of people in temporary accommodation through flipping, buybacks and a Housing First approach, as well as challenges including the cost-of-living crisis.

And CATH Perth set out their achievements in employing Growth Mindset theory to help people facing barriers including homelessness and mental health through their Positive Pathways programme.

Brilliant exhibitors – and a rousing finale 

Throughout the day delegates visited exhibitions in the hall’s sunny foyer from Dogs Trust, Scottish Pantry Network, Cyrenians, Scottish Veterans Residences, MyBNK, Right There, Say WOMEN, Social Security Scotland and Grace Chocolates – who provided Halloween-themed table treats for the 250-strong crowd.  

And a day of open-minded enquiry and inspiration ended fittingly with the energising sound of drum and pipe band Clanadonia bringing down the curtain.  

Thank you to all the guests who made #FineTuned a success this year – including event sponsors Wheatley Group, Blue Triangle, Salvation Army, CATH Perth, Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry and Kingdom Housing Association. 

With thanks to all our brilliant exhibitors and sponsors