Category: News

Choice and options in homeless response

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Scotland’s annual conference looking in detail at the causes of and solutions to homelessness takes place next week from 5 – 7 October. The theme of choice runs through this year’s varied programme covering topics from the housing we want to live in, to the area we want to settle and the support we want to tap into as Covid continues to have an impact on housing and support services. 

Guest speakers at this year’s event include Shona Robison MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing & Local Government; Professor Ruth Chang from The University of Oxford; Dr Martin Kettle, Glasgow Caledonian University; Pat Togher, Glasgow City Health & Social Care Partnership and Dr Beth Watts, I-SPHERE at Heriot Watt University. The online format using the Remo platform allows Dr Andrew Clarke and Professor Cameron Parsell from The University of Queensland, Australia, to join the event, co-authors of the recently published book ‘Charity and Poverty in Advanced Welfare States.’ 

The conference addresses three questions that will really matter in 2022. 

  • How can we ensure that real-world options match the policy ambition? 
  • How do people exercise choice and control when options are sometimes limited?  
  • How do we enable informed choices, not enable others to make choices for us? 

Professor Ruth Chang’s research on choice and decision-making has been profiled by media outlets internationally. Ruth has also given lectures or been a consultant to industry and academia on this theme. Professor Chang said: 

“Making good choices is not a matter of being expert at discovering the pros and cons of the options before you. If you had a crystal ball and could know the possible futures corresponding to your options, you would still not have the critical tool for making good decisions. What is required instead is the ability to commit, to put yourself behind something. That’s how we can move forward in hard choices and make ourselves who we are.” 

On Tuesday 5 October, journalist Kirsteen Paterson, a 2021 Scottish Press Awards nominee for coverage of immigration issues, interviews Sabir Zazai, Chief Executive of the Scottish Refugee Council, as he reflects on current events, his own journey from Afghanistan and what a fairer way forward in Scotland would look like. This session is presented in association with The National newspaper. 

On day two the choice is yours, with three interactive breakout rooms exploring choice in support led by Dr David McCartney, Clinical Lead, LEAP, NHS Lothian; Robin Johnson, Founder and Editor of PIElink; Rankin Barr & Frank Reilly from Simon Community Scotland. Also on day two, Pat Togher, Assistant Chief Officer Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, looks at how cities are planning their recovery from a unique set of homelessness challenges experienced during the pandemic. 

Wrapping up the conference on day three is, Freedom of Choice? Choice Informed By Trauma Awareness, a panel session that offers insights and stories about how personal choice is viewed by those in authority within the criminal justice system and demonstrates how an understanding of the impact of trauma for those dealing with the reality of addiction and homelessness can change minds and outcomes. Hosted by Ishbel Smith of Heart In Mouth, conversationalists will include Iain Smith (Scottish Lawyer of the Year 2020) and James Docherty and Kirsty Giles of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit. 

Maggie Brünjes, Chief Executive of Homeless Network Scotland, said:  

“Choice is the core principle that will lead us through current dilemmas and debates about what options are ‘right’ for whom, and in which circumstances. But informed choice is key – people with a housing concern or crisis need access to the right information, and for some a bit of advice and advocacy too.  

“We work closely with partners to prepare this annual event and work hard to make sure it reflects the moment. We look forward to welcoming you, to learn from the previous 12 months and shape the year ahead.” 

Two key pieces of research will be launched at the conference. On Tuesday 5 October the much-anticipated report, Shared Spaces, looks at the future role of supported and shared housing as a response to homelessness in Scotland. This is presented by the report author, Anna Evans, Director at Indigo House along with chair of the research advisory group, Dr Beth Watts, Senior Research Fellow, I-SPHERE at Heriot-Watt University.  

The following day, Wednesday 6 October, the launch of the Homelessness Monitor is hosted by Crisis. The Homelessness Monitor provides an independent analysis of the homelessness impacts of recent economic and policy developments. A panel discussion will be chaired by the Chief Executive of Crisis, Jon Sparkes, including a presentation of findings by Heriot Watt University followed by a Q&A with Maggie Brünjes CEO of Homeless Network Scotland, Catriona MacKean of the Scottish Government and John Mills of ALACHO. 

Delegates will benefit from specialist conference platform, Remo – which takes online events to a new level. Remo enables greater interaction, with table-to-table networking and the freedom to roam and join spontaneous conversations in the ‘room’. 

Booking for the conference can be made online here, more information and the full programme is available at this link. There’s also still time to be associated with Scotland’s annual homelessness conference highlighting your organisation as an exhibitor or sponsor. More information here on the Homeless Network Scotland website. 

Housing First Pathfinder interim evaluation report published

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Housing First Provision can be successfully scaled up in Scotland according to the country’s first evaluation of Housing First, published today (Wed 22 September) by I-SPHERE at Heriot Watt University. The independent Interim Report commissioned by Corra Foundation with funding from Social Bite uses a combination of data analysis and first-hand testimony from tenants, support providers, local authorities and national stakeholders to present the findings in a 90-page report.  

The main headline finding is that the Pathfinder has been highly effective at supporting people with the sharpest experiences of homelessness to stay in their homes. At the end of June 2021, by which time 531 people had been housed, the Pathfinder had achieved an overall 12-month ‘tenancy sustainment rate’ of 84% and 24-month rate of 82%. 

Professor Sarah Johnsen from I-SPHERE, who co-authored the report with Dr Janice Blenkinsopp also from I-SPHERE in partnership with Matthew Rayment of ICF Consulting, said: 

“The housing retention rates achieved by the Pathfinder to date are particularly impressive given the additional challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented.  Many lessons have been learned regarding what helps and hinders Housing First delivery and these will be invaluable as Pathfinder services are mainstreamed and the approach is rolled out more widely across Scotland.” 

Maggie Brunjes, Chief Executive of Homeless Network Scotland, programme managers for the Housing First Pathfinder, said: 

“Scotland’s Housing First Pathfinder has been the shining light in the homelessness sector for over two years, achieving results in line with international best practice and half of that time during a pandemic. It’s not been easy, and many lessons have been learned, but this interim evaluation demonstrates that Housing First works, and it works thanks to the tenacity of Housing First support workers, political commitment at national and local level, buy in from key housing associations — along with the opportunities created to connect and learn together. And it works because people themselves took a chance on Housing First to end their own experience of homelessness.

“As we head into the final six-months of the pathfinder almost all parts of Scotland are starting up or scaling up Housing First. The Pathfinder has demonstrated that the approach is resilient and sustainable even under the most demanding circumstances, and this is a hugely important legacy. Our thanks to Professor Johnsen and colleagues for producing this detailed, insightful and much anticipated report.” 

This report is the first part of an ongoing evaluation and monitoring programme being undertaken by I-SPHERE at Heriot Watt University. Future evaluation outputs will document learning during later stages of Pathfinder delivery, including during the 2021/2022 transition period when Pathfinder services are being mainstreamed in those local authority areas. 

Consultation and Call for Evidence: Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022-26

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The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 set stretching targets for child poverty reduction.  The Scottish Government published a Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan in 2018, setting out policies and programmes to support progress towards reaching the child poverty targets.  The Scottish Government is currently in the process of developing the next Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, which is due to be published in March 2022. The scale of the challenge is significant, and the 2022-2026 delivery plan will be crucial to achieving both the interim and final targets. 

This rapid consultation seeks your opinion and any evidence you may have about how well current policies and actions are working and what new ideas or approaches may help achieve significant reductions in child poverty in Scotland. That is, evidence of positive impact of interventions the Scottish Government should continue, evidence of negative or limited impact of interventions that should be stopped or done differently, and any evidence of new policies that the Scottish Government should consider implementing, including local projects that could be delivered at scale or evidence from other countries that could be applied in Scotland.

The information you provide will inform discussions on what the next Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan should include and focus on. We will digest your feedback to inform options for future action and strengthen our evidence base. We will then welcome the opportunity to discuss potential options with you.

Specifically, we are looking for your feedback on any or all of the questions below:

·         what’s currently working well, and what should the Scottish Government and partners continue to do or do more of?

·         are there policies, actions or approaches that the Scottish Government and partners should stop doing or need to do differently?

·         what new policies, actions or approaches should the Scottish Government consider implementing?

·         what lessons from the COVID response could be applied to tackling child poverty in the future?

We also invite you to share any research, evaluation or findings from consultations that you have undertaken that are relevant to these questions. As well as any views or evidence you may have specific to the six priority family types identified in the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan – the family types where children are most likely to live in poverty, which are set out in the background attached.

This is an exciting opportunity for you to contribute to shaping the next Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan and we value the feedback you can provide. You can attach any published reports, research undertaken collecting perspectives from those with lived experience of poverty, or internal pieces of work you may hold.

Some further background to the consultation is available here.

Your input by 29 September 2021 to ChildPovertyConsultation@gov.scot will be welcomed.

Martin Gavin: How the Programme for Government stacks up on homelessness

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Martin Gavin from Homeless Network Scotland takes a closer look at the housing and homelessness elements in the Programme for Government, published on Tuesday.

‘A Fairer, Greener Scotland’ declares the bold white typeface set against blue sky in the striking cover photograph for the 2021/22 Programme for Government, published yesterday.

These overarching priorities for the new Government lead the reader into a 123-page document rooted in prevention and early intervention across the board and peppered with references to homelessness. It is the context of how and where that word appears that is key, affirming that not only have we learned lessons from the pandemic about inclusion, fairness and equality but that the Government’s continued commitment to the Ending Homelessness Together Plan after May’s election is convincing, with a strong showing on homelessness again in this year’s Programme for Government.

It appears in the First Minister’s introduction. “We will ensure that everyone has a safe, warm place to call home – taking forward an ambitious programme of affordable housebuilding, eradicating homelessness and rough sleeping.” This pledge from Nicola Sturgeon, which accompanies an additional £50m funding commitment, is something all of us in the sector welcome, along with specific commitments such as ensuring no return to communal night shelters after progress made during the winter of 2020/21. We will hold the Government to this pledge, while providing all possible engagement, encouragement and energy to help realise this shared ambition.

Other signs that homelessness is now increasingly recognised as emerging from system failure include mentions in section 5, titled Living Better: supporting thriving, resilient and diverse communities. It places the problem in a community setting alongside issues such as, ‘ensuring people have access to the services they need in their own neighbourhoods’ and ‘supporting inclusive communities’. This reflects work by Homeless Network Scotland and our partners taking place right now in Pollok and Gorbals, where Lottery funding is being directed to prevent homelessness by people who live and work in those areas through the ‘Staying In’ project.

As part of creating welcoming communities, the Programme for Government states: “No‑one should be made destitute because of their immigration status. We will do everything in our power to improve support for people at risk of destitution, delivering on our Ending Destitution Together strategy.” This is a critical tone of voice from government given that immigration is a reserved matter. Work to progress this is well underway by the Scottish Government and many other partners, including Homeless Network Scotland, deeply concerned by the lack of support for people in this position. Efforts to prevent homelessness and end rough sleeping will be undermined without concomitant measures to mitigate the impact of UK immigration policy that amounts to destitution by design. The intention by the Scottish Government included in the Programme for Government to ‘explore alternative ways to reduce migrant homelessness’ comes at a critical time, with pressure on the UK Government to reconsider its approach coming from charities, human rights advocates and politicians from all sides.

Finally, and deeply interconnected, are the vital scaling up of Housing First alongside well publicised commitments and funding from the Government to tackle drug deaths. A webinar this week hosted by Homeless Network Scotland explored the relationship between Housing First and harm reduction, with experts from across and beyond Scotland leading the debate. The Programme for Government mentions specific work to ‘scale up Housing First more rapidly’ plus the introduction of a new check up process that Homeless Network Scotland has been working on and consulted on over the summer. This will accompany the national roll out in most Scottish local authorities and is due to launch in the autumn.

In some respects the Programme for Government includes the commitments we in the sector had hoped for and expected. But it is also reassuring given the focus this Government must have on guiding Scotland out of a pandemic and into recovery. The references to homelessness – 15 in total – are placed with care, often alongside commitments and pledges to address broader social issues that we know often contribute to homelessness. Overall, this Programme for Government leaves us reassured that valuable progress will not be lost, existing promises stand and new commitments are on the record.

Choice: Conference now open for sponsorship opportunities

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We are proud to host Scotland’s largest knowledge and networking events on ending homelessness. 

This year Choice will cover three themes over 3 days – Housing Choice, Support Choice, My Choice. We will be exploring how we ensure real-world options match the national policy ambition – and how we exercise choice and control when options are sometimes limited. 

Join us as an event partner, sponsor or exhibitor across 3 dynamic days (5-7 October). We are using a specialist conferencing online platform ‘Remo’ to reach further and more creatively – and to make sure every delegate gets a unique conference experience.  

Find out more about the conference and how you and your organisation can be centre stage.