Category: News

Straight talking at rough sleeping ‘summit’

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A networking event focused on rough sleeping took place at Glasgow City Chambers yesterday (Wednesday 26 February 2020).It brought together representatives of the key organisations concerned with homelessness in the city, including members of the new Glasgow Alliance to End Homelessness, the Glasgow Health & Social Care Partnership, grassroots networks offering support to people sleeping rough in Glasgow and representatives from the Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH) based in Chicago.

The event, titled Joining the Dots, ‘sold out’ all its 90 free tickets within hours of being made available, demonstrating the strongest will in Glasgow for tackling rough sleeping, the most damaging and dangerous form of homelessness. This commitment was the focus of opening remarks from Councillor Mhairi Hunter with a reflective keynote from Susanne Millar, Interim Chief Officer of Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, on the importance of honest, authentic partnership to drive change.

The event was the start of a new conversation on how to end street homelessness in Scotland’s largest city, bringing people closer together to support partnership working in the future and better outcomes for people. It was also an opportunity for straight talking around concerns and frustrations relating to rough sleeping – what works, and what’s getting in the way.

Charles Maasz, Chief executive of Glasgow City Mission, who chaired the event, said: “It was a blessing to be able to chair this event, bringing together many different perspectives, all of whom want to see an end to rough sleeping once and for all. As an Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH) Vanguard City, Glasgow’s public commitment to reduce rough sleeping is one that all partners want to see come to pass. Only by working together, collectively, will we achieve this.”

Glasgow is one of 13 cities leading a global campaign to reduce and ultimately end street homelessness across 150 cities by 2030. Lydia Stazen, Executive Director of Institute of Global Homelessness, described that Glasgow has all the right ingredients to achieve its ambition and much closer than it thinks when compared to some of the bigger challenges and scale affecting other cities.

Across the day, participants heard from Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick about what works to end rough sleeping, consulted on a new approach to measure and report on the numbers of people living or sleeping rough, in and beyond the city centre – with the intention that going forward, more organisations including grassroots voluntary groups can be involved in this.

Maggie Brunjes, Chief executive of Homeless Network Scotland, which organised the event, said: “There are many conversations and actions taken on street homelessness in Glasgow in different places, but all with the same goal. So we wanted to bring those diverse voices together to share knowledge and insight and kick-start fresh efforts to get a grip of this issue in Glasgow together. We know it can be done.“

“A vital component of the current debate is how we measure street homelessness in a way that has everyone’s support – with a new conversation taking place that includes charities, academics, Glasgow City Health & Social Care Partnership the Scottish Government and others to review the way we do this and feed into national conversation on the same theme. Today’s discussion moved that forward.”

Amanda Bennett, Senior Partnerships Manager at Frontline Network, who sponsored the event, said: “Today’s event was a great opportunity for people working on the frontline of homelessness, paid staff, volunteers and people with personal experiences, to come together to network, break down silos and improve knowledge and understanding of the most recent thinking and policy developments. It was also a space for services to underline the critical role that frontline workers have in feeding into the wider conversations taking place in Scotland.”

Homelessness system broken ‘beyond repair’

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NEWS RELEASE

Preventing homelessness will not be possible until the current system is replaced with a fairer, more effective and accessible one, according to the charity, Homeless Network Scotland(1).


The charity works to end homelessness in Scotland and is warning that the current system is no longer fit for purpose, at the same time calling on professionals and Scottish society to get behind the real change that’s taking place in 2020 if plans to end long-term homelessness are to succeed.


After almost a decade of decreasing homelessness applications, numbers have increased again in recent years. In 2018/19, 36,465 homelessness applications were made to Scottish local authorities, with 21,095 households entering temporary accommodation during the year, ranging from people whose need is housing only, to those whose homelessness is compounded by other issues such as mental ill health, historical sexual abuse, trauma, addictions and domestic abuse. Those people with the toughest circumstances often find it hard to keep a home, or even a hostel placement, without support, becoming stuck in a ‘revolving door’ of unstable temporary accommodation or rough sleeping.


The current homelessness system is heavily weighted in favour of what is called ‘emergency response’ and does not make it easy for councils and their partners to be proactive and intervene early, even when there is evidence that someone is at risk. Under the Scottish Government’s Ending Homelessness Together Action Plan several programmes and initiatives are introducing new solutions, with greater emphasis on the role of people who have personal experience of homelessness to help drive change.


Chris, who was homeless for three years, is spending Christmas in his own, permanent home for the first time in a decade through one of those programmes, called Housing First. As well as a permanent home, Chris has a dedicated support worker from The Salvation Army. “This place is a lifeline,” said Chris. “I grew up in a really rough area and I’ve made some bad decisions in my life, but this flat is about turning a corner for me. I’m blessed to have this place, to have another chance.”


Homeless Network Scotland manages the Housing First programme in five areas; Aberdeen/shire, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling. Maggie Brunjes, Chief Executive of Homeless Network Scotland, said:

“At this time of year, homelessness comes sharply into focus for many people and it’s hard to think long term when we see people in urgent need. But the current system is broken beyond repair, only by putting in place long-term solutions to homelessness can we end it for good. Most importantly, those of us who want to end homelessness in Scotland must listen to what people with personal experience of homelessness are saying, and in the coming year get behind the changes that are already taking shape.”


“The new direction is based on what we already know, that the answer to homelessness is a home. If we keep on saying: ‘What about tonight?’ then there will always be another night. Under Ending Homelessness Together, programmes such as Housing First and the broader Rapid Rehousing Plans in all 32 council areas in Scotland are introducing a new approach to ending homelessness that’s based on evidence of what works (2).”


Under the current system too many people struggle to get the help they need when they need it, ending up in temporary accommodation that can be unsuitable. Vulnerable people struggle to find the right service, getting lost in a system that is intended to help them. For many people this is all too much, leading them to opt out. That catastrophic decision increases rather than reduces trauma, resulting in rough sleeping, spells in prison and in many cases problem alcohol or drug use – and the cycle goes on(2).


At the start of December (2019) a new approach was launched, All In For Change(3), driven by a newly recruited team of 30 frontline workers and people with personal experience of homelessness to take forward the Scottish Government’s Ending Homelessness Together plans and shape future services. In future, collaborative teams will be formed to make decisions ‘with’ those who have lived experience rather than ‘for’ them. The ‘All In for Change’ team starts work in January 2020.


“We are closer than ever to getting a handle on homelessness, preventing it happening and the damage it causes,” added Maggie Brunjes. “Through ‘All In for Change’ the Government, charities and councils are putting great new policy into practice. We must move urgently to implement the local plans in all 32 council areas that have been drawn up to replace what we have with something better, fairer and more effective that has prevention and the views of those with personal experience of homelessness at its centre.


“There is room for all those who want an end to homelessness to be part of the transition from the old way of doing things to the new. I urge everyone to forget what they think they know about homelessness, find out about the changes coming in 2020. We know how to fix it – but it needs everyone to get behind that fix.”


Housing First tenant, Chris:
“Last year at this time I was homeless after relationship breakdown. I was living in a homeless B&B. Being homeless at Christmas was really depressing. I’ve been homeless about five times since I was 16. I’d always just end up slipping back into my old lifestyle. It was when Housing First Scotland got involved that I got this tenancy and it is the most important thing in my life. This is my cornerstone and my foundation to take my life forward. My journey isn’t over yet, but after coming through addiction and getting this flat through Housing First, I am blessed – it’s the best Christmas present I could have.”


Homeless Network Scotland will host a series of public meetings in towns and cities across Scotland in 2020 to explore the new responses to homelessness and seek the views of those who want to help end homelessness. More details will be published at www.homelessnetwork.scot

Ends

Notes to editors:

  1. Formerly Glasgow Homelessness Network (GHN), Homeless Network Scotland operates across the country with partners including Social Bite, Corra Foundation, the public and third sector and the Scottish Government on a range of work aimed at ending homelessness. It was set up originally in 1980 to bring together the different sectors, services and perspectives on homelessness. It manages the Housing First Scotland Pathfinder on behalf of funders; Scottish Government, Social Bite and Merchants’ House Glasgow. In 2018, working with Crisis, it set up the Centre for Homelessness Impact in London, which is now part of the UK Government ‘What Works’ network.
  2. Hard Edges Scotland; published by Lankelly Chase 2019. According to the report, based on official data and survey responses, out of the group identified as experiencing three forms of multiple disadvantage annually in Scotland – substance misuse, offending and homelessness – the largest group, 53,000, experienced homelessness. Those experiencing all three forms of multiple disadvantage over the course of a year was 5,700 people.
  3. The Change Team of around 30 will be represented on a national strategy group on homelessness chaired by the Housing Minister, Kevin Stewart MSP, building a network of those living and working with homelessness to influence policy and strategy at a local and national level, while developing an online shared resource which will ensure everyone keeps up-to-date with what is happening. Supported by Homeless Network Scotland, Cyrenians and Scottish Community Development Centre, the work is funded by Scottish Government and Frontline Network, from St Martin-in-the-Fields.
  4. Housing First is a model developed in the USA in the early 1990s for people with multiple needs beyond housing. It is built on seven principles which are central to ending people’s experience of homelessness:

    o People have a right to a home
    o Flexible support is provided for as long as is needed
    o Housing and support are separate
    o Individuals have choice and control
    o An active engagement approach is used
    o The service is based on people’s strengths, goals and aspirations
    o A harm reduction approach is used.

  5. The Scottish Government’s Ending Homelessness Together Action Plan is here
  6. Quick facts;

    o A person is more than eight times more likely to become homeless if household income is under £10k (includes benefit levels) than over £20k
    o On any given night around 11,000 people in Scotland are in temporary accommodation, people stay too long and the cost is too high.
    o Temporary furnished flats (most often used) average around £300 per week, which is double the cost of the average UK mortgage. This discourages people taking work at minimum wage as rent would be unaffordable.

For more information contact Martin Gavin – Head of External Relations at the Homeless Network Scotland, mgavin@homelessnetwork.scot

“All In For Change” launches in Scotland – a new approach to tackling homelessness

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In Edinburgh this week (Tuesday 10 December) a new name in the homelessness sector emerged as ‘All In For Change’ held its first meeting, heralding a brand-new approach to tackling homelessness in Scotland.

All In For Change is being led by Homeless Network Scotland, Cyrenians and Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC), putting lived experience at the heart of system change by bringing together frontline workers and people with their own, personal experience of homelessness either currently or in the past.

The 30 people making up the Change Team were selected from more than 70 who applied and will be represented on a national strategy group on homelessness chaired by The Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, Kevin Stewart MSP. It will build a network of those living and working with homelessness to influence policy and strategy at local and national levels – and to help turn that into real change on the ground.

Billie has experience of sleeping rough and currently stays in a hostel in Edinburgh. Billie was selected to be part of the Change Team and said: “The way homelessness has been tackled in the past hasn’t worked. The Change Team is part of the new way, changing the language and working together to help the great change of practice that’s sweeping Scotland. Together, ALL in for change, we WILL make homelessness history – aye we can!”

Kevin Stewart MSP attended the first meeting at the Cosla offices at Haymarket, taking part in a question and answer. He said: 

“Everyone needs a safe, warm place to call home – somewhere where we feel secure and can have a sense of belonging. The causes of homelessness are often complex and that is why all services need to be joined up. This new group will support the transformational change set out in our Ending Homelessness Together Action plan backed by the Scottish Government’s £50m fund. All organisations and front-line partners are working hard to prevent homelessness, tackle rough sleeping, cut down the time people spend in emergency temporary accommodation and move people quickly into permanent, settled homes.  

“Understanding and learning from those who have experienced homelessness will help us to address the root causes and prevent it happening in the first place. By bringing valuable lived experience, expertise from the sector and academia together, we will build a better system that works for everyone and help challenge the public’s perception and stigma of homelessness.” 

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

“Our first event was unique, something that we’ve not seen previously on this scale or with this much ambition. I want to thank all of those who applied to be part of this exciting team and welcome the inspiring new team who attended on Tuesday. The plan is that All In For Change will take great policy and help turn it into new practice – supporting workers to be creative, and encouraging people using services to expect and ask for things to be different. 

“The Housing Minister reaffirmed the Scottish Government’s commitment to listen to people with experience, people who know what needs to be done. The challenge is to apply this combined knowledge, experience and insight where it will have the greatest impact and bring about lasting change.”

Cyrenians Head of Service, Amy Hutton, said:

“This is the first time that we in the sector have been wholeheartedly asked to change the way we do things, as well as change what we do. There is appetite and resource to do things in a way that not only has an impact on homelessness in Scotland now, but which will ensure we never find ourselves here again. But change falls flat if it isn’t embraced and driven on the ground. We are incredibly humbled to be part of such an innovative new project, and excited to see the impact All In For Change will have for those at risk of or experiencing homelessness now and in the future.” 

Fiona Garven, SCDC Director, said:

“SCDC is proud to be involved in this crucial piece of work to support people with frontline and first-hand experience of homelessness to lead the systems, practice and culture change we need on the ground.” 

“We’ll be supporting Homeless Network Scotland by bringing our knowledge of co-productive approaches to working with people on an equal basis, involving and respecting lived experiences amongst other voices and creating ways for people to judge and evaluate the success of the work. We look forward to learning from people with the lived experience to make this a reality.”

For further information contact:

Martin Gavin, Head of External Relations, Homeless Network Scotland on 0141 420 7272 mgavin@homelessnetwork.scot