Tag: homelessness

Webinar launches Scotland’s new national Housing First ‘Check Up’

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An online event for local authorities and partners on Thursday 25 November will set out plans for a new ‘Check Up’ process that will support the rollout of Housing First in Scotland. Activity will be co-ordinated by a nationwide policy and practice network supported by a strategic partnership between Homeless Network Scotland and the Scottish Government.

Housing First provides ordinary, settled housing as a first response for people whose homelessness is made harder by experiences such as trauma, addiction and mental ill health.Scotland is the first part of the UK to move ahead with a national rollout, with local authorities at the spearhead of this transformation.

Branching Out, The National Framework for organisations and sectors starting up or scaling up Housing First in Scotland, has been updated ahead of the webinar to reflect the latest research and data.

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

“The Scottish Government has committed to scale up Housing First and all councils in Scotland have local plans on how Housing First will be implemented in their area.

“However, there’s doing something and there’s doing the right thing, at the right time and in the right place. We know that local authorities are naturally reflective and already committed to the Housing First approach. The new annual check-up process builds on this strong foundation with additional support and advice, safeguarding the elements that make Housing First work.”

Updates to the 100-page National Framework, endorsed by the Scottish Government, SFHA, CIH and Wheatley Group among others, link into the Prevention Review Group report, Shared Spaces research into shared and supported accommodation and the Housing First Interim Evaluation Report delivered by I-SPHERE at Heriot-Watt University. The Framework is a ‘how to and why’ guide to planning, commissioning and delivering the approach locally and nationally covering community justice, housing and social care issues as well as local and national government.

Growing evidence from across Scotland and the rest of the UK supports the delivery of Housing First for specific groups in addition to the wider group of people with the sharpest experiences of homelessness. For example, the Rock Trust and Almond Housing Association have tested Housing First for young people leaving care in West Lothian and their evaluation shows that:

  • All but one young person has continued to sustain their tenancy.
  • All young people described ways in which their relationship with their Housing First worker had led to positive changes in their life.
  • Some young people reported improvements in mental health and satisfaction with life, healthy eating and exercise, and some reported fewer problems as a result of substance misuse.

The Housing First Check Up webinar for Local Authorities and Partners takes place on Thursday 25 November 2021 from 10am to 12.00pm on the MS Teams platform. The event will be hosted by Sir Andrew Cubie and Marion Gibbs, Team Leader – Homelessness, with the Scottish Government. Book a place here.

Ruth Whatling joins Homeless Network Scotland

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Homeless Network Scotland welcomes Ruth Whatling to our Leadership Team this week in the role of Head of Policy & Equality, a newly created post that speaks to a growing awareness and importance placed on equality considerations in ending homelessness in Scotland.

Ruth joins Homelessness Network Scotland on a two-year secondment from the Scottish Government’s Homelessness Team and with two decades of public sector experience including equality, policy and public administration roles in the Civil Service.

Originally from near Reading in Berkshire, with close family connections to Edinburgh, Ruth trained as a nurse in Hull before working in nursing in London then later relocating to Scotland.

Ruth says: “Having seen the work of Homeless Network Scotland from an external perspective, I am excited to see up close the collaborative way of working that the organisation is known and respected for – finding a way through those tough, obstinate problems that get in the way of what works. When interacting as a civil servant there is often a feeling that a power imbalance exists, whether real or perceived. Engaging with our membership and partners at eye-level is something I am really looking forward to.

“One of the attributes Homeless Network Scotland possesses is credibility and trust, a reputation for delivering that incentivises partner organisations and others to engage and participate to find solutions. The leading role of lived experience in informing and guiding Homeless Network Scotland’s work also impressed me. It is clear that expertise by experience sits at the heart of everything we do in a really meaningful way.”

Ruth is going to be actively involved in the work to scale up Housing First in Scotland, the first part of the UK to roll out the approach as a national policy. Starting in the New Year a check-up process will support local authorities to embed the policy in their Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans.

Building on the Prevention Review Group report and new public sector prevention duties another focus will be the increasingly high-profile prevention agenda, which is a key strand of work for Homeless Network Scotland, local authorities and third sector organisations. “Prevention and equality share a characteristic, both must be applied while also doing the day job,” says Ruth. “We can’t switch to real equality overnight. Despite a robust legislative framework, attitudes must change; practice must adapt and improve. Similarly, prioritising prevention rather than responding to a problem after it has happened is a process. Frontline workers must continue to respond while simultaneously shifting focus to preventing homelessness before it starts. Part of our role is to support the great work already underway across the country by sharing learning and facilitating effective and meaningful partnerships.”

A key focus for Ruth is equality. Ruth said: “I am looking forward to supporting local authorities and partners understand what’s needed and what can be achieved when we all pull in one direction. The legislation is there, and part of the challenge is about illustrating what we mean by equality – what it looks like. We all have a role in breaking the ‘big’ issue down into smaller, manageable chunks that really mean something to people in ordinary workplace settings – it is not an abstract idea. True equality is about understanding people’s needs as an individual and having a vision of how to meet those needs in the way we provide services and address disadvantage.”

National Care Service consultation

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Housing and homelessness – joint response to National Care Service consultation

Proposals for a National Care Service in Scotland could signal an opportunity to join up services and responses for some of society’s most excluded groups, according to a joint consultation response submitted to the Scottish Government today (Monday 1 November) by organisations representing the housing and homelessness sectors. 

The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), Everyone Home Collective and members of the lived and frontline experience panel, All In For Change, submitted a joint response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on plans for a new National Care Service, which closes on Tuesday this week. 

The joint response is captured in seven key points reflecting on the Scottish Government’s proposals in the context of housing and homelessness, including helping to prevent drug related deaths, stating: ‘More than half of deaths among people who are homeless are drugs related… the National Care Service presents an opportunity to prevent early mortality by joining up responses.’ 

In the past few weeks the organisations have consulted over 200 members and interested parties, asking whether the proposals could contribute to preventing homelessness and what the potential risks, dilemmas, or unintended consequences might be to existing plans and structures while working to ensure everyone in Scotland has a safe home. 

Feedback from networking and events, combined with detailed analysis of the proposals, has resulted in the seven strands framing the joint response: People led, Home centred, Preventative, Rights based, De-stigmatising, Fairer and Improving. 

The response also states that the future National Care Service should also be at the heart of identifying homelessness risk, putting in place care and support to prevent homelessness and aligned closely with Scotland’s developing approach to prevention, including new legal duties on public bodies. 

Viki Fox, Change Lead with All In For Change, said:  

“The Change Team has cautious optimism about the National Care Service. It has the potential to be really powerful if the design and implementation are properly thought-out and inclusive of those with lived and frontline experience of homelessness.” 

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

“The Scottish Government’s proposal for a National Care Service signals a significant shift in the provision of support and care and an opportunity to consolidate the links between housing, health and social care. People with overlapping experiences that include homelessness can be the most disconnected from mainstream and public services and with the most to gain from an improved, integrated and ‘no wrong door’ approach to care and support. Changing the record for this group needs a shift of this size; our consultation found more opportunities than dilemmas and especially for the group described in the Hard Edges Scotland research.”

Aaron Hill, Director of Policy and Membership at SFHA, said:

“The National Care Service Consultation presents a great opportunity to improve people’s experience of care and support. Many of our members offer housing, care and support services, often directly employing care staff to assist their tenants, Housing associations therefore have a great deal of direct experience to contribute to the development of this new service, and we want to see social housing recognised as a key partner in this new service.”

Read the joint response to the National Care Service consultation.

Individuals and organisations can submit a response by Tuesday 2 November 2021 and further information, alongside guidance and instructions for responding, is available on the Scottish Government Consultation portal here. 

Report critical of ‘destitution by design’ policy

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More than 30 charities and leading academics in Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Government and local councils, are calling for major funders to step forward ahead of the winter months to fund a step-change in the way we support people seeking sanctuary in Scotland.

The partnership, titled Fair Way Scotland, has published a landmark report today setting out proposals to counteract UK Government policy that leaves many people seeking sanctuary in Scotland unable to access most benefits due to their immigration status under ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ (NRPF) conditions.

The report, produced with input from people with personal experience of the asylum and immigration system, claims NRPF conditions amount to ‘destitution by design’ undermining Scotland’s human rights ambitions and providing an urgent example of where human rights are being breached. Included is an outline of a service response that joins up temporary accommodation with personal and emotional support, legal casework and general advice and advocacy. The initiative seeks to create a co-ordinated gateway to a safe destination.

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

“Fair Way Scotland counteracts UK policy that leaves people with no support who are seeking sanctuary in Scotland. This is destitution by design, affecting people who continue to make their case to stay here because it is better than the alternative. 

“It means a safe place to stay with one-to-one support and legal advice so that people are not living in fear and destitution. It means a safe gateway to a settled destination until that destination is settled, whether this is Scotland or another place.

“A strategic funding partnership is now needed to bring about this step-change in how Scotland ends destitution and protects people’s human rights – a partnership of charitable foundations, businesses and donors – and the public sector in Scotland too. Working together, we can end destitution in Scotland.”

The report is Action 3 of the Scottish Government and COSLA Ending Destitution Together Strategy published in March 2021. It sets out the national approach to mitigating and preventing destitution and protecting the human rights of people with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) in Scotland.

Sabir Zazai, Chief Executive of the Scottish Refugee Council, said:

“It’s not the job of one individual or organisation to make life better for people who are fleeing dreadful conflict, human rights violations and persecution. It takes a lot of time, effort, creativity and innovation for many different partners to work together and make the offer as welcoming and warm as possible.  

“I’m really proud of the work in this area, particularly the collaboration during a very difficult time recently. It needs a swift investment from charity funders because we cannot wait too long for this to be implemented. We need action and investment in Fair Way Scotland, which can demonstrate a different, better and credible approach.

“Work still needs to happen including resourcing. In this really critical time Scotland needs to maintain its long-standing legacy of reaching out to people seeking protection.”

Maggie Brunjes added:

“When the Scottish Government and local councils in Scotland had the opportunity to provide services and accommodation for everyone during the pandemic using public health legislation, they all took it. We applaud that life-saving intervention and recognise that individuals and organisations want to help find a fair way forward. To start with, securing backing from charitable foundations is key. We want to invite a strategic funding and learning partnership to test this approach in Scotland and how it might be replicated in other cities or countries.”

Home is Where Your House Is

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Professor Ruth Chang is Chair and Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of Oxford and a Professorial Fellow at University College, Oxford. Professor Chang will speak at this year’s Scottish Homelessness Conference about choice and commitment in housing policy.

George Bernard Shaw said, “Life isn’t about finding yourself; it’s about creating yourself.” This ability to create ourselves is what makes us distinctively human. Having a home, a place where one can live, laugh, and learn, is a sine qua non of the possibility of self-creation. You may make yourself into a loving parent who spends her days helping those in need, while I may make myself into someone who tries to nurture the next generation of thinkers grappling with foundational questions about the human condition. We make ourselves who we are from the spaces of safety and security that we call ‘home’. Without a home to call our own, the spark of self-creation inside each of us is smothered by precarity and fear.

Our governments and social institutions don’t have an obligation to provide each of us with a home in this deep sense. They couldn’t because homes are made by us, not for us. But we cannot make homes without houses, safe places where we can shelter and separate ourselves from the rest of humanity. Home is where your house is. And it is here that the work of organisations focusing on housing those in need is profoundly vital.

The work that you do is not easy. You may find yourself overwhelmed by the complexity of factors and the uncertainty of outcomes that accompany every decision you face. You must juggle the preferences of users for a certain type of accommodation and location against the scarcity of supply and risk of harm to users and their neighbours, all while navigating rigid, byzantine governmental systems seemingly designed to thwart your aims and good intentions. In such hard choices, the factors that determine what you should choose fail to come together to favour one path over the others. And so how can you make wise decisions when mired in such complexity and uncertainty?

Social science offers one answer. Many economists, business managers and policy wonks maintain that hard choices about housing, health, and employment – the basics of human existence – can be made simple by applying a numerical formula or algorithm to the problem. Assign numbers to each of the factors in choice and add up how well each alternative fares on each factor; the option with the highest score wins. This numerical approach to decision-making has a long history and is now established in many government agencies as unquestioned orthodoxy.

But the social-scientific model is deeply problematic. For one thing, it assumes that what is at stake in hard choices can always be numerically represented. Can you really assign a numerical value to the safety and security that housing provides? What about the value of dignity and the capacity to make oneself into one kind of person rather than another? For another thing, it fails to respect the nature of hard choices; hard choices are ones in which the relevant factors don’t come together to determine a single, right thing to do. Adding up numerical representations of the competing interests at stake presumes otherwise. So, the social scientific model crams a messy reality into a neat mathematical box, thereby distorting how things are on the ground.

We must instead recognize that sometimes in life, we are faced with choices in which there is no right answer. In such hard decisions, our reasons to choose one path over another run out. This does not mean that we can’t make a wise choice; it only means that the world has left what to do up to us. So we should commit. And make reasons for yourself. In the hard decisions we make, there is no right answer. Instead, there is only what we can commit to doing.

If you must weigh the less-than-desirable type and location of housing against the imminent availability for the user, how do you assign weights to the factors? Housing decisions are not mathematical problems, but distinctively human ones. Sometimes weighing factors will be easy; if the type and location is close to perfect but not quite and the lead time to desired housing is otherwise decades away, one should probably just go with the close-to-perfect option. But rarely are choices easy in this way. Instead, the choice is often between immediate availability of less desirable housing in a location that appears somewhat sketchy, on the one hand, and a long and uncertain wait for only some probability of success in meeting user desires, on the other.

In such hard choices, the reasons to choose one option over the other have run out, and all you can do is to make new reasons for yourself by committing – really committing – to one option over the other. By committing to one option over another, you make yourself into the kind of person who has more reason to pursue that option. Someone else may commit differently. In this way, hard choices are themselves opportunities for self-creation.

ends

Scotland’s annual conference looking in detail at the causes of and solutions to homelessness takes place from 5 – 7 October, presented by Homeless Network Scotland. This year’s theme is choice, 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 supply, allocations and support services for those already in tenancies. More information and booking here.