Involve: Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy

Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy

What we're doing

Under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, the Council (along with all other local housing authorities) must carry out a review of homelessness in our area and then produce a strategy on the prevention and reduction of homelessness. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has since created an additional requirement that the strategy must also include rough sleeping.

When we're doing it?

On 12-Dec-2018

We will be

Asking for information

Themes

Customer experiences
Health, wellbeing and lifestyle
Housing

Where's it happening?

Across the whole of Kirklees:

More information on what we're doing

The consultation is very specific to people who are currently or have been homeless.

Can anyone get involved?

Only selected groups

What happened?

Face to face, 1:1 interviews were carried out with a small number of clients or ex-clients at a homeless hostel in Huddersfield. The sample size was very small but this was expected given the cohort of potential participants. The individuals who took part were very willing to talk about their experiences, share good practice and show how interventions had helped them personally. They were also happy that they were being listened to and that their experience may help shape future support for others.

We gained insight into the reasons behind their homelessness; what interventions worked for them; how they found living at the hostel; anything they would have changed and what agencies could have done in a better way or earlier to prevent their homelessness.

The information has been anonymised and will be used as small case stories in the Kirklees Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2018-2023. The strategy is now published and can be accessed via the corporate website.

What difference did the work make?

The lived experiences of those who have been or are homeless and/or rough sleeping has helped to bring to life the theoretical aspects of prevention in this area. The short case studies gained from the engagement have been included in the Preventing Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2018-2021 and help to make it 'real' for people reading it.

The learning gained helped to prioritise areas of prevention e.g. people's ability to budget and understand finances and the need to ensure learning/support packages are in place for this.

It highlighted areas to further strengthen e.g. continued and regular engagement during referral/ allocations processes.

It also reaffirmed good practice already taking place e.g. the 'floating support' offer for people after they have moved-on from the hostel.

The learning also gave insight for future accommodation provision projects e.g. what people thought or felt about shared accommodation.

Work continues to take place on the Strategy's action plan in conjunction with partner agencies and corporate colleagues. Due to Covid-19 a refresh of the strategy and action is underway to ensure any learning from the pandemic is embedded. Updated versions of both documents will be published once the review is complete.

Methods of involvement

Method	How	How many people	Start	End
Face to face	Open discussions - Clare House	4-6	12-12-2018	12-12-2018

Contact details

Name

Lisa Hodgson

Telephone

01484 221000

lisa.hodgson@kirklees.gov.uk

Documents and links

Kirklees Preventing Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2018-2023

Part of an organisation that's signed up to the Framework?

Project summary