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The role housing associations can play in PSA 16

Delivering Social Inclusion

Communitiesand Local Government

As independent, not-for-profit organisationsthat provide homes and support for people inneed, as well as wider community services,housing associations are vital partners indelivering social inclusion.

A home should be the foundation for security,resilience, skills for independent living andemployment. This aspiration is expressed inone of the government’s goals for socialinclusion, Public Service Agreement (PSA) 16.

This publication explains some of theopportunities PSA 16 offers, and the practicalissues involved in delivering homes and jobs foradults at risk of social exclusion. It givesexamples of how housing associations andsupport providers help to deliver settledaccommodation to socially excluded groups.

If you work in a housing association or supportprovider, we hope this publication will makePSA 16 clear and practical. It is likely tohighlight areas where your services alreadydeliver PSA 16 outcomes, and may offer ways inwhich you can use PSA 16 as a lever for betterpartnership working with local commissionersand other agencies.

If you work for a local authority or as partof another statutory organisation thatcommissions services for socially excludedgroups, this publication showcases ways inwhich you can work with housing associationsand support providers to maximise the impactof your work on PSA 16.

Contents

Section 2 An overview of PSA 16, page 3

Section 3 Planning and commissioningservices, page 5

Section 4 Improving supply and access tohousing for socially excluded groups, page 8

Section 5 Improving service delivery, page 11

Section 6 Connecting services through jointworking, page 14

INTRODUCTION

20% of care leavers experience homelessness withintwo years of leaving long-term care.

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Image creditsImages on pages 7, 10, 13 and 14 are the Copyright of Southdown Housing Association.Images on pages 9 and 15 are Copyright of photographer Richard Lewisohn for Look AheadHousing & Care Ltd. Images are illustrative and not directly connected to the case studies.

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WHY FOCUS ON PSA 16?

What is PSA 16?

Public Service Agreement 16 is one of thegovernment’s top delivery priorities. It aimsto ensure that some of the most sociallyexcluded adults have the opportunity to getback on the path to a more successful life, byincreasing the proportion that are in settledaccommodation and in employment,education and training. It covers four specificclient groups:

• Offenders under probation supervision

• Care leavers at age 19

• Adults with moderate to severelearning disabilities

• Adults in contact with secondary mentalhealth services.

A link to specific definitions of whatconstitutes settled accommodation andemployment for each group is provided at theend of this section. Generally, settledaccommodation means the occupier hassecurity of tenure or residence in their usualaccommodation, or they live in a householdwhich has such security. This could include,for instance, being an owner occupier in ashared ownership scheme, a tenant in socialhousing, the private rented sector or insettled mainstream housing with families andfriends.

There are eight National Indicators (NIs) thattrack the delivery of the PSA (NIs 143-150,see the Find Out More section). Even if yourlocal area has not selected PSA 16 indicatorsas targets in the Local Area Agreement, allareas have to report against the indicators forsettled accommodation and employment for

each of the client groups through theComprehensive Area Assessment. Severalother national indicators measure activitiesthat can contribute to PSA 16 outcomes (egreducing re-offending, or vulnerable peopleachieving independent living). Delivery of PSA16 is co-ordinated at the regional level by thegovernment offices.

Why does PSA 16 matter?

Having a suitable and settled home cantransform people’s lives. It is the base fromwhich people can build a better quality of life,access employment and training, improvetheir health and achieve greaterindependence. This also delivers widerbenefits to society, including safercommunities and a reduced need for acuteand emergency services.

Many people in the PSA 16 client groupsface a difficult transition, like leaving prisonor long-term care. This makes themparticularly at risk of being excluded orfalling between the gaps in services. It alsomeans that the client groups are alreadyinvolved with services that can, and should,make a difference.

Accessing and maintaining settledaccommodation can be a particular problemfor PSA 16 clients.

• One in four tenants with mental healthproblems have serious rent arrears andare at risk of losing their home.1

• Up to one in five of those in careexperience homelessness within two yearsof leaving long-term care.2

tenants with mental health problemshave serious rent arrears and are at riskof losing their home.1 in 4

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1 Social Exclusion Unit, Social exclusion and mental health, (ODPM, 2004)2 Biehal et al, Moving On: Young People and Leaving Care Schemes, (HMSO, 1995)

Providing assistance and support with housingcan have a significant, positive impact on theindividual as well as the wider community.

• Having stable accommodation reduces therisk of re-offending by a fifth; being inemployment reduces the risk of re-offendingby between a third and a half.3

• The average annual cost to services forpeople with chaotic lives and multiple needsis approximately £23,000 per individual.4

• It is estimated that for every pound investedin housing related support, over two poundsof savings are generated by avoiding morecostly interventions.5

• Housing related support can deliver betteroutcomes and cashable savings to healthand adult social service budgets, through forexample, the avoidance of hospitaladmissions and reduced numbers of looked-after children.6

All organisations that support people at risk ofexclusion want to develop more coherent andpersonalised services. PSA 16 can help to:

• Focus effort and attention by helping put aspotlight on housing and employmentoutcomes for socially excluded adults

• Encourage prevention and early intervention,by focusing on transition points whenindividuals can be helped to avoid long-termexclusion

• Improve joint working: acting as a lever to getnew or existing partners round a table.

Why are housing associations and supportproviders key partners?

Housing associations are independent, socialbusinesses. Understanding and meeting theneeds of their residents and clients is a centralpart of their purpose and drives what they do.Housing associations and support providersplay a variety of roles in helping improveoutcomes PSA 16 groups, including:

• Increasing the range of housing optionsavailable, providing more settledaccommodation and working with partnersto improve access to existing stock

• Delivering tailored care and support servicesto help clients access accommodation andthrive in their own homes

• Understanding the gaps in current provisionand the routes clients take through services

• Providing a focus on increasingindependence, developing skills forindependent living and working andre-engaging with mainstream services

• Working in partnership with a number ofagencies and using their expertise andresources to meet shared local priorities.

Find out more:

• The new performance framework for localauthorities and local authority partnerships:single set of National Indicatorswww.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/nationalindicator

• CLG accommodation self assessment toolkitfor socially excluded adults public serviceagreementwww.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/accommodationtoolkit

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£23,000 The approximate average annual costper individual to services for people withchaotic lives and multiple needs.

3 Social Exclusion Unit, Reducing re-offending by ex-prisoners (Cabinet Office, 2002)4 Social Exclusion Unit, Reaching out: an action plan on social exclusion (Cabinet Office, 2006)5 Capgemini, Research into the financial benefits of the Supporting People programme, (CLG, 2009)6 CSED, Support related housing www.dhcarenetworks.org.uk/csed/Solutions/supportRelatedHousing/

To deliver the outcomes of PSA 16, the rightservices need to be planned, prioritised, andcommissioned.

Working to deliver PSA 16 outcomes can helplocal authorities commission and purchasehousing services more effectively, for example:

• PSA 16 data can be used to help supportlocal needs analyses which can helpcommissioners and providers sharpen theirfocus on specific needs of vulnerable adults intheir area

• The PSA 16 agenda can be used to bringpotential partners together for jointcommissioning, mapping out current gaps inprovision and barriers to making progresslocally. This includes co-ordinating the supplyof accommodation with the commissioning ofcare and support, and joining up assessmentsof need and outcomes across housing, health,social care and children’s services

• Consulting housing and support providerswhen designing or reviewing services toaccess their experience and expertise insupporting PSA 16 clients.

Housing associations and support providers can:

• Use the PSA 16 agenda, and the data andinformation emerging from it, to influencelocal and regional strategies and their ownbusiness plans

• Engage with appropriate local forums anddiscussions on PSA 16

• Consider the evidence and information theyhave which will help communicate theircontribution to PSA 16 to statutory partners

• Continue to challenge themselves to keepusers at the heart of their services, and feedtheir experience into the design and deliveryof services.

Delivering PSA 16 requires a mix of services tomeet the diverse needs and aspirations of PSA16 client groups and to take a long-termapproach to improving outcomes.Commissioners and providers can respond to,and take advantage of, changes in funding forcare and support services to make this happen.

Many local areas have used the governance ofthe Supporting People programme to take amore cross-cutting approach to commissioning.This has helped link housing related supportinto other services like housing, health,probation, children’s services and drug andalcohol services. The removal of the SupportingPeople ringfence opens up the possibility ofmore flexible joint commissioning. This mightinclude working across local authorityboundaries and aligning or pooling budgets forsupport with care and health funding topurchase a more joined-up service.

There is a cross-government commitmentto greater choice and control for service usersof social care. Putting people first prioritisesself directed support, person-centred planningand giving people greater control over decisionsabout their lives. It seeks to increase thenumber of people with a personal budget orfunding for resources to allow them to buytheir own services. Block contracting forservices by local authorities will decrease,supported by a shift of resources away fromintensive social care to support services to helppeople live in the community and participate asactive citizens.

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PLANNING AND COMMISSIONING FOR BETTER SERVICES

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Three Rivers Housing Association andthe Richmond Fellowship created asupported living service, St Stephen’sClose in County Durham, to help peoplestep down from psychiatric hospital toindependent living. The service wasdeveloped in partnership with thePrimary Care Trust and social services,who identified the need for moreindependent living solutions for theclient group and worked together tojointly commission the service.

St Stephen’s has eight self-containedflats with 24-hour support built around acommunal space. Support helpsresidents to develop the skills to managetheir own tenancies, become active inthe community, live independently andaccess other therapies.

Five spaces are block purchased by thePCT as a step-down facility to enableprompt discharges from psychiatrichospitals, others are paid for by DurhamSocial Services to help clients to livemore independently in the long term. StStephen’s increases the accommodation

choices available to people withmoderate mental health needs andhelps earlier discharge from hospital,reducing the demand on acute services.By supporting residents to live moreindependently in the community,the service lessens the likely futuredemands on the community mentalhealth, youth offending and drugaction teams in the Wear Valley.Residents are more able to contributeto their community and benefit frominformal support.

Floating support is a key part of thepackage for move on from the scheme.The project provides four weeks offloating support to residents moving onto general needs accommodation tosmooth their transition. Between 2005and 2008, four residents moved on andsustained their tenancies. It is estimatedthat St Stephen’s Close saves the widerhealth and social care system anaverage of £22,000 per client per yearcompared to residential care.

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Support through transition

Three Rivers Housing Association and the Richmond Fellowship

of those in care experiencehomelessness within two yearsof leaving long-term care. 1 in 5up to

The North West London Learning DisabilityProject is a collaborative project by six northwest boroughs for the development ofspecialist and intensive supported livingservices for people with learning disabilitiesand complex/challenging behaviour or mentalhealth needs. The project originated from agroup of joint commissioners who realised thattheir areas all had the common issue of asmall number of residents who had complexneeds that could not be met by existingaccommodation options and were housed inout-of–borough, long-stay hospitals and NHScampus provision.

The project is developing a targeted core andcluster of intensive supported independentliving services for eight to 10 people, mainlysited in Brent and Ealing. Each service userwill have their own flat and receive supportfrom C/Y, a partnership of London Cyreniansand Yarrow Housing, which has expertise inoffering tailored support to people who havecomplex needs including autism and dualdiagnosis. Bringing this expertise and supportmodel into the areas reduces the need for out-of-borough placements.

All the local authority teams involved haveinvested staff time to develop a joint approachto the service. This has included intensive workon tendering and contracting processes anddeveloping a partnership agreement to coverissues including referral protocol, ordinaryresidence and void costs. Learning points so farhave included:

• The importance of getting clarity overthe governance arrangements for jointcommissioning to provide clear directionand control

• The need to articulate clear aims andtangible benefits for all authorities involved

• Investing time in developing the rightsystems and processes to deliver effectivejoint commissioning.

The project is in its early days, and two of thefirst three residents are from out-of-boroughplacements. There have also been positiveoutcomes from the joint commissioningprocess, with the partners collaborating betteracross their work beyond this project.

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Find out more:

• Supporting People: guide to accommodation and support options for people with mental healthproblems (2005) tinyurl.com/yb2zhrh

• Homelessness prevention and meeting housing need for (ex)offenders: a guide to practice (CLG, 2009)www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/homelessnesspreventionguide

• Department of Health Care Networks www.dhcarenetworks.org.uk.

Collaborative commissioning

North West London Learning Disability Project

PSA 16 covers a range of client groups withdiverse needs and aspirations. To deliver PSA16 outcomes, local partners need to offer arange of housing options to meet the diversityof needs. This includes specialistaccommodation, general needs housing,support to access the private rented sector anddifferent home ownership options.

Developing new accommodation

For some PSA 16 clients, specialistaccommodation is the most appropriate way tomeet their needs. Thorough needs analysis andidentification of gaps in services should becarried out before considering developing newspecialist accommodation. This may be throughremodelling existing buildings or developingnew stock. New specialist accommodation mayrequire a mix of capital funding sourcesincluding social care, health funding from aPrimary Care Trust, or from the Homes andCommunities Agency (HCA) National AffordableHousing Programme (NAHP).

PSA 16 data can be used alongside other locallyavailable needs information to get a clearpicture of the local needs for housing andsupport. The HCA makes funding decisionsbased on a single conversation between theHCA and individual local authorities, whichagrees priorities for planning and investing inhousing and regeneration. For the HCA to beable to invest in specialist housing for PSA 16clients, the need and prioritisation for suchhousing should be highlighted by the localauthority as part of this process.

Specialist housing for PSA 16 client groups maybe temporary or permanent, for rent or lowcost home ownership through the HCA’s HomeOwnership for People with Long-term

Disabilities (HOLD) product. The singleconversation will also be the route fordiscussing priorities for developing newgeneral needs housing which may benefitPSA 16 clients.

Increasing access to existing housing

Making the best use of existing stock isimportant to deliver PSA 16 outcomes.Local authorities can work with housingassociations to improve access to existinghousing stock to PSA 16 client groups in anumber of ways, including:

• Working with partners to provide floatingsupport to help individuals with supportneeds live more independently in generalneeds housing

• Supporting nomination and move-onagreements between providersand authorities

• Helping individuals with the practical needsof moving on through tenancy depositschemes and providing or working withpartners to provide pre-tenancy workshops.

• Providing assistive technology, telecare andsupported living solutions to help peoplemove out of residential care

• Offering shared ownership solutions toincrease the range of housing optionsavailable to PSA 16 client groups

• Joint working between health, social care,housing and support providers to helpvulnerable adults access general needshousing through choice-based lettings.

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IMPROVING SUPPLY AND ACCESS

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through anymore. I am growing roots.’‘It has given me choice, I am not passing

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HOLD, a product of the Home and CommunitiesAgency, opens up home ownership to peoplewith a long-term physical, mental or learningdisability. Southdown Housing Association hasoperated a shared ownership scheme since2006 and will have 30 shared owners by 2011. Itcombines homes purchased through the HOLDscheme with a personalised approach tosupport planning to allow the residents tomaximise their independence and control overtheir accommodation and support.

D is a 56-year-old woman with mental healthdifficulties who wishes to remain anonymous.She has lived in supported housing for manyyears. D was ready to move on but findingsuitable accommodation became difficult whenher mental and physical health deteriorated.She found it difficult to live alongside herneighbours; she wanted to live on her ownthough she was initially unsure about sharedownership as she was concerned about thestress of the purchasing process and theresponsibilities of ownership.

Southdown’s shared ownership co-ordinator,housing support workers and local specialneeds housing officer worked closely with D to develop a support plan that involvedpurchasing a shared ownership house fromthe open market under the HOLD scheme that met D’s requirements. This included aquiet neighbourhood with her own privatespace, and choice and control over the selectionof fixtures, fittings and adaptations to theproperty. This was combined with additionalsupport to help her manage and develop greaterindependence through the process. She said:‘It has given me choice. I am not passingthrough anymore. I am growing roots. Goodroots.’ One year on, D is very positive about herfuture, her mental health is improving and sheenjoys her status as a homeowner.

Find out more:

• HCA National Affordable Housing Programmewww.homesandcommunities.co.uk/national_affordable_housing_programme

• Housing Options guide on HOLD www.housingoptions.co.uk/ho2/ho2/hold.asp.

Creative solutions for clients with long-term disabilities

Southdown Housing Association

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Orbit Heart of England manages anumber of sheltered housing projectsfor older people. Discussion withpartners and statutory agencieshighlighted an unmet local need inAttleborough in Norfolk and Ipswich inSuffolk for supported housing for adultswith moderate learning disabilities.

The former residential warden houseswere remodelled into sharedaccommodation for adults with learningdisabilities with 24-hour staff support on

site, provided in partnership withlocal specialist support agencies. Thebedsits were developed into designatedmove on accommodation from the sharedhouses. Residents are able to move intothe shared house and develop the skillsand confidence that they need to livemore independently.

Consultation and involvement was criticalto the process. This involved genuinedialogue between commissioners,providers and service users, as well as anumber of visits to and from schemes forpeople with learning disabilities as wellas from social care staff and supportproviders working with potentialresidents. The remodelled homes werebrought into use gradually, so the needsof different client groups could be metand relevant neighbourhood services andprojects developed. The younger adultshave brought a lot of new energy andenthusiasm into the neighbourhood,which has prompted new activities andgreater engagement.

Remodelling accommodation for independent living

Orbit Heart of England

‘consultation andinvolvement are critical’

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IMPROVING SERVICES

Achieving better outcomes for residents andservice users is an important issue for housingassociations. Set at the heart of communities,housing associations are committed tolistening and responding to their residents’needs, engaging them in their work andoffering support and respect.

A significant proportion of lettings made ingeneral needs accommodation are to tenantsconsidered to be ‘vulnerable’7, and many peoplein the client groups targeted by PSA 16 will beliving in general needs accommodation. A keyissue for all providers is how to build acoherent package of support around people’sindividual needs and aspirations. PSA 16 canprovide a lever to getting the partnerships inplace to make that a reality.

Preventing homelessness or a loss ofindependence

It is in the interest of everyone involved that allresidents, particularly those who arevulnerable, can access support early on andfeel part of the community.

Preventative support to particular clients atgreater risk of losing their independence, orlosing their tenancy and becoming homelesscan include:

• A comprehensive needs assessment early onin a tenancy or before one is granted, led by aco-ordinator with links to a variety of servicesto ensure effective and timely referrals

• Getting a nominations agreement in place withthe local authority as part of a homelessnessprevention strategy

• Pre-tenancy workshops to help potentialtenants through some issues about managingand sustaining a home before they move in

• Offering telecare and assistive technology toallow people to maintain their independenceand homes in the community.

Tenancy sustainment

New Charter ROOTS project for ex-offenders

New Charter Housing Trust has set up a tenancysupport scheme for prolific and priorityoffenders in Tameside (ROOTS). New Charter andlocal partners identified an urgent need toprovide settled accommodation for ex-offendersto help reduce re-offending.

The Tameside Supporting People team funded theROOTS project to provide housing for offenderslinked to a package of intensive resettlementsupport to help offenders improve theirwellbeing, engage in positive activities and movetowards independence. The project teamidentifies appropriate housing and agreestenancy conditions and bespoke support plans foreach individual. Clients have frequent homecontact including evening and weekends, andaccess to out-of-hours support if required. Theproject helps its clients connect with a number ofother agencies and services in Tameside.

Positive working relationships with otheragencies have been critical to effectively supportand maintain tenancies. New Charter involveslocal police, probation, youth offending and sexoffender management teams through theproject’s monitoring group which oversees theservice. New Charter is also engaged in sentenceplanning meetings with clients so is involved atan early stage in planning support packages tomeet individual needs and sharing information onservice users.

There have been early signs of success. The 12clients involved in the project have not re-offended and are making positive steps to re-engaging with the community. One service userwho has never previously been employed hasbeen successful in getting employment throughROOTS. Tameside Council have developed ROOTSfrom a one-year pilot to three-year serv ice.

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7 Housing Corporation, Vulnerable people in general needs housing (July 2008),www.housingcorp.gov.uk/upload/pdf/Thematic_Review_Vulnerable_people_general_needs_housing.pdf

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Planning move on to the private rented sector

Look Ahead private rented sector project

Figures suggest around 40% of residents in rough sleepers’ hostels in London were ready tomove on but were unable to do so8. Hostels provide a vital role in alleviating homelessness andbuilding skills, but cannot offer a long-term answer to housing need. As demand for socialhousing substantially outstrips supply, Look Ahead housing and care created a project to helpmore clients move on successfully from hostels to homes in the private rented sector (PRS).

Look Ahead works in London and the South East. Their PRS project focused on removing thebarriers to move on, including a lack of partnership working, staff awareness and understandingof the issue and perceptions and preparedness of residents. The project established cross-agency‘access boards’ to bring different partners together, map out available accommodation and makecontact with private landlords. Look Ahead is developing a new PRS training programme for itsstaff and has produced a series of fact sheets, leaflets and resources to improve awareness aboutoptions in the private rented sector. Early intervention was also critical to successful move on.Clients who were nearly ready to move on were provided with targeted support to ensure they hadthe independent living skills and knowledge of their housing options to achieve this. Between2008/09 and 2009/10 the number of residents entering the PRS from one of Look Ahead’s centralLondon hostels doubled.

Planning and supporting move on

Housing associations and support providers work with statutory organisations to offer focusedsupport to current tenants to help them move on to more independent living. This can include:

• Partnerships with floating support providers to help manage the transition fromsupported accommodation

• Working in partnership to provide linked move-on accommodation

• Supporting access to general needs and private rented sector housing stock; for instance, atenancy deposit scheme that targets young adults leaving care, or ex-offenders.

Find out more:

• National Housing Federation, Unlocking potential: housing associations tackling worklessnesstinyurl.com/yz8lsyg

• Advance, Gadgets, gizmos and gaining independence. Assistive technology and people with learningdisabilities (2006) www.housingandsupport.co.uk/documents/AT_Report_Executive_Summary.pdf

40% of residents in rough sleepers’hostels in London were ready tomove on but were unable to do so.

8 Randall, G. and Brown, S. Review of hostels for rough sleepers in London, CLG (2007).www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/hostelsreview

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Find out more:

• Ministry of Justice, Housing and housing support resource pack (2008)noms.justice.gov.uk/news-publications-events/publications/guidance/

• CLG Effective co-operation in tackling homelessness: nomination agreements and exclusions(2004) www.communities.gov.uk/archived/publications/housing/effectivecooperation

• Supporting People case studies: examples of local authorities and third sector organisationsworking together (2010) www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/casestudies/supporting-people-case-studies.aspx

Improving access to employment

PSA 16 targets bring together housing and employment outcomes. Supporting tenantsinto training and work, and tackling financial exclusion, are important parts of whathousing associations can offer over and above their core function of providing housingand support. As employers, housing providers can also support people into work in theirown organisations and by promoting careers in the housing sector.

Linking housing with employment

NomadE5, Moving On Up

NomadE5’s Moving On Up project helps people with mental health problems intowork placements for between four and 12 weeks.

NomadE5 support workers identify residents who would benefit from the workexperience as a central part of their package of support that will help them build theirskills and experience of independent living. Placements are offered with NomadE5and its contractors and cover office administration, support work and training andpractical skills in plumbing, painting, decorating and plastering. NomadE5 is settingup a training department which will involve residents in training other care andsupport providers.

NomadE5 is developing links with Jobcentre Plus to widen the range of placements onoffer and introduce its residents to job opportunities that arise.

Since the launch of the scheme, three service users have been employed into theNomadE5 care and support team and a trainee support worker course has beendeveloped for service users as a stepping stone to voluntary work.

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Collaboration between agencies is important to improving outcomes for vulnerable adults.There are several different routes to improvingjoint working between local statutory servicesand housing care and support providers,including formal protocols and agreementsas well as more informal processes andways of working. These help to ensure thathousing and support providers understandtheir residents’ needs, so they can be metwith an appropriate support package, connectwith other services and intervene early ifproblems arise.

Actively developing relationships using referralmechanisms, information sharing agreementsand named contacts can help overcome someof the challenges to working across agencies.

Access to Housing information sharingprotocol

The open exchange of information is apre-requisite for effective partnershipworking. In 2007, the Housing Corporationpublished and piloted an information-sharingprotocol to establish a national standardfor information sharing about applicants forre-housing, adaptable to different agencies.The Tenant Services Authority is now theregulator for social housing in England. Theprotocol can be a useful tool, but is not aregulatory requirement.

The protocol is designed to get the rightinformation in the right hands at the right time,and ensure that sources for more detailedinformation are clearly signposted to landlords.While there are concerns about data protectionto manage, this protocol demonstrates thatinformation sharing can be consistent with dataprotection principles and legislation, freedom ofinformation, respect for privacy; and the needto keep information accurate and up-to-date.See the Find Out More section for details.

PSA 16 can be used as a lever to bring localpartners together, and improve theirunderstanding of the contribution housing andsupport makes to delivering local outcomes.For example, housing associations, supportproviders and local authorities can consider:

• Improving their links with lead professionalsin the different service areas

• Joint training and induction meetings forcare managers and support workers onhousing, homelessness and care pathwaysfor the different client groups

• Supporting champions in individualorganisations who can promote, encourage or lead work betweenagencies and providers.

WORKING TOGETHER BETTER

Find out more:

• Link Up, Link In: advice, guidance and information on working in partnershipwww.hmg.gov.uk/linkuplinkin.aspx

• HARP (Housing and Returning Prisoners) Protocol: common approach to planning for housing forreturning prisoners neprisons.org.uk/data/pdf/harp/HARP.pdf

• Preventing homelessness and tackling its effects on children and young people (CLG and DCSF, 2008)www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/goodpracticeguide

• Access to Housing Information sharing protocol (2007)www.housingcorp.gov.uk/upload/pdf/Access_to_housing_protocol_FINAL.pdf

• Social Exclusion Task Force, reports on lead professionals tinyurl.com/yzx8kom

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Shape Housing Association works withvulnerable young and homeless people in theSouth West. A proportion of referrals are forcare leavers. Bath and North East SomersetCouncil’s (BANES) Supporting People teamhas worked with Shape Housing to develop apre-eviction protocol in its young people’sservices. The protocol aims to reduceevictions and improve successful move on byensuring young people have the support,advice and opportunities they need to managetheir own accommodation.

The protocol brings together housingproviders, the youth offending team,Connexions and local third sector serviceproviders. It helps services take a moreconsistent approach to clients at risk of losingtheir tenancy or licence and encourages localagencies to use the full range of resourcesavailable to them. It also provides for regularliaison and partnership meetings, so housingissues are considered as part of a co-ordinated approach to the client group.

The protocol:

• Commits organisations to sharinginformation with the housing provider inorder to help them manage risk andintervene earlier to put support in place

• Emphasises involvement by encouragingorganisations to inform clients of thecommitments they need to make at thepoint of referral in order to maximise thesuccess of the housing placement

• Provides a structure to staff in differentagencies with clear timescales to completeactions, set goals and call in local agenciesto help their clients access other services.

The protocol has been reviewed andapproved by local stakeholders and youngresidents. The staff teams reported that theprotocol has delivered better multi-agencyworking and direct resident involvement andhighlight a number of instances wherefollowing the protocol has allowed Shape tointervene early to tackle challengingbehaviour and prevent further breaches oftenancies that could lead to evictions. Due tothe success of this trial, the protocol is beingrolled out across short-stay services in Bathand North East Somerset.

Improving joint working, fair access and exits

Shape Housing

‘Reducing evictions...by ensuring young peoplehave the support , advice and opportunities they need to

manage their own accommodation’

Delivering Social InclusionThe role housing associations can play in PSA 16

• Housing associations and providers of housingrelated support are vital partners in delivering social inclusion.

• PSA 16 is one of the Government’s key targets forinclusion. It aims to ensure some of the mostsocially excluded adults get the opportunity to getback on the path to a more successful life byincreasing the proportion in settled accommodationand in employment, education and training.

• This guide highlights the role housing associationsand support providers can play in delivering PSA 16.It looks at some of the opportunities and approachesthat housing associations and local authorities havetaken together to improve outcomes for groupsexperiencing exclusion.

www.housing.org.uk/careandsupport

National Housing FederationLion Court, 25 Procter Street, London WC1V 6NYTel: 020 7067 1010 Email: info@housing.org.ukwww.housing.org.uk www.inbiz.org

Contact: Jake EliotEmail: jakee@housing.org.uk Tel: 020 7067 1084