Welsh Assembly Government 10 Year Homelessness Plan. Consultation Questionnaire

Transcription

1 The Welsh Assembly Government s National 10 Year Homelessness Plan will guide the development and delivery of services to people in housing need. It will aim to reduce homelessness to a minimum over the next decade. We are undertaking consultation on this Plan to find out what all our stakeholders, including services users, think about this Plan. The information you provide will be used to check that we have identified the areas that need to be addressed in order to achieve our aim. It will also be used to help guide how we take the Plan forward. It is therefore important that you tell us what you think by completing this consultation questionnaire. When we have completed this consultation, we will write a report to summarise the key findings and the impact that these have made on the drafting of the final version of the plan. This report will be made available to all of our stakeholders. Space is given after each question for your answer. If you have printed out this questionnaire, you might need more room for your answer. If you do, then you can use additional sheets of paper to continue your answer. If you do use additional sheets of paper, please put on these the number of the question that your answer relates to. Please return you completed questionnaire to: By post: Housing Strategy and Services Welsh Assembly Government First Floor South Wing Rhydycar Business Park Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 1UZ -OR- By HousingManagement&HomelessnessBranch@Wales.Gsi.Gov.Uk Please note that the closing date for responses is 25 th February 2009 Page 1 of 10

2 Section A - Your Details The information you provide will help us to record who is responding to our consultation so that we can ensure that we have taken into account views from a broad range of stakeholders. The information you provide in your response will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations, which allow public access to information held by the Department. This does not necessarily mean that your response can be made available to the public as there are exemptions relating to information provided in confidence and information to which the Data Protection Act 1998 applies. You may request confidentiality by ticking the box provided, but you should note that neither this, nor an automatically generated confidentiality statement, would necessarily exclude the public right of access. Please tick this box if you want us to keep your response confidential. 1. Name Katharine Sacks-Jones 2. If you are completing this on behalf of an agency, organisation, or group, what is the name of this group? Crisis 3. What position do you hold within that agency or organisation? _ Policy Manager 4. Please tell us why you have an interest in homelessness. Page 2 of 10

3 Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people. We are dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change. Our innovative education, employment, housing and well-being services address individual needs and help people to transform their lives. We are determined campaigners, working to prevent people from becoming homeless and advocating solutions informed by research and our direct experience. We have ambitious plans for the future and are committed to help more people in more places across the UK. We know we won t end homelessness overnight or on our own. But we take a lead, collaborate with others and, together, make change happen. 5. In which county do you have experience of homelessness? As a national charity, we work across the UK, including delivering a range of services in Wales in partnership with local organisations. We work with partners to deliver Crisis SmartMove, a rent deposit and advice scheme, which has helped over 10,000 single homeless people across the UK into a new home. We currently have four schemes operating in Wales in Swansea, Bridgend, Neath and Glamorgan as well as two SmartSkills projects in Swansea and Bridgend which equip people with the skills they need to sustain a tenancy. We were funded from to provide advice and guidance to PRS access schemes in Wales. This included an audit of existing service provision, the production of a Good Practice Guide with supporting documentation, and a series of best practice sharing events for those involved in local authorities and the voluntary sector in helping homeless people to access PRS accommodation. Crisis Changing Lives, our highly successful national award scheme, helps homeless people achieve their educational and vocational goals by awarding grants to pay for training courses, tools and equipment, or to help people set up their own businesses. This scheme has helped people across Wales including in Cardiff, Swansea, Pontypridd, Neath, Flint, Holyhead, Anglesey, Bangor and Brecon. At Crisis Skylight, our inspirational learning and activity centres in London and Newcastle, we offer practical and creative workshops including art, music and drama, vocational workshops such as bike maintenance and carpentry and accredited learning opportunities in literacy, numeracy, IT and ESOL. We see success every day as people gain confidence and skills, raise their aspirations and then move on to further education, training or employment. Our ambition is to open more Skylight centres in more locations across the UK and given the right opportunities we would be very keen to expand and set up in Wales Crisis also provides vocational opportunities and tailored employment programmes to help homeless people find and keep jobs. Our popular Skylight cafes are successful social enterprises that offer accredited training and an opportunity to gain work experience in a busy commercial environment. We are also leading a new Skills for Jobs programme a co-ordinated approach to Page 3 of 10

4 building skills and tackling the disadvantages homeless people face in the job market which we are delivering in partnership across London. Over the years we have supported and run a number of other services in Wales. Our research is UK wide and wherever possible we draw out specific elements relevant to Wales Page 4 of 10

5 Section B Comments on the Plan 6. Do you think that the Plan has covered the areas that need to be addressed if we are to achieve our aim of reducing homelessness? Are there any areas that you would have liked to have seen covered that are not? If so, why? In general, we welcome the areas covered in this Plan. We have long advocated that a roof on its own is not enough to help people break out of homelessness and we are particularly pleased therefore that the plan addresses a broader range of issues than just housing. We welcome the emphasis placed on a joined up approach to addressing people s needs looking not only at someone s housing situation but also taking into account wider issues. The Plan rightly identifies a number of areas which we would support including prevention and housing advice, health and well being (including addressing substance dependency) and financial inclusion. The Plan s focus on skills and employment is to be particularly welcomed as we know from both our practical experience and our research that the lack of work is a major cause and consequence of homelessness. Most homeless people have multiple labour market disadvantages. Almost all have extremely low employability. Our research has shown that with an employment rate of 15%, homeless people are five times less likely than the wider population to be in employment. Six in ten homeless people have low or no qualifications, putting over 80% of job vacancies beyond reach. However, we also know that most homeless people want to work and that improving their skills and progressing towards employment can be a key factor in helping people break out of homelessness. We also welcome the focus on some particular groups at risk of homelessness including prisoners, care leavers, asylum seekers and refugees and victims of domestic violence. We were disappointed however, that there is no specific mention of homeless women in the Plan. The situations faced by and experiences of homeless women can be distinct and unique and sometimes require gender specific policy responses. Research conducted for Crisis has shown that homeless women are often hidden from view and therefore hidden from services. There is a prevalence of rough sleeping amongst women and homelessness can have a particularly detrimental impact on women's health and well being. The research also finds that homeless women often resort to unwanted sexual liaisons in order to put a roof over their heads and frequently fail to access the assistance they need. We would therefore like to see specific mention in the Plan of the needs of homeless women and how best these needs can be met. We would be happy to provide more detailed policy proposals on this issue. Whilst a roof alone may not be enough to help people break out of homelessness, it is always necessary. We note the separate National Housing Strategy for Wales addresses many of the challenges around housing supply. Clearly, housing supply must be a key part of any approach towards reducing homelessness and we would highlight the importance of increasing supply across all tenures but with a particular focus on social housing. We also welcome the Plan s proposals for greater use of the PRS to meet the housing needs of homeless people. We are disappointed however, that there is no mention of reviewing the Page 5 of 10

6 homelessness legislation. Our experience is that too many people who need help are turned away by their local authority as they do not meet the strict statutory criteria of priority need. We would like to see consideration given to reviewing this legislation, as has happened in Scotland. It is also disappointing that the Plan does not commit to ending rough sleeping, the most visible form of homelessness. It cannot be right that in the 21 st century, people are still sleeping out on our streets. We would like therefore to see the Welsh Assembly Government sign up to the commitment of ending rough sleeping by 2012, as the Westminster Government and London Mayor have done. 7. Do you think that we have identified the issues and concerns associated with reducing homelessness? If not, what do you think we have missed and why do you think that this is important? Is there anything in the Plan that you do not agree with? Whilst the Plan has identified many of the issues and concerns associated with homelessness, we would reiterate our comments made above that there are further areas which require attention including a commitment to end rough sleeping by 2012, a strengthening of the homelessness safety net and proposals to address the specific issues faced by homeless women. One additional area which we feel needs further consideration is investment in improving the physical standards of homelessness services. This is crucial to create environments where people feel safe and valued; where people s health is improved and where they will be more encouraged to engage with learning and skills activities and begin the journey to rebuilding their lives. We would like to see the Welsh Assembly Government learn from the experiences of the Hostels Capital Improvement Programme in England which invested 90m in delivering a step change in homelessness facilities, buildings and services, particularly day centres and hostels. A further 80m has been made available in England through the Places of Change Programme over the next 3 years. It is very difficult for homelessness services to change lives without this kind of capital funding and we would like a similar approach adopted in Wales. 8. The Welsh Assembly Government will work in partnership with a range of stakeholders, including service users, to develop an action plan which will detail what steps will be taken to achieve or aim of reducing homelessness to a minimum. What steps do you think need to be taken to reduce homelessness and why? What agency or organisation do you think should carry out these activities? Examples include the Welsh Assembly Page 6 of 10

7 Government, local authorities, criminal justice agencies, health organisations, housing associations, or third sector (voluntary) organisations. Crisis believes that, whilst the areas outlined in the Plan are to be welcomed, more detailed proposals are required on how best to take these issues forward. We would reiterate our previous comments of the particular importance of learning, skills and employment routes and the necessity of transforming the physical infrastructures of homelessness services in order to deliver better outcomes for individuals. We would also reiterate the importance of reviewing the homelessness safety net and committing to ending rough sleeping as steps towards reducing homelessness. We have welcomed increased access to the PRS. We would like to see a high quality PRS access scheme available to non statutory homeless people in every local authority across Wales. As the national advisory body for rent deposit schemes, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss further how we might be able to assist in realising this. We do not believe the Plan need be prescriptive about which organisation or body delivers which element but rather it should consider what examples of best practice already exist and how these can be supported, expanded and replicated. As these plans are taken forward, it is crucial that there is ongoing consultation with a range of stakeholders, including homeless people themselves who are best place to advise on their own aspirations and needs and how existing services respond to these. We would like to emphasise the importance of the relationship between the Welsh Assembly Government and the Westminster Government. Whilst many of the key areas identified in the Plan fall under the Welsh Assembly Government s responsibility, for example adult leaning and skills, responsibility for other elements, such as back to work support, lies with the Westminster Government. The joining up of employment and training systems to break the cycle of low paid, insecure work and unemployment is crucial and will necessitate close co-operation and partnership working between the two administrations. There are a number of other issues which fall under the responsibility of the Westminster Government including Housing Benefit which have an important role to play in reducing homelessness. Housing Benefit must be reformed in order to promote housing stability and so that it acts as a springboard rather than a barrier to work. The Westminster Government has announced a consultation on this issue and we hope that Welsh Assembly Government will be closely involved with this process. 9. The Welsh Assembly Government believes that the only way that our aim can be achieved is if everyone who works across the range of statutory, voluntary and third sector organisations, within the fields of health, social care, housing, community safety, welfare and employment, works together Page 7 of 10

8 to complete the actions needed. Do you think that the Plan will help to ensure that everyone does play their part? What else do you think needs to be done to help improve partnership working? We are very pleased to see the Plan s focus on partnership working. If we are to be successful in reducing homelessness then the Welsh Assembly Government, local authorities, the third sector and other agencies must work together to support homeless people to rebuild their lives as well as to prevent homelessness from occurring in the first instance. There are already many examples of good practice and innovative services being delivered by the third sector and we believe that these must supported by Government. Third sector organisations have a strong role to play not just as effective deliverers of contracts but also in terms of initiating new services. Many third sector organisations have extensive experience of working with homeless people and have developed a great deal of knowledge and understanding of the issues surrounding homelessness. As such, they are well placed to design and develop new services. We believe the Welsh Assembly Government and local authorities should look to work with the third sector and harness this knowledge and experience. We would reiterate the importance of close working with the Westminster Government on issues such as Housing Benefit (as mentioned above), how the introduction of Local Housing Allowance has affected homeless households ability to access the PRS and of course with regards to spending settlements. Likewise, the Welsh Assembly Government must work closely with local authorities to ensure that they play their part in reducing homelessness including that Supporting People is used to support homeless people and that local authorities work in partnership with each other to maximise resources and to ensure that the local connection provisions are never used as a barrier to an individual accessing the services that are right for them. 10. How do you think that the success of this Plan should be measured? Page 8 of 10

9 We would like to reiterate that it is disappointing that the Plan does not commit to ending rough sleeping by This commitment has already been made by the Westminster Government and we believe that the Welsh Assembly Government should now follow this lead. Not only is this the right thing to do but achieving this target would also be a way of measuring the success of aspects of the Plan. As part of assessing progress on reducing rough sleeping, it is important to ensure that counts of rough sleepers are as thorough and accurate as possible. It is important that the Plan uses a wider definition of homelessness than just statutory homelessness acceptances. Crisis understands that it is difficult to accurately estimate the number of homeless households. However, statutory statistics alone will not provide a true picture of progress in reducing homelessness. Success should be measured by using statistics which capture and monitor what happens to all those who present at local authorities not just those who make a homelessness application and certainly not just those who are accepted as owed the main homelessness duty. We believe that using as wide a set of indicators as possible would prove more accurate in tracking progress including, for example, rough sleeping numbers and households in temporary accommodation. It is also important to measure progress across a broad range of indicators including homelessness prevention and the progress individuals make across a range of areas such as improved health, increased skills and avoiding repeat homelessness. Whilst we understand the need to measure progress, we would not of course want to see a situation where a focus on statistics detracts from ensuring that individuals can access the support they need. 11. Are there any other comments you would like to make? Page 9 of 10

10 Generally, Crisis warmly welcomes this Plan as an important step towards reducing homelessness. We are pleased to see that the Welsh Assembly Government has recognised that tackling homelessness is about more than addressing housing need and that this Plan reflects that. Whilst this is a positive and well thought through document, we believe there are still lessons which could be learnt form neighbouring countries approaches to addressing homelessness. In particular, we would like to see lessons learnt from England in terms of the success there has been in transforming the physical standards of homelessness services and the positive aspects of having a greater focus on preventing homelessness (although this should never be instead of allowing the household to make a homelessness application). We would also like to see the Government look to Scotland and the approach they have taken to reforming their homelessness legislation, by abolishing priority need by 2012 and reforming the rules around local connection and intentionality. Scottish homelessness legislation is now amongst the most progressive in the world and there are certainly lessons to be learnt form this. We would reiterate that we would like to see a commitment to end rough sleeping by We also believe that the Welsh Assembly Government must commit to building more housing of all types. We would voice our support for the proposals put forward by Shelter Cymru in response to this consultation, particularly on housing advice. Finally, in a time of recession it is more important than ever that the Welsh Assembly Government works proactively to prevent people becoming homeless whilst also ensuring it does not forget those who already are. This Plan is an important first step in reducing homelessness and we look forward to playing our part as it is taken forward. More information about Crisis services and research can be found at The Welsh Assembly Government would like to thank you for taking the time to read the draft version of our Plan and complete this questionnaire. Page 10 of 10