Agenda item

1

Do you agree with the planning principles that will guide the delivery of the Action Plan?

YES

NO

A

Person Centred

B

Evidence Based Planning

C

Expert Led

D

Responsive

E

Partnership Working

F

Innovative

G

Value for Money

Further Comments:

The Council is supportive of the planning principles and has no further comments to add at this point.

2

Do you agree with the indicators of success identified in the Action Plan?  

YES

NO

A

Minimised need for temporary accommodation

B

Customer receives appropriate accommodation and support at the point of need

C

Good quality, affordable accommodation which is safe, warm and well-managed

D

Customers moving on from temporary accommodation sustain their tenancies

Further Comments:

The Council is supportive of the indicators of success and has no further comments to add at this point.

3

The first indicator of success identified in the Action Plan is:

To minimise the need for temporary accommodation. 

The plan details this will be achieved through ensuring:

·        Homelessness is prevented

·        Tenancies are sustained

·        Rapid rehousing

·        Investment in alternatives

These areas are further outlined on pages 15 and 16 of the draft Action Plan.

Do you agree these are the correct areas of focus to achieve a minimised need for temporary accommodation?

YES

NO

Further Comments:

The Council has nothing further to add.

A

Do you agree with the priority actions for this indicator as detailed in the Year 1 Action Plan?

YES

NO

Further Comments:

The Council welcomes the focus on expanding Housing First and Housing Led responses – and the aim of ‘normal housing within normal communities’ as well as the focus on repurposing and reconfiguration of existing provision such as hostels. 

As the action plan notes, there is a high concentration of hostel provision across Belfast as a whole, and particularly within Belfast City Centre, and the associated ‘challenges with large scale congregate settings’ are felt by partner organisations (such as BCC, PSNI, etc.) and, as such, the Council is keen to continue to both develop and build upon collaborative approaches.

4

The second indicator of success identified in the Action Plan is: Customer receives appropriate accommodation and support at the point of need, the plan details this will be achieved through ensuring:

·        Comprehensive understanding of needs at point of presentation

·        Effective case management process

·        Flexible support models

·        Flexible accommodation options

·        Reduced usage of hotel/B&B accommodation

These areas are further outlined on pages 17 and 18 of the draft Action Plan.

Do you agree these are the correct areas of focus to ensure the customer receives appropriate accommodation and support at the point of need?

YES

NO

Further Comments:

The Council has nothing further to add.

A

Do you agree with the priority actions for this indicator as detailed in the Year 1 Action Plan?

YES

NO

Further Comments:

The Council has nothing further to add.

5

The third indicator of success identified in the Action Plan is: A sustainable supply of good quality, affordable accommodation which is safe, warm and well-managed, the plan details this will be achieved through the development of:

·        A sustainable supply

·        Physical standards

·        Suitability standards

·        Service standards

These areas are further outlined on pages 19 and 20 of the draft Action Plan.

Do you agree these are the correct areas of focus to ensure good quality, affordable accommodation which is safe, warm and well-managed.

YES

NO

Further Comments:

The Council has nothing further to add.

A

Do you agree with the priority actions for this indicator as detailed in the Year 1 Action Plan?

YES

NO

Further Comments:

Consideration needed in relation to how need will be prioritised whilst demand continues to outstrip supply in relation to housing options locally and across the region – particularly for complex needs clients who often present in crisis and who often also have urgent and/or longstanding requirements in relation to wider support needs (e.g. where a Belfast-based individual is placed in temporary accommodation in Derry/Londonderry but they are required to attend substitute prescribing services, and to pick up scripts, in Belfast and this cannot be easily changed or where they are under paramilitary threat – real or perceived) which necessitate placement in certain settings or locations?

6

The fourth indicator of success identified in the Action Plan is: Customers moving on from temporary accommodation sustain their tenancies, the plan details this will be achieved through ensuring:

·        Enabled customers

·        Enabled providers

·        Enabled communities

These areas are further outlined on pages 21 and 22 of the draft Action Plan.

Do you agree these are the correct areas of focus to ensure customers moving on from temporary accommodation sustain their tenancies?

YES

NO

Further Comments:

The Council has nothing further to add.

A

Do you agree with the priority actions for this indicator as detailed in the Year 1 Action Plan?

YES

NO

Further Comments:

·        Develop projects to build community capacity to prevent homelessness and sustain tenancies

This could include an additional action (or be more specific on this action) around working with existing community support providers (e.g. in Belfast - advice services, Area Partnership Boards, etc.) and those commissioning community support services (BCC, BHSCT, etc.) to identify collaborative projects or ways in which existing supports could be enhanced.

Staff – as well as training to be able to provide improved direct support, the priority actions will need to be aware of wider support available at community level, particularly when it comes to longer term aspect which will be focussed on creating connections for the customer within the local community – promoting that sense of belonging and integration into the area in which they have been housed  as well as for some  community acceptance – if they are returning to a community/area where they have been known previously.  Again fostering and formalising linkages with key community organisations/partnerships within localities will be key.

Agree that the Complex Lives approach should be mainstreamed if proven successful and that elements of it should be expanded on – where appropriate – beyond ‘complex lives’ clients.

7

Do you agree with the enablers that are outlined in the draft Action Plan?

YES

NO

A

Customer

B

Funding

C

Staff

D

Technology

E

Process

F

Collaboration

Further Comments:

The Council has nothing further to add.

G

Do you agree with the priority actions for this indicator as detailed in the Year 1 Action Plan?

YES

NO

Further Comments:

As already demonstrated during the prototyping phase of the Complex Lives approach – collaboration is key not only at a case management/delivery level but also at a planning, policy setting/review and commissioning level across key agencies with an indirect role in preventing homelessness.

As well as ensuring effective commissioning structures are in place to prioritise funding internally,  there is also a need to influence effective commissioning by partner organisations to ensure that both prevention and treatment interventions are, at a minimum, complimentary and where possible, working in tandem to achieve improved outcomes for the customer, particularly those with complex needs.

8. Please provide any other comments which should be considered in the development of the Action Plan:

The Council is supportive of the development of the Action Plan and has nothing further to add.

9. Please provide comments on how the Action Plan should be monitored and reported against:

The Council currently has no views on how the Action Plan should be monitored and reported against.