Youth Homelessness in Waveney

Objective – Spirals worked with this District Council and its partner organisations, both third sector and county council, to research best practice and then develop a costed business plan to address the problems of tackling youth homelessness in the district.

The objectives for the work were:

  1. Research and collate data on youth homelessness across the Waveney  District Council area
  2. Research other schemes operating elsewhere across the country which address similar patterns of youth homeless and geographical profile of the area (seaside towns)
  3. To prepare Business Plan and ‘Model’ of best practice to address the above identified causes of youth homelessness
  4. To investigate funding streams to meet revenue and capital costs of the project
  5. To identify and establish processes/structures that link the project into the Common Assessment Framework/Multi-Agency Approach
  6. To ensure the model/business plan reflects the service user involvement/consultation exercise

 

 

 

 

Engagement – The work was paid for by the Local Strategic Partnership and had to be undertaken in a short period of time so that the business plan could be included in the LAA discussions.

Spirals worked closely with the steering group and various other stakeholder groups to ensure all views and positions were understood so the final recommendations had the best chance of being adopted and successful.  Some of the groups involved included: The District Council, County Council Children’s Services, County Council Leaving Care Scheme, Youth Offending Team, Probation, Connexions, Private Sector Housing Associations, Third Sector Housing Trusts and the Supporting People Team.

Phasing – The work started out by identifying best practice throughout the country and identifying the current situation in Waveney.  This was done through research and consultation with all stakeholder groups including young people themselves.

Options, to bridge the gap between the current situation and the desired future, were then developed and these were shared with the steering group to identify which options to work into a full business plan.

The final business plan identified a ‘hub and spoke’ wheel that was designed to ‘unsilt’ the pathway that young people move through from presenting as homeless to independent living.

The business plan presented pragmatic and costed ways of increasing the provision of hostel spaces, preventative measures, supported lodgings and move-on accommodation.  Just as importantly the business stressed the case of better joint working between partner agencies and the need for a ‘one-stop-shop’ for young people to avoid confusion about where to go for what.

After the business plan was accepted by the steering group, Spirals were then asked to help lobby various other groups and senior people to help the project get the senior buy in needed to make it happen’.

Result – Some of the quick wins identified as part of the hub and spoke model, were adopted almost immediately and are having a large impact on improving the situation for some of the most vulnerable young people.

The large aspects of the business are being pushed through and as a result, by 2010 Waveney will be able to meet the Governments target of no homeless young people in Bed and Breakfast accommodation.

Ref: 000167

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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