Youth Homelessness In Devon An Evaluation of LPSA Priority 7: Preventing Homelessness Among Vulnerable Young People

Introduction and Background In April 2005 a voluntary agreement was negotiated between the Government and the eight local housing authorities in Devon to reduce youth homelessness. This was known as LPSA Priority 7. The eight authorities include East Devon District Council, Exeter City Council, Mid Devon District Council, North Devon District Council, South Hams District Council, Teignbridge District Council, Torridge District Council and West Devon Borough Council.

Progress Towards the Target In order to achieve LPSA Priority 7 an ambitious target was set to reduce the number of 16 to 17 year olds and 18 to 20 year old care leavers accepted as homeless and in priority need by 50%

Progress toward the target continued Performance through the LPSA Priority 7

Resources used to Prevent Homelessness Supported Housing Local Authorities have made use of specialist supported accommodation provision across Devon. Mediation best used when an authority has early warning that a family situation is going to breakdown without support. In cases where a young person presents as homeless that night, mediation is unlikely to be the most effective resource. Private Rented Sector although a number of young people have been supported to move into the private rented sector many authorities report that this is a difficult area to access.

Resources used to prevent homelessness Home Visits A worker will use negotiation skills to come to a shared agreement between the young person and parent; this can come in the form of a ‘contract’. Home visits have worked best where the worker is supportive and realistic with the family as a whole and can continue to visit the family to support the shared agreements. Nightstop is emergency accommodation provided within the homes of volunteer hosts for a night at a time for young people who have nowhere to stay the night. Nightstop hosts are located in rural and urban areas. Hosts are vetted, trained and supported in order to provide this service and all young people are risk assessed to ensure suitability for the scheme.

LPSA funded services Supported Lodgings: The scheme recruits private households (hosts) to provide accommodation and support within their household. The primary aim of the support is to offer safety, security and independent living skills to the young person: flexible and accessible service with high levels of support provided to young people support focuses on independent living skills, emotional and social skills and accessing education, training and employment. it reflects the type of accommodation and support a young person would receive who had not experienced family breakdown within rural and urban locations.

Outcomes of Supported Lodgings

Homelessness Prevention Posts The introduction of the posts has encouraged a co-ordinated approach of homeless services and other support services in relation to young people and their housing needs. Young people have had the opportunity to build a relationship with one specialist worker who can refer on to relevant housing support services and other services to meet unmet need if necessary.

The most effective prevention methods Summary of Evaluation

The least effective prevention methods :

Introduction of dedicated prevention posts x 3 where none exist (Teignbridge, South Hams, West Devon, Mid Devon, Northern Devon Ambitions for Commissioning 2009 Funding for existing prevention posts (Exeter and East) Development of a Devon wide specialist mediation service (13 +) Development of a Devon wide Nightstop service Supported living scheme: Contribution to Management costs and YP and Host support Workers for increasing the existing SL scheme to: South Hams / West Devon x 9 placements Teignbridge x 6 East Devon x 6 North Devon / Torridge x 10 Exeter x 10 Preventative work within schools Early Intervention Service to prevent family breakdown Capital costs for High / Complex needs project