1. Making best use of Scotland’s Homelessness Framework

2. Change in culture Do you fit the criteria? A joined up response
How can we help?

3. Towards the New Culture
Corporate – Homelessness Strategy
Regulation
Holistic
Prevention
Sustainability
Remember task force not just legislation - changes in practice as important as changes in the law

4. A unique framework
Homelessness strategies (local authorities) – now incorporated in housing strategies
Health and Homelessness Action Plans
Health and Homelessness Standards
All corporate responsibilities

5. The changing political environment
‘Concordat’
Fewer ring fenced funds for homelessness and housing support
‘decluttering’ of landscape of providers of services
Contract culture
‘Equally well’- no specific focus on homelessness
But Health and Homelessness Standards remain

6. Standard 2
‘The Board takes an active role with relevant agencies to prevent and alleviate homelessness’

7. Standard 2 More than simply housing and health Housing support
Social care
Social networks
Training and employability
General wellbeing

8. Standard 5
‘The Board’s services respond positively to the health needs of homeless people’

9. Standard 5
Service continuity – joined up approach i.e. not only health services (temporary accommodation)
Transition from specialist to mainstream services
Ensuring relevant services available at the right time (e.g. detox)
Training in mainstream services (e.g. GP receptionists)

10. Prevention - the key Identifying those at risk
Being effective at signposting
Training 1st point of contact (health visitors?)
Sharing appropriate information (data protection versus effective intervention)

11. Some challenges Health and homelessness often viewed as a fringe issue
Staff in some areas not supported well
Keeping abreast of developments (e.g. substance misuse and homelessness research)
Better networking at project level
Better networking at policy planning level

12. Making it a mainstream activity
Link to other key objectives for example in ‘Equally Well’
Integrate into other mainstream strategies – rather than a stand alone issue
If you get it right for homeless people, you get it right for a broad range of hard to reach groups