1. Stuart White ASB Co-ordinator
Sandwell MBC FIP
Stuart White
ASB Co-ordinator
Introduce myself work for Sandwell Homes, FIP is based in Sandwell Council.
21 April 2010

2. Quality Housing, Excellent Services
Sandwell Homes
We are an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) (2004)
We have approximately 30,000 properties
We have signed up to the Respect Standard for housing management (2006)
We achieved three stars with excellent prospects for improvement (2008)
We achieved Customer Service Excellence status (2010)
Sandwell borders Walsall, Wolverhampton, Birmingham & Dudley
6 Towns in Sandwell- Smethwick, Rowley Regis, Oldbury, West Bromwich, Wednesbury & Tipton
Houses 125,000 – 25% Sandwell Homes
Poverty- Ranked 14th most deprived out of 354 authorities
53% of population in ‘very deprived’ wards
Unemployment – 5.3%
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Sandwell MBC FIP
Sandwell MBC commissioned Action for Children to provide the FIP, sits within Targeted Youth Support.
Work with 24 families in 12 month period
Work cross tenure
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Who do the FIP work with?
ASB FIP
‘Neighbours from hell’- ASB
Family with children under 16
Willing to engage
There is a threat of eviction due to ASB
Often:
Dysfunctional families
High debt, poor health, mental health issues
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Who do the FIP work with?
Youth Crime FIP
Families with Prolific Priority Offenders
Family member known to YOT
Child excluded from school
Significant parental risk factors e.g. domestic abuse/ substance misuse
PPO- Programmed working with snall 10% of offenders who cause 50% of crime, Three strands Deter, Catch & Convict & Rehabiliate & Resettle.
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How do they work?
Floating support
Dispersed tenancy support
Residential core block
FIP key worker works with upto 6 families max 10 hours a week, 7 days a week.
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Sandwell MBC FIP
In total 27 Sandwell Homes families supported.
Currently working with 17 families of which:
12 families received outreach support
5 families re-housed in dispersed properties
Savings- approx direct saving to Sandwell Homes of £18,000 with successful outcome.
Respect estimated that the cost of dealing with dysfunctional families that cause ASB and crime that the FIP targets can be up to £ ,000 per family per year.
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Dispersed properties
We decided to follow dispersed unit model
Use Family Intervention Tenancy
Sept 2006 committed to provide 3 properties
Since committed to further 6 properties
Developed FIP service level agreement
Developed Tenancy Support Service SLA
When family exit they get ongoing lower level support from Sandwell Homes TSO
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Process of moving
Request made for dispersed property
Add family to direct offers list
Locate void property
Check suitability for dispersed property
Sign up:end tenancy,serve FIT notice,sign FIT
FIP visit every day 1st 2 weeks
Six month review- if ok introductory tenancy.
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Challenges
Nothing to benchmark to
Getting senior managers on board
Finding suitable properties- can take months
Neighbours wanting an eviction
Negative publicity ‘rewarding bad behaviour’
Benchmark-We were one of the first to use the F.I.T – we did our first one in Sept 2008, 2nd Nov 2008, 3rd Dec 2008, 4th April 2009, 5th July 2009.
Managers- We kept mangers well informed of success of dispersed tenancies, so when we asked that they accept a family they were onboard, some are more reluctant than others but all have been supportive. Some Police Officers have raised concerns!
Suitability- like for like property do not reward bad behaviour, Area Manager has to approve- will not if hot spot ASB or neighbours victims of ASB/ vilnerable, don’t want to set the family up to fail.
Negative publicity- we don’t publicise the dispersed properties for fear of negative publicity, so far not had any only positive. We have done a media statement in advance of any negative publicity.
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Outcome
100% families that engaged sustained their tenancies
Dramatic reduction in ASB & crime
Improved school attendance & wellbeing
9 families exited FIP successfully
4 dispersed families given introductory tenancies
Reduction in evictions
Engaged- some families have not engaged & chosen to terminate their tenancy.
Total families supported through FIP 28, 1 not engaged.
Evictions 24 in ‘07/08 to 9 08/09 a 62.5% reduction. Only 1 family evicted
Last year 09/10 total 9 evictions (7 of which for drugs) only 2 families evicted.
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Successes
Audit commission's finding for tenancy management:
“Strengths significantly outweigh weaknesses”
“There is a very strong partnership approach to addressing ASB”
Family Intervention Project identified as positive practice
Customer satisfaction with ASB 8/10
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Any Questions?
Stuart White ASB Co-ordinator Telephone: Gillian Austin FIP Manager Telephone:
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