2. Who is a rough sleeper?
People sleeping/bedding down in the open air, on the streets, in tents, doorways, parks and bus shelters etc.
Includes those in buildings or other places not designed for habitation such as stairwells, barns, sheds, and makeshift shelters such as cardboard boxes.
Rough sleeping is most visible and damaging manifestation of homelessness.
St Peters Winter Shelter in Hereford–Provided in accordance with MHCLG and Homeless Link good practice guidance on SWEP
Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP)- temperature forecast to drop to zero Celsius or below for 3 consecutive nights.
Approx. late Nov to end of March. St Peters capacity for 16 men and 3 women.

3. Homelessness Prevention Strategy 2016-2020
Statutory requirement – Homelessness Act 2002
Review of homelessness integral part of strategy. Ensures strategy is evidence based.
Review and update required every 5 years.
Legislation emphasises importance of working with statutory, voluntary and other partners.
Not just about rough sleepers: also includes homeless households and households threatened with homelessness.
Herefordshire’s HPS approved March 2016 for period
Included the objectives :
to minimize rough sleeping and increase tenancy sustainment opportunities for rough sleepers.
Improve the health and wellbeing of homeless people

4. Achieving objectives for rough sleepers
Rough sleeper outreach worker post and its funding consolidated through direct employment in Housing Solutions team.
External funding opportunities pursued:
Part time fixed term Outreach worker funding secured
Part time temporary Rough Sleeper Research/ Project worker funding secured –ensure targeted use of resources for early intervention, improve joint working protocols, develop partnerships to identify work and training opportunities,
Working with local provider to increase hostel style provision by 6 bed spaces.
SHO developed scheme with Registered Provider for up to 10 units transitional provision for offenders at risk of homelessness on release from prison.
Specialist outreach workers bid through Rough Sleeping Initiative fund successful – 12 month for MH, substance abuse/dual diagnosis and release from custody/ex-offenders specialists.
Applications made for supported lettings tenancy sustainment worker & ‘navigator’.
Developing bid for Move on accommodation capital and revenue funding.

5. Achieving objectives for rough sleepers (2)
Consolidation of Hospital Discharge worker and its funding through direct employment in Housing Solutions team.
Carried out Homeless Link Health Needs Audit:
Evidence of health needs
Bring statutory and voluntary services together to address gaps in service
Give homeless stronger voice in commissioning of services
Help commissioners understand effectiveness of their services
Issue of homelessness and health identified as urgent issue to Herefordshire Health and Wellbeing Board: now developing protocols for improved joint working.
Challenges:
Time consuming bidding for pots of money
Do not have own stock so reliant on goodwill of RPs
Short term funding- need to identify sources to continue programmes
Limited financial resources internally for non-statutory work: need all relevant agencies to identify financial and other resources
Partnership working – positive outcomes but time consuming
Welfare reforms

6. MHCLG Rough Sleeping Strategy August 2018
Manifesto pledge to cut rough sleeping by halve in this Parliament
End rough sleeping by 2027
3 Core Pillars:
Prevention
Intervention
Recovery
Builds on the Homelessness Reduction Act and the launch of the Rough Sleepers Initiative
£100m investment over 2 years to tackle rough sleeping

7. Ending rough sleeping: executive summary
Requires central and local govt, business, communities, faith and voluntary groups, and general public to work together in new ways.
Need to look beyond rough sleeping to getting basics right to ensure prevention of all forms of homelessness.
Wider review of homelessness and rough sleeping to report by March 2020 including:
How HRA is working
Impact of other legislation e.g. Vagrancy Act & Care Act
Ending rough sleeping starts with secure and affordable housing.
Investing £9b in affordable housing.
Recognise value of good quality supported housing.

8. Prevention Providing timely support before someone becomes homeless.
HRA puts prevention at heart of LHA response to homelessness. Duty to refer.
Vision: person-centred support – understanding needs and strengths. Promotion of choice.
RPs crucial to increasing supply of homes at social and affordable rent & invest their own funding to supporting their residents to maintain their tenancies
Undertaking pilots for ‘at risk’ groups e.g. schemes with small no. resettlement prisons from April 2019

9. Intervention
Swift, targeted support to help people in crisis to get off the streets.
Support people to find a new home quickly and rebuild their lives via a rapid rehousing approach.
Rough Sleepers Initiative – working with 83 local areas with highest number of rough sleepers.
Strong focus on workforce including specialist practitioners for complex needs.
Assertive outreach teams – targeted street interventions in hot spots.
Extra emergency accommodation.
£5K to Portsmouth for dog kennel facility linked to night service.
Key workers or navigators to help access mainstream and specialist support
By 2027 response to rough sleeping based on rapid rehousing approach.

10. Recovery
At end of pathway should be safe secure home with appropriate support.
Boost supply:
Supported lettings
Move on Fund – aimed at people leaving hostels and refuges
Private Rented Sector.
Housing First model – intensive wrap around support in settled home – pilots in major cities.
Clearing House – rapid rehousing with floating support.
Both feature support tailored to individual’s needs alongside provision of a home.

11. Evidence base Plan to plug evidence gaps over next 9 years.
Need to understand day to day experience.
Pilot, test and evaluate new approaches to inform plans for wider roll-out.
Better design and delivery.
Hold to account where not effective.
Importance of training and support for staff.
Need better picture of challenges facing Housing Options personnel.
Includes supported housing -- implementation of new oversight measures for quality and VFM.

12. Role of social investment
New sources of funding – enable more support, bring forward new homes and empower people in sector to be innovative.
Stimulate social impact investment – local lettings agencies, social property funds.
Social impact investment as ‘business as usual’:
Make it easier for people to invest
Improve ability to invest at scale
Strengthen competence and confidence within financial services industry
Develop better reporting of non-financial outcomes.
Trialling of Social Impact Bonds under way – taxpayer only pays for successful outcomes

13. Review and Revision: Herefordshire’s Strategy 2020
Covers homelessness in all forms not just rough sleeping.
All LAs to update and rebadge as Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy with completion by winter 2019.
To drive performance at local level.
To be available online and submitted to MHCLG.
To report progress and publish annual action plan.
Herefordshire Council to begin consultation June 2019 with statutory, voluntary, community, business and faith groups and individuals.
2 other points:
Health and Wellbeing Boards to ensure homelessness considered as part of the health and wellbeing agenda.
Safeguarding Adult Reviews conducted when person sleeping rough dies or is seriously harmed through abuse or neglect