1. Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) Partnership Wednesday 13th June

2. Welcome & purpose of today
Inc. Housekeeping (e.g. fire drills, toilets, refreshments etc.)
Welcome everyone – why we wanted to do this event (and intention to do regularly). What we want to get out of it/ what they said they wanted to get out of it
Will keep the day focused but it is intended to be informal/safe/confidential environment

3. Agenda for today Item Timing Welcome & Update 10.30 - 11.00
Action Learning Set 1
Action Learning Set 2
Lunch
HRA Training
Action Learning Set 3
Reflection & Close 2

4. What have we been doing
Setting up the partnership (kick-offs, service visits, introductions etc.)
Information sessions, conferences and events on the HRA – consistent messaging
Facilitating forums and workshops
Researching and collating emerging good practice, issues and challenges
Engaging and aligning with partners on their HRA work, and MHCLG
Critical friend support and review
Developing tools, products and materials
Sharing learning and facilitating knowledge share 3

5. What have we been seeing
Varied approaches to triage and accessing services inc. hand-offs between teams
Flexibility around assessments and issuing personalised plans
Aligning statutory and (previously) non-statutory services
Increasing caseloads and bureaucracy
Differing experiences for officers
Progress on partnership working (but still more to do)
Importance of monitoring & evaluation
Still need the prevention and relief options. And time! 4

6. Current focus areas and themes
Preparing for duty to refer in October
Monitoring and evaluation framework
Service user involvement
Understanding and advising on emerging good/poor practice and early experiences
Developing and documenting baseline of your current service
And any ad-hoc things that come up
Local connection referral protocols, active role of homeless forums 5

7. Introducing 'action learning'

8. Action learning: the process
Tool designed for practitioners to learn from other practitioners. Intention to use regularly
Uses the combined wisdom and skills of a diverse group of people to work through real challenges and issues and support one another to take action
Combines 'learning' & 'doing'
Allows you to build connections with the other authorities and provide peer support on the common issues you are facing with the HRA
Discussions confidential but main themes will be captured and used within the partnership
Build connections, peer support, different solutions, real issues and challenges
Member presents issue/challenge/idea
Group questions & discussion
Identify and document actions 7

9. Principles and 'ground rules'
Non-directive and non-judgmental
Supportive and confidential
Focus is on listening and questioning, would discourage taking notes (facilitators will do this)
Based on principle people have their own solutions and make own decisions on actions they will be held accountable to (by their peers)
Purpose of discussion is to understand the issue the presenter is facing, not to give advice
Important to reflect on the learning process after
Actions will be captured and used in ongoing work and future meetings of the group 8

10. Action Learning Set 1

11. Action Learning Set 1 (40 mins)
Example Issues/Challenges
Increasing caseloads and effective case management
Managing the change and supporting/ motivating officers
Updating allocations policy with new duties
Consistent messaging across local services about the HRA
Aligning statutory and (previously) non-statutory services e.g. outreach and rough sleeping services, single pathways
Meaningful prevention/relief steps to include in plans that make them personalised – need for creativity
Monitoring and evaluation to test current service models
Social housing tenants served with notice – when to trigger relief duty (and potentially TA)
Case management systems enabling vs. hindering service
Simplifying processes for service users and officers
Implementing a person-centred approach when the legislation is constraining/ prescriptive
Exercise Instructions
Introductions. Someone volunteer to present an issue or challenge
Presenter presents (informally) their issue to the group, uninterrupted
Questions from the group
Will give us good cross-section of LAs, issues and grades
Facilitator summarises
Presenter identifies actions and reflects on learning 10

12. Action Learning Set 2

13. Action Learning Set 2 (40 mins)
Example Issues/Challenges
Increasing caseloads and effective case management
Managing the change and supporting/ motivating officers
Updating allocations policy with new duties
Consistent messaging across local services about the HRA
Aligning statutory and (previously) non-statutory services e.g. outreach and rough sleeping services, single pathways
Meaningful prevention/relief steps to include in plans that make them personalised – need for creativity
Monitoring and evaluation to test current service models
Social housing tenants served with notice – when to trigger relief duty (and potentially TA)
Case management systems enabling vs. hindering service
Simplifying processes for service users and officers
Implementing a person-centred approach when the legislation is constraining/ prescriptive
Exercise Instructions
Someone volunteer to present an issue or challenge
Presenter presents (informally) their issue to the group, uninterrupted
Questions from the group
Facilitator summarises
Presenter identifies actions and reflects on learning 12

14. Lunch

15. HRA Training Development

16. Action Learning Set 3

17. Action Learning Set 3 (40 mins)
Example Issues/Challenges
Increasing caseloads and effective case management
Managing the change and supporting/ motivating officers
Updating allocations policy with new duties
Consistent messaging across local services about the HRA
Aligning statutory and (previously) non-statutory services e.g. outreach and rough sleeping services, single pathways
Meaningful prevention/relief steps to include in plans that make them personalised – need for creativity
Monitoring and evaluation to test current service models
Social housing tenants served with notice – when to trigger relief duty (and potentially TA)
Case management systems enabling vs. hindering service
Simplifying processes for service users and officers
Implementing a person-centred approach when the legislation is constraining/ prescriptive
Exercise Instructions
Someone volunteer to present an issue or challenge
Presenter presents (informally) their issue to the group, uninterrupted
Questions from the group
Facilitator summarises
Presenter identifies actions and reflects on learning 16

18. Reflections & close
Reflections and evaluations on learning process today
Feedback and discussion on future frequency – can use for other things e.g. working through things, Q&A on particular cases, cardboard citizens, test things with you
Digital collaboration space – any other methods to facilitate peer support and learning?
What we will do with the outputs 

20. Action learning sets: guidance for facilitators
Indicative Timings (30 mins)
Facilitator's role is to guide the process and timing, capture notes and help the group stick to the principles of action learning (non-directive, non-judgemental, understand not advise)
Today is the first go at this so learning informally about the process is more important than strict adherence
Will be difficult for groups to maintain the non-directive approach (listen and support without directing a course of action) without a facilitator
Encourage members to reflect on their learning 
Where necessary, facilitators can demonstrate useful questions which enable the presenter to gain a deeper understanding of their issue (what, how, clarify)
Facilitators should stop the group from descending into advice giving and leading questions, reminding them they are to ask questions which enable them to understand the presenter’s issue, the presenter of the issue decides their own actions
If time allows (40 mins per slot), another member of the group can present an issue or challenge
Someone volunteer to present an issue or challenge
Presenter presents (informally) their issue to the group, uninterrupted – 5 mins
Facilitator summarises issue – 2 mins
Questions from the group – 15 mins
Facilitator summarises discussion – 2 mins
Presenter identifies actions and reflects on learning - 6 mins

21. Template for note capture
Facilitator
Group Member & Role
Local Authority
Template for note capture
Issue/ Challenge
Discussion
Actions