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More than a roof: offering housing support Presented by Brian Doherty/Willie McBride/Robert Gunn

More than a roof: offering housing support Presented by Brian Doherty/Willie McBride/Robert Gunn . About Glasgow Simon Community. working with people experiencing homelessness 18+ in 5 local authority areas

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More than a roof: offering housing support Presented by Brian Doherty/Willie McBride/Robert Gunn

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  1. More than a roof: offering housing support Presented by Brian Doherty/Willie McBride/Robert Gunn

  2. About Glasgow Simon Community working with people experiencing homelessness 18+ in 5 local authority areas providing street work, supported accommodation, resettlement / tenancy sustainment plus education, training and volunteering opportunities.

  3. Glasgow Simon Community Services • Glasgow Street Services • Resettlement and Housing Support Services • Castlemilk Cluster Flats • BUDS (Building Up and Developing Skills) • Resettlement Training (RTS) • Govanhill Women’s Project • Newlands Project • Tollcross Project • Parkhead Project • Maryhill Project • Dennistoun Project • Castlemilk Mens Project • North Lanarkshire Outreach Service • Ayrshire Intensive Housing Support Service (AIHSS) • Supported Living Project (Mental health)

  4. Service users comment: “I wouldn’t say settled, no. I’ve got all these things in my life. There is still so much uncertainty, don’t get me wrong, I’m really, really happy sitting in my wee house, in my own tenancy , and being able to make choices about who I live with, whatever, but then there is the other side of it too, you know, I’m still on the methadone, I’ve still to find a job…and make friends as well, it’s quite hard.” (26 year old female)

  5. Stages of support • Pre-tenancy e.g. engaging with person while in residential rehabilitation, hospital, temporary accommodation, prison, street, care/of or other • Resettlement – when service users returns to or receives tenancy • Tenancy Sustainment – longer term tenancy management

  6. Pre-tenancy support • Comprehensive and inclusive assessment • Referral to appropriate service/s • Information on housing options & rights • Advocacy/communication with other services • JOINT WORKING • Accessing/maximising benefits • Viewing housing • Early intervention e.g. service user with history of repeat homelessness • Prevention strategies • Joint working with addiction and mental health services

  7. Resettlement – now I am in my tenancy • Accessing furniture • Registering with services e.g. electricity/gas • Linkage to local services e.g. GP, CAT, community supports • Applying for grants/accessing welfare rights • Integration into local community to reduce social isolation/develop skills and interests/activities • All the above via inclusive Support planning

  8. Sustaining a tenancy/maintaining a home • Continued maximisation of benefits/ access to welfare rights advice • Support links into education, training and/or employment • Advocacy • “Door control” and increasing the chance of being a ‘good neighbour’ • JOINT WORKING

  9. Prevention • Appropriate and accessible support • Early intervention/crisis support • Access to welfare rights • Suitable tenancies/better living conditions (Home not just a house) • Co-operation between LHO’s and RSL’s and service providers • Address rent arrears • Provide access to family support • Choice based letting? • Tackling anti social behaviour

  10. Barriers to housing support • Funding constraints • Who is the care manager?/Clarity of roles between services • Short notice referral • Meeting 2012 target • Bureaucracy e.g. increased administrative demands on support staff • Length of time in temporary accommodation • Lack of appropriate and suitable tenancies/ provision of new housing to homeless service users • Section 5 referrals – 1 area at a time • Restrictive remits of services/inflexability

  11. Summary • Integrated & comprehensive assessment of support needs • Quality joint working between services and sharing of information • Comprehensive/inclusive support plan • Integration into local community • Prevention of eviction, tenancy breakdown/repeat homelessness

  12. My experience of services A service users experience of services working together

  13. Contact Brian Doherty Glasgow Simon Community Resettlement & Housing Support Services Adelphi Centre 12 Commercial Road Gorbals Glasgow G5 0PQ Tel: 0141 420 3659 briandoherty@glasgowsimon.org

  14. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

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