SUPPORTING PEOPLE-FUNDED TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

1. SUPPORTING PEOPLE-FUNDED TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION Presentation to the Housing Studies Association Conference19 April 2012 John Palmer BA CIH Member NORTH HARBOUR CONSULTING

2. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION HOMELESSNESS IN NI • NIHE is the statutory homelessness agency for NI • 18,000 to 21,000 households per annum applied to NIHE for assistance between 2003/04 and 2010/2011 • 6,500 to 9,000 p.a. awarded ‘full duty applicant’ status • Households are defined as ‘homeless’ if • there is no accommodation that they are entitled to occupy; or • they have accommodation but it is not reasonable for them to continue to occupy this accommodation • NIHE has a duty to consider their immediate needs and offer temporary accommodation with support if appropriate If they are ‘roofless’ and ‘vulnerable’ North Harbour Consulting 2012

3. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION ROUTES INTO TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION • NIHE has four main options for the provision of temporary accommodation • Supporting People-funded hostels owned by NIHE (mainly for families) • SP-funded accommodation provided by the voluntary sector (mainly for single people) • Private sector accommodation not SP-funded (families and single people) • Accommodation with family or friends • This research focussed mainly on the first two options funded by SP Grant North Harbour Consulting 2012

4. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION FUNDING TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION • Two main sources • Housing Benefit funds housing costs • Supporting People Grant funds housing-related support • SP funding for ‘temporary accommodation’ is provided on the basis that • It is not permanent housing and is normally provided for 1 year or less • However, this aim can be frustrated by: • Non-availability of permanent move-on accommodation • Resident’s continuing need for intensive support • Quality of temporary accommodation vs permanent accommodation (consumer preference) • Provider’s performance North Harbour Consulting 2012

5. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION SIZE OF THE SP-FUNDED HOUSING SECTOR • 1,500 places in Supporting People-funded temporary accommodation for homeless • Average length of stay is 7.5 months • SP-funded emporary accommodation provides for approx 2,500 households each year - far fewer than the 6,500 to 9,000 households accepted as FDA • This results in significant use of the private rented sector • It puts a premium on provider performance in SP-funded accommodation – the focus of the research North Harbour Consulting 2012

6. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION STATISTICS • 110 providers of SP-funded accommodation • elderly, disabled, mental health specialist services, and homeless services • 38 providers with temporary accommodation for the homeless providing • 96 schemes • 1460 units of accommodation (the term covers houses, flats, bedspaces in shared accommodation etc) • Contract value in 2010/2011 = £23,073,000 North Harbour Consulting 2012

7. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AIMS OF THE RESEARCH • To develop and apply performance measures that are appropriate for different providers and schemes • To form a basis for benchmarking ‘good’ and ‘weak’ performance • To form a basis for comparing the performance of providers / schemes on a like for like basis • To inform the strategy for Supporting People funding and reviews of the Homelessness Strategy North Harbour Consulting 2012

8. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PERFORMANCE MEASURES ADOPTED • Success in meeting capital funding and environmental health requirements (where relevant) • Standard of accommodation assessed through survey • Providers’ success in meeting SP funding requirements • maximising use of their accommodation (‘occupancy’) • demonstrating that accommodation is being provided on a temporary basis (‘length of stay’) • ensuring that people leaving temporary accommodation do so on the basis of a planned move minimising the risk of repeat homelessness (‘% leaving on basis of a planned move’) • Four simple to apply value for money tests • SPG per unit, SPG + HB per unit, SPG per user, SPG + HB per user North Harbour Consulting 2012

9. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION METHODS OF MEASUREMENT • % score against a minimum standard or benchmarkset by SP team • Ranking of scheme against other comparable schemes on % score • Rank of ranks (a cumulative score) across • Management indicators • Financial indicators • Management plus financial indicators • Traffic light system to highlight good and weak performers North Harbour Consulting 2012

10. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION 1. ANALYSIS BY CLIENT GROUP Big differences on some measures North Harbour Consulting 2012

11. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PROPERTY SURVEY North Harbour Consulting 2012

12. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OCCUPANCY North Harbour Consulting 2012

13. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION THROUGHPUT North Harbour Consulting 2012

14. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION % PLANNED MOVES North Harbour Consulting 2012

15. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OVERVIEW OF MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE • 26% either had green traffic lights for all the assessments, or a combination of green and light yellow (signifying minor issues only) • 74% had a red or an amber traffic lights for a performance measure • 28% had a red traffic light for one of their performance measures • 2 schemes had two red traffic lights for management performance • one scheme had three red traffic lights for performance and has since been closed North Harbour Consulting 2012

16. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION SPG / UNIT / WEEK North Harbour Consulting 2012

17. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION SPG + HB / UNIT / WEEK North Harbour Consulting 2012

18. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION SPG / USER / WEEK North Harbour Consulting 2012

19. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION SPG + HB / USER / WEEK North Harbour Consulting 2012

20. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION TRAFFIC LIGHT ANALYSIS – OVER-VIEW North Harbour Consulting 2012

21. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION RANKING ANALYSIS – OVER-VIEW North Harbour Consulting 2012

22. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION ADDRESSING THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS North Harbour Consulting 2012

23. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION VARIABLES AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES • Methodology • Gives a good over-view of performance at a scheme level • Allows relevant comparisons between types of scheme and providers • But is essentially quantitative and misses quality • Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) method available • But labour intensive • Suggest QAF is used as a basis for • Peer group reviews by providers to raise standards and promote good practice • Targeting weaker performersfor review by NIHE North Harbour Consulting 2012

24. TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION INFORMING THE SP & HOMELESS STRATEGIES • The research has raised important issues about: • the need for a whole systems approach that integrates socio-economic and spatial needs analysis with commissioning of new services and recommissioning of existing ones • so that the clustering of schemes in particular localities – a feature of much provision outside Belfast – does not lead to significant gaps in provision • shortcomings in the systems, processes and procedures • through which different types of homeless person have their needs assessed, and are then assigned to an accommodation-based scheme funded by SPG or one in the private sector where standards vary and support is often not available. North Harbour Consulting 2012

25. SUPPORTING PEOPLE-FUNDED TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS: A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION Presentation to the Housing Studies Association Conference19 April 2012 John Palmer BA CIH Member NORTH HARBOUR CONSULTING