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HOMELESS HEALTH NEEDS AUDIT

A comprehensive tool to assess and address the health needs of homeless individuals, enabling strategic change and improving health outcomes. Developed and piloted in collaboration with local partners across England.

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HOMELESS HEALTH NEEDS AUDIT

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  1. HOMELESS HEALTH NEEDS AUDIT OVERVIEW OF THE HOMELESS HEALTH NEEDS AUDIT

  2. WHAT IS THE HEALTH AUDIT? • A tool to assess the health needs of people who are homeless in a local area • A means to use this evidence to inform strategic and practical change to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities • Developed and piloted in nine areas across England, in collaboration with CLG, DH, voluntary sector and other local partners.

  3. AIMS OF THE AUDIT • To improve the data available about the health needs of people who are homeless. • To bring statutory and voluntary services together to develop responses to health need and gaps in services • To increase the involvement and voice of homeless people in local commissioning processes –eg JSNA • Ultimate aim: to improve the health of homeless people

  4. WHY DO A HEALTH AUDIT? • IT WILL HELP YOU ASSESS LOCAL NEED • Local areas have increased responsibility for assessing and improving the health of their local population (eg JSNA) and to ensure needs and voice of whole population included in the process: The audit gives you the tools to do this. • IT WILL HELP IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS HEALTH INEQUALTIES • Homeless people experience poor health outcomes and face inequalities in accessing services. The audit helps understand and evidence levels of need and service usage. • IT WILL HELP YOU REDUCE FINANCIAL & PERSONAL COST • DH report: homeless people use x 4 acute health services than general population and x 8 inpatient services (totalling £85m p.a). • Current financial pressures make addressing health needs appropriately and avoiding wider impacts of poor health even more important: The audit can help identify how resources can be more effectively spent.

  5. HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK? • Partnership of representative from health, housing and voluntary sector come together to plan an audit • Agencies recruited to take part – eg day centres, hostels, supported accommodation projects, outreach services • Audit conducted with clients • Analysis and action planning • Data directly inputted onto online tool and analysis generated at local level for you and your local partners • NOTE: The process is flexible to fit round the needs and provision of each local area.

  6. HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK? 1. PLANNING BETWEEN HEALTH LOCAL AUTHORITY, AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR • 5. IMPLEMENTATION • AND REVIEW • 2. AUDIT CONDUCTED WITH • CLIENTS BY • AGENCIES OVER AGREED • TIME PERIOD • 4. IDENTIFYING • ACTION IN • PARTNERSHIP • 3. ANALYSIS OF DATA

  7. WHAT DOES THE AUDIT INCLUDE? • SIX SECTIONS • Usage of health services • Physical health needs • Mental health needs • Levels of substance use, including dual diagnosis • Vaccinations and Screening • Client background

  8. HOW CAN THE DATA BE USED? • Feed clients’ experiences and needs directly to commissioners • Inform JSNA development to ensure homeless people’s needs included • Help develop services in line with what works and where unmet need exists • Encourage agencies to take practical action at local level in partnership • Improve dialogue with clients about health and understanding of their needs • Inform wider agenda around health of homeless people

  9. HOW WAS DATA USED IN THE PILOTS? • Used as a tool to engage health commissioners • Used to progress hospital discharge protocols • Informed new services – eg TB screening • Piloting housing advice and referrals at Walk-in Centre • Setting up Health Champions programmes in hostels • Working with JSNA Public Health teams to incorporate findings • Health events to promote health services and engage with commissioners • Now its over to you…guidance to assist with this

  10. KEY LEARNING FROM THE PILOTS • Joint action helps identify challenges and solutions • Involving clients in this process • Local leadership from across sectors is key • Regular review and building relationships • Identifying range of opportunities: taking strategic and practical approaches in a changing landscape

  11. USING THE TOOLKIT • Toolkit contains guidance and resources, but local areas manage the process themselves • The tool has already been piloted with over 1,000 clients and 125 agencies across England. • Positive impact: • “The audit brings together for the first time invaluable information about health needs, and service usage...it will enable us to track trends and plan service development. At a time when we all need to look at the best use of our combined resources such information is vital.” • “It has helped to collect evidence about issues that before we could only make assumptions about based on national data…it has also enabled us to collect data about the homeless population in rural parts of the county.”

  12. FURTHER INFORMATION • www.homeless.org.uk/health-needs-audit • Helen Mathie, Policy Manager 020 7840 4428 • Helen.mathie@homelesslink.org.uk • Add your local contact information here

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