Issue - meetings

Members are asked to consider an update on the council’s plans to reduce homelessness through the resettlement pathway. Consideration of this item has been deferred from the committee’s 12 June 2024 meeting.

The committee considered a report on resettlement pathways for those over the age of 16 in York who found themselves homeless. Discussion of this item had been deferred from the committee’s 12 June 2024 meeting.

Officers provided an overview and responded to questions from the committee. It was confirmed that:

·       Work was underway to bring in-house the community wellbeing resettlement services currently run by Changing Lives, including the operation of the single persons hostel at Union Terrace, and the women-only hostel at Robinson Court. Transfer of services and approximately 45 staff to the council would take place on 30 November 2024. The transition project was being resourced from existing budgets.

·       Alongside this a new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy was in development. This would take a Housing First approach focusing on rapid re-housing and would support individuals and families to establish and maintain tenancies through cross-agency support services. It would aim to address the specific needs of disabled people, prevent rough sleeping, tackle domestic abuse and make more homes available.

·       There was an integral relationship with Children’s Services around youth homelessness with protocols in place for care leavers and homeless 16- and 17-year-olds. Responsible managers were supported with Ofsted registration and a specific Ofsted-registered site for homeless 16- and 17-year-olds was being developed at Scarcroft Road.

·       Liaison was taking place with the Probation Service in relation to the early release of prisoners; with expected numbers in York at fewer than five, any demand for homelessness services could be accommodated within existing resources.

·       The data-led performance framework referred to in the Equalities Impact Assessment at Annex C was in development with partners and Business Intelligence colleagues. This would include qualitative local information drawing on lived experience of services alongside statutory quantitative data.

With reference to the new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy it was noted that:

·       Partnership working was embedded in the new strategy and was integral to providing wraparound support alongside the core services delivered by the council. Consultation was taking place with partners, including Changing Lives and the Salvation Army, in drafting strategic priorities over the coming weeks.

·       The strategy would be driven forward by a new strategic governance structure with two elements: an operational board chaired by the Head of Housing Management and Housing Options, and a multiagency strategic partnership board chaired by the Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Integration which would report to the York Place Board of the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB).

·       Lessons learnt from the review of the previous contract with the Salvation Army, which had recently been considered by the Audit and Governance Committee, would inform this work. As part of that process the Director of Housing and Communities had held meetings with the Salvation Army’s regional director and assistant director responsible for local services.

·       Compliance with financial and contractual regulations would be the responsibility of senior managers at the council but the effectiveness of outcomes will be monitored and challenged by the strategic board. Robust performance evaluation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16

This report seeks Executive approval to expand the current in-house service to incorporate the services in the scope of the Adult Community Wellbeing Support Service contract, with smaller commissioned work packages where needed and to agree the principles of a new Resettlement pathway and develop a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping strategy to be reported to a future meeting of the Executive.

Resolved:

                         i.         Agreed the principles of the new Resettlement pathway and develop a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping strategy to be reported to a future meeting of the Executive;

                        ii.         Approved the insourcing of services previously contracted under the Adult Community Wellbeing Support Service contract, and to implement the new Resettlement pathway to develop residential and support/care solutions for adults based upon early intervention and personalised support;

                      iii.         Approved the short-term extension of the current Adult Community Wellbeing Support Service contract by way of a variation to enable a smooth transition to an in-house service, to run absolutely no later than 31 December 2024, and to delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Adult Social Care in consultation with the Head of Procurement and the Director of Governance to determine and conclude the terms of such a variation;

                      iv.         Approved the commissioning of support services as needed by the pathway following the transition of the residential elements of the current contract, and to delegate authority to the Director of Housing, Economy and Regeneration in consultation with the Head of Procurement and the Director of Governance to take such steps as are necessary to procure, award and enter into the resulting contracts (and any subsequent modifications and/or extensions thereto);

                       v.         Agreed to appoint a temporary project team from existing budgets to manage the service transition and develop a detailed service transition model, and approve the establishment of a governance board to oversee the transition to the new pathway and engage city partners;

                      vi.         Approved the commissioning of the Young People’s Community Wellbeing and Support Service following a review of the specification, and to delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children’s Services in consultation with the Head of Procurement and the Director of Governance to take such steps as are necessary to procure, award and enter into the resulting contracts (and any subsequent modifications and/or extensions thereto);

                    vii.         Approved that 89/91 Scarcroft Road, currently part of the Adult Wellbeing contract but owned by the council, is registered with OFSTED for the provision of support services for those young people who need supported accommodation as part of their pathway to independence.

Reason:     To develop a new resettlement pathway and bring services in house.

Cllr Kilbane left the meeting during this item due to his prejudicial interest which is recorded under minute 120 Declaration of Interests.

Corporate Directors of Adult Social Care introduced the report highlighting the work done across the Council to bring forward a future resettlement pathway that would be run as an in house multi-disciplinary system. She noted that a fixed contract to deliver services would limit flexibility of the Council, while noting that the Council would continue to seek to work with and support partner organisations.

The Corporate Director Children’s Services noted that the current system had many hand off points for young people. He confirmed that a in house multi-disciplinary approach would create a better more streamlined pathway for young people moving into adulthood independence.

The Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities welcomed the report as a key part of the Executive’s aim to reduce homelessness and an elimination of rough sleeping. He highlighted the success a rapid housing programme could have in supporting people to live independent lives. He also thanked the University of York’s Centre for Housing Policy for there support in providing research to show the effectiveness of rapid housing programmes elsewhere.

The Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education thanked the work of foster cares in the city and confirmed that the policy would be a family first approach. He highlighted the work undertaken on 16 to 25 accommodation pathway which provided clarity of what was needed in supporting young people.

The Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care welcomed the report and highlighted the collaborative work undertaken to improve outcomes for disadvantaged people in the city. She welcomed the additional £600,000 additional funding that had been identified from housing benefit that would support the in house work on resettlement. 

Resolved:

                         i.         Agreed the principles of the new Resettlement pathway and develop a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping strategy to be reported to a future meeting of the Executive;

                        ii.         Approved the insourcing of services previously contracted under the Adult Community Wellbeing Support Service contract, and to implement the new Resettlement pathway to develop residential and support/care solutions for adults based upon early intervention and personalised support;

                      iii.         Approved the short-term extension of the current Adult Community Wellbeing Support Service contract by way of a variation to enable a smooth transition to an in-house service, to run absolutely no later than 31 December 2024, and to delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Adult Social Care in consultation with the Head of Procurement and the Director of Governance to determine and conclude the terms of such a variation;

                      iv.         Approved the commissioning of support services as needed by the pathway following the transition of the residential elements of the current contract, and to delegate authority to the Director of Housing, Economy and Regeneration in consultation with the Head of Procurement and the Director of Governance to take such steps as are necessary to procure, award and enter into the resulting contracts  ...  view the full minutes text for item 127