Going Up Stream Conference The National Glass Centre

Going Up Stream Conference The National Glass Centre Sunderland 31 st January 2014

Introduction & Welcome Rick Henderson Chief Executive, Homeless Link

‘There comes a point where you need to stop pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in. ’ Desmond Tutu

Going Up Stream Aims: Morning: • 2013 and the future • To review of YHNE work during 2013 • Reviewing the Regional Housing Strategy • To present our vision and priorities for the 2014 Afternoon: • To hear from young people • Q&A • 2014: Our priorities • Revisiting Positive Pathways • To discuss, share and plan

Youth Homelessness 2013 and the future Seyi Obakin, Chief Executive, Centrepoint

Youth Homelessness 2013 and the future Presented by Seyi Obakin Chief Executive, Centrepoint

Context • At Q 1 2013, UK National Debt was £ 1, 377 bn (£ 1. 3 trn) • The national debt grows each year because we run deficit budgets and the deficit adds to national debt. • For example, for the year 2009 -10, total government revenue was £ 496 bn but the government spent £ 671 bn, adding roughly £ 175 bn to the national debt at that time. • The coalition government has been trying to reduce the annual budget deficit so that the government can stop increasing the national debt. • Deficit reduction means less money for everyone, including local councils!

Context • For many years, housing stock has been stagnant at best and reducing in some places, including here in the North East, because of empty properties. We have not built enough. • Report by Cambridge University for Centrepoint shows current shortfall of 140, 344 units for households headed by young people, rising to 146, 696 by 2021. • Today, 15, 670 more units of supported accommodation is needed to meet the needs of young people. • Here in the North East, 50, 598 additional units would be required by 2021 to meet overall demand for housing. For England as a whole, we will need 934, 000 units. • Currently, we are building roughly 120, 000 new units annually. We need to up the game.

Context • UK unemployment has been very high since the recession, which coincided with deficit reduction programme, started. • Youth unemployment stuck around at around 1 m young people for a considerable time now. Current figure 941 k, 40% of total unemployment. • Youth unemployment is even more acute among disadvantaged groups. • Problem precedes recession or deficit reduction. Some of it is structural and for various reasons

Context Welfare reform has been a big part of deficit reduction. More cuts are likely to come.

Plugging the drain is not easy!

Be encouraged This network is an important part of the solution: • A joined up approach. Integrating the various needs of young people. • Action plan and produce annual surveys of youth homelessness. • Youth Housing Charter already adopted by 5 local authorities and working with all 12 local authorities. • Founder member of the NEHTT • Lots of positive work already taking place – mediation work, bringing empty homes back in to use, working with employers, etc. • Well done. We cannot just wring our hands and give up! • But more is needed.

End Youth Homelessness Alliance • A broad based alliance of governments, charities and business with the same aim – to end youth homelessness. • Launched last May at the House of Commons, advisory group includes Centrepoint, De. Paul Trust, St Basils, Homeless Link, Relate, Family Lives, The Prince’s Trust, National Grid, Taylor Wimpey, HSBC, Bi. TC and Royal College of GPs. • Has cross-party support from all three major parties • Has produced 7 key asks of government, people and business • Key asks adopted in full by Birmingham City Council last November. • Support from YHNE and North East local authorities very important. • Support the cause, sign the pledge at www. eyh. org. uk

Youth Homeless North East 2013 Sharon Brown Regional Manager

What we’ve achieved. . Survey of Youth Homelessness 2013 - Used by local authorities and wider partners to inform local strategies and funding bids The Youth Housing Charter - Publicity material produced with young people - Local presentations across the region - Adopted by 5 local authorities Regional Youth Housing Strategy - Used by local authorities and wider partners to inform local strategies and funding bids Events - More than a Home with NHF, NHC and Homeless Link - Youth Homelessness in the NE, NEHTT seminar

Involving young people Regional Champions: - Community Campus – Tees Valley Youth Voice, Your Homes Newcastle – Tyne & Wear Youth Educators, Centrepoint – Durham Northumberland Partnership (Barnardo’s, Barnabas Safe & Sound and Berwick Youth project) Events: - Listening to young people - Home and a Job Projects - Positive Images - Home and a Job

Youth Housing Charter: Andrew Burnip: Housing Solutions: Core Team Manager: January 2014:

Why a Youth Housing Charter?

Background: • Joseph Rowntree Foundation ‘A young people’s charter on housing’ 2012. • Working Group: Housing Solutions: Moving On, Youth Independence Forum: Barnardo’s. • 59 young people participated. • All had experienced homelessness. • 4 where in custody

Developing The Charter: • Young people were involved in devising the research questions: • YHNE Regional Champions: Moving on, Youth Independence Forum, Barnardo’s, Community Campus and Trinity Youth delivered focus groups.

What did young people say? Home: you should feel loved Home: Means nothing to me. Home: Dad was violent – arguments all the time with Mum: I was kicked out at 16. Council Houses: in areas you don’t want to go & they often don’t help people they don’t want. . Emergency Accommodation: I got a place in a hostel and got bullied into taking drugs. I got so low I thought about selling myself for sex, and you can see why this happens, you just kind of take that next low step I would have to work 6 days a week just to cover rent and have a few quid in left in my pocket!

What did young people say? As a kid my life was dominated by domestic violence. I just couldn’t take it anymore, I just couldn’t protect mam. I ended up homeless at 16 year old and was put in emergency accommodation. I was working – an apprenticeship on £ 120 a week, but I had to pay £ 95 per week to live there. Other young people like me – stood outside drug dealing – they weren’t paying anything – on benefits – they made their money from drugs. I was working five days a week but couldn’t afford to pay £ 95 a week as I had only £ 25 left for transport to and from work and my food and clothes. I was moved on to another hostel and was there for six months. I still had to pay £ 95 there. It was £ 300 arrears when I left there – it was just too hard to keep up the payments. I tried to get a pay rise but couldn’t – I was stuck. I felt so stupid to be working. Other said ‘look I don’t work and I get this money and just sit and smoke dope all day’. I thought hold on I’m paying taxes so they can live like that.

Young People told us they want: A safe area, a secure property, a peaceful environment To live close to family and or friends Be part of and engaged in the local community.

Prevention • Pledges: We will provide education about the realities of homelessness in schools and for families and carers. • We will provide mediation services as early as possible to resolve problems so that young people can remain at home when appropriate and to enable sustainable positive relationships with family, carers and friends when they have to move out. • We will ensure young people receive adequate preparation for independent living and plan with them for successful transitions. • We will implement thorough needs assessment processes and listen to young people to make sure they get the right support and the right housing. • Housing • We will ensure that all housing offered to young people is secure with adequate staffing, security, locks on doors and a land phone-line for emergencies. • We will help young people to secure permanent accommodation they can call their own rather than moving between temporary accommodation. • We will respect young peoples’ right to have friends staying over within the context of balancing rights with responsibilities. • • .

Pledges: The area • We will try to provide housing to young people in an area they know, where they are aware of available facilities and services, where to go for help, what the transport links are and close to training and employment. • We will ensure young people move to an area where they will feel safe and welcomed taking into account individual needs such as sexuality. • When young people want it, we will offer them housing in an area close to family, carers, friends and other support networks. Managing finances • We want to see housing benefit continue to be available for those aged under 25 years old.

Pledges: Support • We are committed to ensuring young people who have been in-care receive the support they want from Children’s Services and are able to maintain contact with foster carers after leaving the care system. • We recognise that times of ‘transition’, including moving between accommodation, are difficult for young people so at these times we will provide additional support. • For young people who would like longer term support and when things start to go wrong, we will provide extra support including moving young people into supported housing for a while to help them resolve their problems and avoid eviction. • We know that young people prefer to have the same worker and not have to retell their stories and build new relationships all the time. Where possible we will try to ensure young people have the same worker. • We are committed to ensuring we have workers who are suitably qualified and who know about homelessness and understand the issues young people face.

Durham Pathway

http: //content. durham. gov. uk/PDFRepository/Homelessness. Strateg y 2013 -18. pdf Andrew. burnip@durham. gov. uk

Youth Homelessness in the North East Survey Findings 2013 Adele Irving, Research Fellow, Northumbria University

Research Aims & Objectives • Establish the regional picture of youth homelessness and identify changes over time. • Assess this against the national picture. • Track LT trends, inform policy and practice. – – – The Extent and Causes of Youth Homelessness Prevention Efforts Support Needs Accommodation and Support Services Welfare Reform

Methodology • Two online surveys – Local authorities (LAs) – Service providers (SPs) • Single homeless people, aged 16 -24 • February 2013 / Previous 12 months • Response rate: – 34 from all 12 LAs – 29 from 21 SPs

The Extent of Youth Homelessness • Between 467 -753 young people presented to 12 LAs as homeless/sought advice in Feb 2013. – 533 cases to 10 LAs in Feb 2012. – Respondent perceptions mixed. • Approx. 800 young people were supported by 23 SPs in February 2013. – 870 to 19 SPs in Feb 2012. – Respondent perceptions mixed. • Reflects national trends.

Age Distribution of Young Clients • Of 977 cases in Feb 2013, 26% aged 16 -17, 31% aged 18 -19, 21% aged 20 -21, 22% aged 22 -24. • The majority of LA clients were aged 2 o+. 62% were aged 20 -24. • The majority of SP clients were aged <20. 68% were aged 16 -19. – Reflects YHNE (2012) findings. • Increases over 12 month period most likely to be reported among 16 -17 and 20 -21 s. – Increase among 16 -17 year olds nationally.

The Causes of Homelessness

Preventing Youth Homelessness (LAs) • 71% (8 of 11) have mediation service. • 89% (8 of 9) work in partnership with local ‘Troubled Families’ programme. • 80% (8 of 10) undertake homelessness prevention education work in schools or other. • 70% (7 of 10) reported that Children’s Services and Housing departments work together to prevent homelessness. – 93% ‘effective’ or ‘very effective’. – No LAs reported joint-working to be very effective in 2012. • Effective approaches: Proactive planning for care leavers; family mediation services; priority social housing status.

LA Prevention Outcomes (165 cases)

Support Needs of Young People (Provider data)

Experiences of Young Clients • 68 SP clients slept rough in Feb 13. —Regional Avg: 1 in 12 —National Avg: 1 in 10. • 60% (6 of 10) SPs felt this represented an increase. • 77 SP clients are care leavers (9% of total client base). —National Avg: 14. 5%.

Support Services • 70% (7 of 10) LAs have maintained or increased provision. • 76% (13 of 17) of SPs had maintained or increased provision. • 47% of SPs unable to assist some young people due to capacity. – Just one third in NE in 2012. – 55% nationally. • Half (9 of 18) reported youth service closures. – 27% in NE in 2012. – 54% nationally in 2013.

Accommodation Options • Good availability of and limited changes to emergency and longer stay temporary accommodation over time. • Less B&B usage in NE (17%) than nationally (39%). • SPs reported less positive picture of move on provision over time. – 38% ( 5 of 13) decreases. • LAs developed accommodation options: – 10 bond/deposit scheme. – 9 work with private landlords. – 6 social lettings agency. – 5 developing shared accommodation options.

Welfare Reform • 57% (4 of 7) SPs and 78% (7 of 9) LAs reported some young clients affected by extension of SAR. • 50% (3 of 6) SPs and 75% (6 of 8) LAs reported some young clients affected by capping of Housing Benefit. • Concerns over access to PRS, young people sharing accommodation, benefit sanctions, claim delays, poverty.

Recommendations • Maintenance and expansion of appropriate housing options for young people. • Greater focus on employment support schemes for young people. • Consideration of the value of floating support. • Specialist support for young people with complex needs / an offending history.

Positive Images Youth Educators & Kieran Platts

Aims • Working alongside the Regional Youth Work Unit, the aim is to create a media based platform to challenge negative stereotypes of youth homeless from both with the public and professional organisations. • Show the skill set of the young people involved • To then publicise the issues raised and spread awareness.

Outcomes • The young people involved will gain experience and new skills in media and filming. Spread awareness and try to lessen negative stereotypes of the youth homeless from both the public and professional bodies. • There is a need to involve young people from across the region. Working with our Regional Champions each sub region will produce a short film sequence which will be then be amalgamated and edited into one short film representing the region

Centrepoint Youth Educators

Young person/narrator Interview scene

Leaving Home Scene Camera pans following young person down the street

Survival Crime Scene A car is in the foreground with young person in the background, walking up to vehicle the young person insinuates a break in. Screen goes to black out

Couch Surfing Scene The young person will be simulating couch surfing. The Youth educators (out of shot) will walk on to the scene and play the part of his friends. They will ask the young person to leave

Rough Sleeping Scene

The Turnaround Scene This scene will depict the young persons positive change of circumstances and will show the young person doing maintenance in their own home.

Youth Educators session scene The final scene will show the young person delivering a session to young people. The camera will simulate the eyes of a young person watching the delivery. The Youth Educators will have their backs to the camera simulating other class mates. The scene will show the young person has now become a positive role model.

Home and a Job Community Campus & Kieran Platts

Home and a Job • To investigate the changing circumstances of young people affected by homelessness within the context of welfare reform, changes to housing and support options, and unemployment. • Draw out the short-term and longer-term impacts upon young people's expectations and aspirations of living independently and all that entails. • Bring findings and recommendations to the attention of policy makers and commissioners to influence positive change.

Key themes • Having enough money to live on, meeting practical needs (food, heating, clothes, furniture) • Housing • Training and Employment • Maintaining relationships • Physical and emotional health and well-being

We will: • Produce a final report with conclusions and recommendations • In partnership with Helix Arts, produce a body of art portraying the lives and experiences of the young people. • Hold a public exhibition of art work and launch the report. • Feed the findings into the North East Homeless Think Tank research project on welfare reforms.

End Youth Homelessness The EYH alliance believes that 7 asks based on family, jobs, housing and health need to become a reality to end youth homelessness. To pledge your support go to: http: //www. eyh. org. uk/ 80, 000 young people a year experience homelessness in the UK We know that young people rely on housing benefit to keep a roof over their heads. These young people do not choose to become homeless. Sign the petition: http: //www. centrepoint. org. uk/cuts “What’s the point we won’t get listened to, we are the targets” Make sure young people have a voice, encourage them to use their right to vote. Add in facebook and twitter links use #speakupvote

Comfort break

North East Youth Housing Strategy “Until we have youth housing strategies, as opposed to youth homelessness strategies, we will never actually plan for young people’s housing transition and their housing needs, and will always be adopting a deficit model around homelessness. ”

6 priorities 1. Improve the quality and range of temporary and supported accommodation 2. To increase early intervention work in schools and with families. Positive family environment the best place for YP 3. To support member organisations to ensure sustainability and growth of the sector in order to address youth homelessness. 4. To improve the likelihood of young people leading fulfilling lives as contributing members of the community. 5. To ensure all services are accountable to the young people they serve. 6. To lobby policy makers and commissioners in order to prevent, tackle and resolve youth homelessness in the North East.

A live document • Environment is changing rapidly • Priorities & actions must be: ‾ Up to date ‾ Reflect regional and local need • A strategy that can be used by LA’s and the VCS to inform local strategies

Activity • In your groups consider the priorities • Write down suggestions for new priorities on post- its • Following discussion decide on 1 new priority from your group to put on the brown paper • Once suggestions from each group have been added, use your 6 votes to decide which are the most important priorities for you

The future for Youth Homeless North East Andrew Burnip Steering Group

Youth Homeless North East Youth Homeless NE is an independent, action driven community of young people, strategists, commissioners and providers of youth homeless services. Our vision ‘No young person should be homeless’ We aim to: Prevent, tackle and resolve homelessness experienced by young people aged 16 – 25 years old in the North East through; • • Influencing policy and strategy Providing a voice for young people Promoting innovation and best practice Campaigning to end youth homelessness

Youth Homeless NE works collaboratively across the region with young people and organisations who play a role in responding to youth homelessness. Youth Homeless North East Regional Manager & Project Assistant Steering Group Young People Providers and Partners Regional Champions Influence policy and strategy Provide a voice for young people Promote innovation and best practice Campaign to end youth homelessness

Evaluation summary actions. . Partnership • Developing capacity to strengthen YHNE through building on partnerships with participating agencies to 'second' staff either to deliver specific projects or initiatives or simply to provide additional capacity and support. This will enhance partnerships and our local profile across the region. • Regional working to build upon and grow partnership relationships to increase YHNE coverage across the region and to ensure we reflect local concerns and support local activity. • To extend the partnership model applied to the Regional Champions • To grow our capacity and provide the opportunity for partner input • in a two-way relationship. Reach and scope • Continue to manage the balance between our capacity and demand across the region. • Look to ‘bridge a gap” where some services are having to pull back recognising YHNE's role as an enabler and facilitator.

Evaluation summary actions. . Sustainability • Produce a long-term strategic business plan to identify a clarity of focus together with effective and efficient targeting of resources. • To review the governance of YHNE re autonomy, transparency, and accountability. • Maintain the independence of YHNE to act as an umbrella all to the range of services and organisations that contribute to the response to youth homelessness in the region. Evidencing impact • Create clarity in relation to what we set out to do and the difference we make, providing robust evidence of our impact and communicating effectively.

What next… • Continuing to put young people at the centre of what we do • Responding to the evaluation and taking actions forward • Seeking to address our vision and aims through partnership and by responding to the changing needs of young people affected by homelessness and of the sector

Lunch!

Going Up Stream: Research reflections on YHNE 2014 priorities Centre for Housing Policy

Four key priorities for YHNE for 2014 • Early intervention and prevention • Housing and support choices • Focus on employment and training • Meeting multiple and complex needs • Presentation • Why is this issue of importance? • What do we know about what is needed? • Concerns and/or challenges in meeting priorities? Centre for Housing Policy

Priority 1: Early intervention/ prevention • Causation of youth homelessness complex, interaction of three main factors (Gaetz, 2013): • • • Individual/ relational; systems; structural factors Research suggests a distinct ‘youth’ pathway into homelessness – when young people are forced to leave ‘home’ at early age/ stage (Mac. Kenzie and Chamberlain, 2003): Three main pathways into homelessness (Mayock et al, 2008): • Care history; household instability/ family conflict; peer issues/ behaviour Centre for Housing Policy

Priority 1: Early intervention/ prevention • High levels of vulnerabilities. Survey of homeless 16/17 year olds, England (Pleace et al, 2008) showed: • 61% didn’t get on with parents during childhood • 54% suspended or excluded from school at least once • 52% experienced anxiety, depression or other MHPs (44% of parents had mental health problems) • 47% ran away from home & stayed away for more than one night • 45% family had financial difficulties in childhood • 40% of parents violent to each other 37% had a drug or alcohol problem • • • 39% involved in crime/ ASB 18% spent time in care Young families less vulnerable/ more structural factors Centre for Housing Policy

Priority 1: Early intervention/ prevention • Value of early intervention/ prevention accepted in UK at policy and practice level • • Intervene early to reduce risks, supporting families/ young people at risk (where safe) Some tensions and still room for earlier interventions Homelessness sector can undertake targeted work but also need central/ local level programmes/ lead LAs prevent homelessness for about a fifth of young people approaching them (more successful for those aged under 18) (Homeless Link, 2012) • Much more effective prevention in Newcastle and NE? Centre for Housing Policy

Priority 1: Early intervention/ prevention • Prevention services can be effective (though need to be appropriate) • Including family mediation; financial assistance; school services; respite / ‘time-out’ services • Need for more support for parents of teenagers • Need for more respite arrangements • Clear association with child care services • • Although improvements, still more work needed (Harding et al, 2011) Concerns about continued funding? Centre for Housing Policy

Priority 2: Housing and support choices • Youth homelessness occurs within ‘chaotic’ housing pathways (Ford et al, 2002) • Problem of poor access to (independent) housing • • • Landlords (social and private) reluctant to accept tenancies from young people Big transition, need for support (students have this built in) Income poverty (family of origin and person). Limited income to meet housing costs – both from labour market and/or restricted welfare payments Access issues may be easier in North Need for local housing strategies for young people (Quilgars et al, 2011). Centre for Housing Policy

Priority 2: Housing and support choices • Wide range of accommodation models but roles could be clearer • Emergency provision needs to be time-limited • Specialised supportive environments • • For the very young/ those not lived independently Creation of affordable housing pathways –access to social housing and private rented sector • • • For those older/ with experience of housing/ young parents Floating support is effective Relationships are key (workers; friends; partners; community) • long term mentoring schemes/ trusted adult schemes Centre for Housing Policy

Priority 2: Housing and support choices • Current concerns include: • • • Reducing availability of single person tenancies / increasing role of shared tenancies (whether suitable or not? ) Supporting People ring-fence removal / budget cuts leading to reductions in front-line/ support services Adequacy of private rented sector properties (Shelter/ Crisis, 2014) Localisation of Social Fund/ growing role of food banks Shift away from direct payment to landlords under Universal Credit Centre for Housing Policy

Priority 3: Addressing employment and training issues • Transition to adulthood is not an easy one, becoming increasingly extended and non-linear – including school to work transition • • Youth homelessness as outcome of a process of ‘failed transitions’ (Avramov, 1998) 1. 09 million of 16 -24 year olds NEET (DWP, 2013). About half of young homeless people are NEET at point of becoming homeless (Homeless Link, 2013) Young people disproportionately affected during recession. Available work often low paid/ part-time/ low status. Geography matters. (Tunstall et al, 2012) Young homeless people likely to have experienced disrupted educational backgrounds Centre for Housing Policy

Priority 3: Addressing employment and training issues • • Mainstream services often not flexible enough to meet young people’s needs Importance of being work ready, and supporting young people in work Need for adapted employment schemes identified at European level (FEANTSA) Specialist housing and education/ employment models (Foyer(-type)): • • • ‘Fit for purpose’ (Lovatt with Whitehead, 2006) Tied nature of support can present challenges Different approaches for different ages? Centre for Housing Policy

Priority 3: Addressing employment and training issues • • Welfare systems affect homelessness (Stephens et al, 2010) Youth homelessness providers concerned about tightening up of the sanctions regime for Jobseekers Allowance/ Employment and Support Allowance claimants (Fitzpatrick et al, 2013) • • Sanctions may also have impact on ability of young people to contribute to family budget where still at home Future concern over a Conservative administration removing entitlement to Housing Benefit, and possibly also to unemployment-related benefits, from 16 -24 year olds Centre for Housing Policy

Priority 4: Addressing multiple and complex needs • • Homelessness agencies reporting young people’s needs becoming more complex (Homeless Link, 2013) High proportion of young homeless people have mental health problems, drug and alcohol problems and wide range of associated support needs. Acknowledged that need for a ‘systems’ approach and integrated responses to address all aspects of young people’s lives Requires involvement of wide range of agencies, not just youth homelessness sector (education, health, justice system etc) Centre for Housing Policy

Priority 4: Addressing multiple and complex needs • Improvements in joint working; • • particular successes in coordinating services for 16 and 17 year olds and looked after children Joint protocols work but need resources Effective co-ordinated services (case and network management) are possible (Gunter and Harding, 2013), though not easy to implement Concerns about welfare system and reduced funding for services/ pressures for services to become more generic Centre for Housing Policy

Thank you for listening n n Deborah. quilgars@york. ac. uk Centre for Housing Policy q n www. york. ac. uk/chp European Observatory on Homelessness q www. feantsaresearch. org/ Centre for Housing Policy

Changing Lives – Homelessness and Complex Needs Neil Mac. Kenzie Helen Aitchison

Changing Lives: Who We Are • Regional charity delivering services in the areas of: • Accommodation • Day Centre and Outreach Services • Addictions and Recovery • Offending • Employment and Training • In 2012 we worked with an average of 1, 275 clients each month. Turnover of £ 8. 4 m in 2012/13 employing 260 staff, of which 1 in 3 are ex-clients Operate in the North East and Yorkshire A regional charity with a national voice – helping people change lives and build futures • • •

Homelessness definition • Definition Someone who is without permanent or settled accommodation. People who are rough sleeping, residing in temporary accommodation (supported or non-supported hostel environments), sofa surfing or define themselves as having no fixed abode. Homelessness also refers to statutory and non-statutory obligations and legislation

Complex Needs : Definition and Criteria People who experience 3 or more of the following; mental health, homelessness, drug and alcohol issues, and or offending. People who have ineffective contact with services; people may not fall into defined needs or fall below service thresholds often referred to as ‘hard to reach’. People Living chaotic lives; lacking support from services can lead into downward spiral of mental health, substance use crime, offending and homelessness. . . feeling trapped and living chaotic lives

Sunderland Project Overview • Focusing on those at risk of rough sleeping, City’s Private HMO’s and those presenting at hospital. • Using peer support and assertive outreach. • Establish a common and consistent link between services and the individual. • Homeless or at risk of being homeless and aged 18 years or over • System navigation – Offering practical help to people to access several services at once • System change – simplifying the complexities associated with several statutory services working together

Client Profile - Sunderland All clients present with multiple, complex needs including the following characteristics: History of exclusion, Institutionalisation, Abusive behaviour and control difficulties, Difficulty forming and sustaining relationships, Poor health prospects (physical and mental health), A history of offending and limited economic and employment prospects History of repeat homelessness At least 5 separate areas of intervention on initial engagement Client Base: • 84% are problematic drug or alcohol users - of this group, • 62% are accessing treatment, • 93% have had direct experience of rough sleeping • 60% of our clients are residing in the private hostels on referral. • 10% of referrals and engaged clients are under 25 years old.

Case Studies • • Two male clients, brothers, aged 23 and 25 years old Both alcohol dependant Both experiencing mental health issues (1 brother diagnosed) Both chronically excluded from all supported accommodation in the borough Both chronically excluded from all private hostels in the borough The team worked with the brothers on the streets for 4 months – adopting assertive outreach, intensive approach Multi-agency involvement to look at demonstrating engagement and motivation Secured private hostel accommodation – one has broken down BARRIERS • Exclusion policies for organisations • Limited resources • Dual diagnosis

Case study-economic modelling Medication; £ 1, 057 • Arrests; £ 3, 860 £ 68, 283 Hospital admissions; £ 8, 616 2 arrests 6 hospital admissions 32 weeks in hospital Prescribed medication 2 A&E visits MH problems but no treatment Excess bed days; £ 54, 384

Many Thanks for listening For further information please contact: Helen Aitchison Service Manager - Sunderland t: 0191 565 9579 e: helen. aitchison@changing-lives. org Neil Mckenzie Complex Needs Lead t: 0191 273 8891 e: neil. mckenzie@changing-lives. org

Welfare Reform Youth Homelessness North East 31 st January 2014 Neil Munslow Service Manager – Active Inclusion

Dr Simon Duffy – Centre for Welfare Reform

Estimated loss of £ 115. 65 m benefits a year from by 2017 affecting up to 45, 000 people

Newcastle loss of Housing Benefit for 8, 500+ tenants Tenure Change National loss £m Newcastle loss £m Private tenants SAR 50% - 30% £ 1, 080 -2014/15 £ 4. 48 Social Housing “Bedroom tax” £ 490 - 2013 £ 4. 11 All tenures £ 340 - 2014/15 £ 2. 22 Non dep deductions Newcastle DHP allocation Est. HB loss Increase in DHP 2012/13 2013/14 £ 10. 81 m £ 472, 531 £ 212, 740 £ 685, 271 • low income working households cover 60% of the cuts • nationally 45% of working age households affected • “bedroom tax” biggest direct impact

Esther Mc. Vey – explained 8/11/2013 : “The public agree that action was needed to tackle overcrowding and to make better use of our housing stock. There were approaching 1 million spare bedrooms being paid for by Housing Benefit, yet at the same time hundreds of thousands of families living in overcrowded social housing. This disparity was unfair and had to be addressed. On top of this we have seen our Housing Benefit bill exceed £ 24 billion – an increase of 50% in just 10 years – and this had to be brought under control”

The Newcastle position • 54 (1%) of housing register in preferential category due to overcrowding • 225 (4%) in need due to Welfare Reform • 0 households in temporary accommodation waiting for under occupied accommodation • Will cost over £ 4 m to “solve” a problem we never had

1/11/2013 “bedroom tax” in Newcastle • 5, 117 households (4, 509 YHN tenants & 608 housing association tenants) of these: • 1, 084 (21%) were in work • 3, 120 were single people without children– 104 under 25 and 3, 016 over 25 • 1, 024 were single people with children – 102 under 25 and 922 over 35 • 560 were childless couples • 413 were couples with children

Young people and Welfare Reform – Poverty, Sanctions and Work • • • RPI to CPI indexing cut Most benefits increase limited to 1% Shared Accommodation Rate Young people higher sanctions rate 2013 NE unemployment rate 10. 3% Nationally youth unemployment 20%

Nick Forbes Newcastle's responses to the Welfare Reforms “local government at its best” • • • Understanding the local impact of the Welfare Reforms Aligning budget process to support the most vulnerable A citywide consensus and agreeing partnership responses Targeting support to protect the most vulnerable Information & advice to prevent people becoming vulnerable Innovating to provide alternatives when the national state has withdrawn support but the market hasn’t stepped in • Financial Inclusion § Maximise income § Reduce expenditure • Housing related support • Employment related support

Financial Inclusion – poverty responses 2012/13 • Welfare Reform Board, Advice Compact, NCVS, Financial Inclusion Network, YIF – 50+ partners, 170 briefings • Income maximisation - 15, 871 clients - £ 24, 142, 256 gains • Debt management - 5, 415 clients - cleared £ 3, 642, 208 • 3, 673 cases of potential homelessness prevented • moneywise credit union provided 1, 100 more loans • Illegal money lending regional champions • FINCAN Fair Finance Pledge • Adult learning – ESOL and Work Programme • Subsidised employment - research with Newcastle University • Coordinated use of discretionary funds • Corporate Debt Recovery Common Financial Statement

YHN - £ 2. 1 m cost of Welfare Reform • Culture – meeting housing need, prevention & support • 86% housing of statutory homeless people • 50% reduction in evictions • 7, 000 visits • Re-designations • Restructuring to meet the challenges • Advice and support funded by YHN and NCC • Innovation • Your Homes Your Jobs • Walker Pilot – integrated employment offer • Integrated with the Council – DHP, Benefits Cap, employment, briefings, social fund & communications

Young people & homelessness 2012/3 • Youth Independence Forum, YHN’s Young People’s Service, 16+ team – 590 clients • Supported accommodation • Floating support • Move-on flats • Youth Voice • Care leavers transitions • Mediation for all 16 -17 year olds • Supporting People 16 – 21 s £ 636, 328 • £ 7 m funding for non-statutory homelessness (24% cut) • Digital inclusion – access & training

What can YHNE do – promote local responses to local need • • • Social Fund Housing subsidy Employment Universal Credit Support councils funding single homeless services

Housing and Support Choices Val Keen Executive Director of Services

Ending Youth Homelessness Forces against change Forces for change q q Financial pressures on families Complex needs Pressures on commissioners Multiple cuts affecting young people, families, commissioners and providers q Youth Unemployment q Housing Supply q q q q Understanding needs Understanding what works Collaborative working Better commissioning Innovative accommodation options Creative use of revenue Ministerial focus

Weathering the Storm: Partnering and Scale • North Tyneside • Oldham • South Tyneside

Psychologically Informed Environments 1. Psychological Framework • Developing young people’s capacity to be more aware of, and able to make choices about, their feelings, thinking and behaviours 2. Staff training and support • promote confidence in their ability to facilitate change • promote positive regard for clients • minimise burnout 3. Managing Relationships • Key to facilitating change 4. Physical Environment and Social Spaces • Valuing young people 5. Service evaluation • Each young person • Service as a whole

Some challenges… Can’t or Won’t? • Reward and sanction • How much hands-on help? Boundaries v Co-production and Choice • Late lounges, visitors, alcohol… • Choice v path of least resistance?

Cycle of Change Prochaska and Di. Clemente (1982).

Q & A

Comfort break

Youth Accommodation Pathway Activity

The Positive Pathway for young people 1. Minimise Demand: Education work in schools /other places on reality of housing choices 8. Young person is ready to make their next move with minimal/no support and is positively engaged in ETE 2. Reduce Demand & Crisis Early intervention targeted to keep young people in family network 3. Reduce Crisis Plan & prepare with those at risk of homelessness BEFORE they are in crisis 5. Supported accommodation as a starting point for those with higher needs or younger age (16/17) 6. Floating Support in accommodation - likely to be shared in private rented sector 7. Shared student style accommodation for those in FE, employment or apprenticeship with “light touch” support 4. Single Integrated Service Gateway Prevention, assessment of need, planning advice & options AND access to other services e. g. ETE & Job Centre Plus Range of health services Life skills Benefits advice Steps 5 -7 Young people can access 3 broad options and move between them until they are ready to move on.

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