Decision details

The Homelessness Review established that homelessness services are in need of transformation and the Homelessness Strategy aims to transform services with a move away from the current culture of crisis and rescue to providing more prevention and support.  These Phase Two decisions propose further delivery changes.  

Strategy and Policy:

(i)   to approve the Homelessness Strategy.

(ii)  to adopt the Eligibility Criteria (as outlined in Appendix A of the report) for access to all council funded temporary accommodation.

Delivery Plan: Services for Single People and Childless Couples

(iii)  to retain the Dawn Centre as a temporary hostel for homeless single people consisting of 44 units

(iv)  the Executive to consider the proposal to close Lower Hastings Street and Loughborough Road hostels subject to consultation with Trade Unions and affected staff.

(v)  to commission support for single people and childless couples in 220 units of accommodation. 85 of these units will be for young people aged 16 to 24 years old and 135 would be for single people and childless couples aged over 21.

Delivery Plan: Floating Support Provision

(vi)    to increase floating support  to provide 395 units through retaining 175 units in-house (includes the Revolving Door Service) and commissioning 220 units from external providers.  It is proposed that generic floating support will be commissioned for all client groups except offenders as it is recognised that this high risk client group requires specialist support.

The Homelessness review found that a hostel environment is not always conducive to achieving positive changes for people.   Homelessness Services need to be transformed to move away from the current climate of crisis and rescue to providing more prevention and support.  If people do become homeless services will enable them to access and sustain independent accommodation   as quickly as possible

Option 1 - To do nothing or negotiate current contracts – this is not an option as current contracts have been in place since 2006 and the Council has a duty to ensure value for money and allow opportunity to other potential suppliers.  The Council should procure services using in competitive tendering in line with Public Contracts Regulations 2006 and internal contract procedure rules.

Option 2 – this is the option being taken, to have a strategy in place to prevent homelessness as required by the Homelessness Act 2002 and to tender for new services in line with some of the key recommendations of the Review to more develop outcome based services. To transform services to provide more prevention and support and enable people to access and to retain independent settled accommodation.