Agenda item

To provide an update on the prevalence of homelessness in West Berkshire following the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2018 which came into force in April 2018 and to inform the Commission on activity taking place to tackle the issue.

(Councillor Lee Dillon declared a personal interest in Agenda item 8 by virtue of the fact that he worked for Sovereign Housing Association. As his interest was personal and not prejudicial he was permitted to take part in the debate).

The Commission considered a report (Agenda Item 8), which provided an update of the position with homelessness following the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2018. Councillor Hilary Cole (Executive Portfolio Holder for Housing) introduced the item and reported that Sally Kelsall and her team had put a great deal of effort into providing an extremely comprehensive report for the Commission.

Councillor Cole reported that the Homelessness Reduction Act had come into force in April 2018. Implementation of the Act had created an increase in workload for the Housing Team and as a result the Team had been increased to accommodate the extra work. There were two strands to the Act, comprising of homelessness prevention and provision for rough sleepers. It was important that the two strands were considered as separate entities as they were very different.

Sally Kelsall reported that the Housing Strategy Group brought all partner organisations together and had led on the work. Excellent partnership working had taken place.

Sally Kelsall stated that there was an amendment to the report since it had been written. The ‘over flow facility’ had been suggested due to the high number of rough sleepers, as Two Saints could only accommodate 20. However, due to the late notice, logistics and costs of setting up such a facility, West Berkshire Homeless Charity were unable to progress with the suggestion, so Two Saints were investigating alternatives and the Council was working on reducing the number before the winter cover starts.

Councillor Lee Dillon referred to the extra winter provision that would be provided by Two Saints and asked what would happen to some clients who were reluctant to use Two Saints. There were a lot of reasons for why people became homeless and these were not always attributable to alcohol and drugs. Councillor Cole noted the point raised by Councillor Dillon however, stated that there was a high level of supervision provided by Two Saints and that the perception was not a reality.  Work was still ongoing to find alternative provision however, in the meantime Two Saints would be best placed to provide the service. Councillor Cole highlighted that the Local Authority had a Service Level Agreement (SLA) in place with Two Saints.

Councillor Dillon was aware that the Salvation Army had offered provision the previous year and noted that this was no longer available and queried the reason for this. Gary Lugg explained that the West Berkshire Homelessness Charity had provided services the previous year. The Charity had worked with the Housing Team and the Strategy Group and were happy to carry on providing services coordinated by Two Saints going forward. This would avoid the duplication of provision.

Councillor Cole stated that the Homelessness Strategy Group had successfully brought voluntary organisations together that had previously been working in isolation. Councillor Cole added that there was still work to do however, positively all organisations involved were now working to a common end. Sally Kelsall added that all voluntary organisations had agreed to work extra hours at Two Saints.

Councillor Dillon asked, with additional beds, what the total provision would be and Sally Kelsall confirmed the total provision was 20 however, it was hoped that more could be provided. Homelessness numbers had decreased from 30 to 26.

Councillor Dillon referred to the move on function and queried if this would include registering people on the social housing list and if they would be prioritised. Sally Kelsall confirmed that those who were homeless would be able to apply for housing. Councillor Dillon was concerned at the time this could take for people who were homeless over the winter months. Sally Kelsall explained that additional resource was being focused on tackling waiting times.

Gary Lugg stated that other funding alternatives would be explored prior to the winter period such as the ‘Housing First’ initiative, which could accommodate up to three people who might be the most difficult to accommodate elsewhere.

Councillor Laszlo Zverko was aware that the Council was able to provide bed and breakfast type provision and Gary Lugg clarified that this provision was for homeless families.

Councillor Emma Webster noted in paragraph 2.12 that an Officer from the Housing Advisory Support Team (HAST) from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) had visited the Council earlier in the year with a view to the Council submitting a bid for a Government grant to address rough sleeping. Councillor Webster noted the increase from 15 to 20 rough sleepers over the period of a year and asked Officers if they were happy that the figure was correct. Sally Kelsall stated that the figures were an estimate based on one night of the year in November and therefore could vary. It was hoped that the number of rough sleepers could be reduced through projects being undertaken as part of the Rough Sleeper Initiative, which included an additional Outreach Worker.

Councillor Webster asked for assurance that lessons learned from operating the Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP) had been taken on board. Gary Lugg stated that during the period of cold weather in winter 2017/18 the SWEP had been launched. As a result Two Saints had remained open all day and night throughout the period of cold weather. This would now be a standard provision as part of a SWEP. During the hot weather of summer 2018, the SWEP had been put into operation again and drinking water, meals and access to facilities had been provided. The plan was to put standard provisions in place for summer and winter.

Councillor Webster queried how the message regarding provisions had been effectively communicated to those at risk when the extreme heat had persisted. Councillor Cole stated that the MEAM (Making Every Adult Matter) Coordinator and Outreach Worker had been key to ensuring the message was communicated and in ensuring the offer of provision was taken up. Councillor Cole added that the West Berkshire SWEP was one of the best of all the Berkshire Authorities and as a result rough sleepers gravitated to the area. This was a point to be aware of but Councillor Cole stated that she would rather see the services provided then withheld for this reason.

Councillor Dillon asked if when taking in rough sleepers overnight if they were encouraged to return to their home authority area and if travel costs were covered. Sally Kelsall stated that this was something that was offered.

Councillor Richard Somner commented on the geographical location of West Berkshire and how the issue of the district’s expansive border could be dealt with. Gary Lugg stated the Outreach worker worked closely with those accessing provision to find out where they were from. If a vulnerable person was from Reading then help and support would be provided to help return them to their local area. If a person was West Berkshire based and were happy to accept support then they would be offered support through Newbury based services.

Councillor Somner commented that Reading should aim to mirror the service offered in West Berkshire and Sally Kelsall confirmed that she was regularly in contact with Reading and Slough Local Authorities, this also helped to avoid double counting when a count of the number of rough sleepers was required. Councillor Cole stated that it was important to note that not everyone was happy to accept support and this choice must be respected.

Councillor Jason Collis commended the partnership working which was taking place however was concerned that it was reliant on specific grants that would come to an end. Councillor Cole stated that the aim was to eradicate rough sleeping by 2026/27 and she felt that positive steps were being taken in West Berkshire to achieve this. Councillor Cole was sceptical that rough sleeping could be eradicated completely, but with the right support in place it was hoped that good results would be achieved and the numbers of rough sleepers would be reduced as much as possible.

Councillor Cole referred to paragraph 2.23 regarding MEAM and stated that this included a small group of people facing multiple issues. Improvement was beginning to be seen in this area and work was being led on by a steering group chaired by Chief Inspector Lyndsey Finch from Thames Valley Police. MEAM involved a multiagency approach and there was some excellent work taking place. West Berkshire Council was one of the first local authorities to be taken onto the group.

Councillor Webster referred back to the survey carried out on the number of rough sleepers and queried when this would be conducted. Sally Kelsall stated that a date later in November would be chosen.

Councillor Webster thanked officers for the comprehensive report and requested that Members be kept informed on the monthly report to the MHCLG and that any information be circulated.

RESOLVED that Members of the Commission noted the report.