1. Housing Solutions service
Ian Swift Head of Housing Solutions

2. Context, culture change, recruitment and training
Listening to customers - Customer Focus Groups Homeless Link and advocates
Empowerment, agile working and thinking
Shelter and Solace Women’s Aid work from the Housing Solutions office 5 days a week (independent advocacy)
Customer satisfaction now 91% increased from 15% six years ago
Recruitment of officers with lived homeless experience applications
Growing our own through the recruitment of new officers
New dynamic environment we encourage risk taking and there is no such thing as failure or mistakes
Would I want anyone from my family to receive a service from the Housing Solutions service?

3. Context, culture change, recruitment and training
LHA rates no PRS properties are available in Southwark. Crisis report and our own experience
We have eliminated the use of Bed and Breakfast accommodation and now working to eliminate the use of Nightly Paid accommodation. We have reduced the use of nightly paid accommodation by 29% this financial year
New framework for housing approaches
Temporary accommodation reduced in Southwark by 5% compared to a 4.6% increase nationally
Homelessness preventions increasing
External Accreditations White Ribbon, Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance and Make a Stand etc.
The HRA 2017 is the basic foundations for our work. Our ultimate goal is to go way beyond the basics of the Act basic elements.

4. The challenges Resources – Supply and Demand Budget pressure (TA)
Turning the PHP from an assessment to a conversation with agreement.
Changing the conversation to information of interest – consent rather than compliance
Government funding is inadequate
The council is committed to making the Homelessness Reduction Act a success
To have a successful Housing First model we need the housing
The welfare reforms are increasing homelessness
Duty to Cooperate not duty to refer
Changing the culture is essential to improving customer experience . This is a key challenge for partners and advocates, as well as local authorities

5. New innovations
Re-modelling completely the service provided using the Homelessness Reduction Act as the minimum offer
Rough Sleeping initiatives outreach work with Solace Women’s Aid
A need for a national homelessness prevention strategy with sustainable funding
Changing the law to ensure everyone made homeless after fleeing domestic abuse has access to a safe home would help ensure people are given the safety and security they need to rebuild their lives
Hub property provided to Solace Women’s Aid
Prison release work
Housing First with Solace Women’s Aid
No one allowed to return to a perpetrator. Accommodation always provided
Future Crisis partnership work

6. New innovations
We need to hear the customers voice and experience to challenge us to be better in the future.
We assist the most vulnerable through Housing First and provide intensive support for each individual to sustain their tenancies.
We assist those with support needs into supported housing
We provide accommodation in the private sector and put the power in the hands of the clients to find accommodation for themselves
We work with external agencies including job centre, health services, Beam, etc. to assist them with issues outside of housing
Before the HRA 2017 we would not have completed these tasks to resolve their homelessness, basic advice and assistance.
20% of our TA is provided to vulnerable households without dependents
60% of our approaches are now from singles which shows single people have confidence that we are helping them

7. New innovations
Having the right resources (landlords, agents, Self help scheme, incentive payments, nightly hostels, staffs)
More prevention cases via NFNO, visiting officers & Private Tenancies Team
Working in partnership with public bodies such as Job centre plus, CGL, Thames Reach, probation etc.
Support from the Resettlement service
The prevention hub referral (visiting officers, NFNO, Private Tenancies Team, Procurement, Resettlement,  Financial Inclusion team)
Engagement and understanding of and with the PRS sector. This includes a solution based approach to structural challenges such as LHA and welfare reform. Schemes developed NFNO, PRS preventions and Property finding service. The evolution of Help 2 Rent and landlords forums.
Partnership working with key stakeholders, Shelter, supported housing pathways - introduction of a same day assessment and referral for singles to supported housing