Coventry Partnership Rough Sleeping Strategy 2019-2024

Preface

Coventry published its first Rough Sleeping Strategy in December 2019, in line with a requirement by the Government for all areas to have a strategy to prevent and tackle rough sleeping. From the outset it was accepted that the successful delivery of the Rough Sleeping Strategy and Action Plan was not in the Council's power alone. Therefore, a One Coventry partnership approach is the only way that we will be able to ensure successful realisation of our vision, therefore the strategy needed to be owned, supported, and delivered by ensuring effective collaboration and partnership working.

The Rough Sleeping Strategy and its Action Plan where reflective of and intrinsically linked to the Council’s Housing and Homelessness Strategy The two strategies needed to be considered and delivered in tandem. The Housing and Homelessness Strategy sets the vision for housing in the city and our priorities. Under Theme 1 it describes developing measures to tackle rough sleeping and support vulnerable people who are (or are at risk of) rough sleeping and understanding the reasons for non-engagement.

Since the approval of the strategy in 2019 there has been a world-wide pandemic. Obviously, this has had a number of serious and negative impacts on individuals and society as a whole. In regard to rough sleeping there have been a number of positive outcomes in regard to our ability to accommodate and support some of the most entrenched rough sleepers in Coventry. The impact of this can be seen in the number of people accommodated as part of the ‘Everyone-In’ initiative.

The government defines rough sleeping as being a person who is ‘bedded down’ (sleeping/trying to sleep) or ‘about to bed down’ in the open air or another place not designed for habitation. This will include being on the street, in a doorway, park, derelict building, bus/train station, tent or car. A person’s housing status is not relevant; the key criteria is that they have been found ‘bedded down’/’about to bed down’ in a place where someone ordinarily wouldn’t try to sleep.

Very few people choose rough sleeping as a permanent lifestyle option. Many people will have held tenancies or been supported in specialist housing but have been unable to sustain or manage the accommodation provided. This is often due to complex life experiences such as loss of job, family breakdown, bereavement, periods in care or prison, and serious health issues, or personal lifestyle choices such as substance misuse, criminal behaviour, or street culture activities. These issues can often lead to a harmful cycle of multiple exclusions from services.

Rough sleeping is the most visible and acute form of homelessness. The life expectancy of long-term rough sleepers is 47yrs compared to 77yrs for the general population. Rough sleeping is emotive, and it generates public interest, which can be both negative and positive. Witnessing people sleeping rough can evoke negative feelings, which generate uncomfortable, challenging questions for individuals, as well as organisations.

Those affected most by rough sleeping are often hard to engage with, defensive, do not welcome intervention and often have deep rooted mistrust of statutory organisations. However Rough sleeping is not in a single statutory function’s ability to resolve. Partnership, joint accountability, and responsibility are required across all organisations who engage or work with people who are either at risk of or sleeping rough in Coventry.

The Government published its new national Rough Sleeping Strategy in September 2022. This has been reviewed to ensure our local approach is in line with the government's approach

The Vision

Our vision for the city and rough sleepers in 2019 was that

We will eradicate rough sleeping in Coventry

And we will do this by:

As a city working creatively and collectively to prevent people from having to sleep rough and ensuring that every individual person who is sleeping on the street will receive support and advice to secure and maintain, safe suitable accommodation with the aim of eliminating rough sleeping in the city in 2022…… and that we would achieve this as a partnership by delivering our priorities and objectives as part of an agreed plan.

In line with the National Rough Sleeping Strategy, as a partnership our rough Sleeping Strategy was designed using the 3 areas described as the 3 core pillars:

• To prevent new people from starting to sleep rough.
• To intervene rapidly when people start to sleep rough to help them off the street.
• To promote a person’s recovery once they are off the street to build positive lives and not to return to rough sleeping

As a partnership we agreed what was needed under each pillar to succeed in achieving our joint vision of eradicating rough sleeping. We checked with and sourced feedback regarding our proposals from people who had used or were still using homeless services in Coventry and used this to inform our action plan.

The below table Illustrates the agreed outcomes for the 2019- 2024 Strategy. The key indicates where things have been:

• A- Achieved - one-off action that was completed
• OG- Ongoing - something was put in place to meet the objective, action is now mainstreamed
• IP In progress - not happening yet, action still underway to meet the aim
• S- Superseded - no longer relevant

The strategy and the supporting action plan clearly illustrated at the time the priorities and our approach to ending rough sleeping in our city – in March 2020 some 12 weeks into the life span of our Strategy and action plan the global pandemic hit.

This vision has not changed – though we also know that the success and achievements that we saw through covid 19 are fragile – we also know that as we leave one period of uncertainty and worry, we enter a new one in terms of the cost-of-living crisis that is bearing out. All these things will impact the delivery and ability of us as a partnership to eradicate rough sleeping in Coventry, but we will ensure that no one has to rough sleep and wherever possible there is an option for all.

At JCT,- Joining Communities Together, we consider our key partners to be Coventry City Council and the rough sleeping team who provide the avenue for putting the strategy into action. They provide a warm welcome for people in crisis and set the standard for how working with people should be. We see it first hand, co-located in our multi-agency hub every day. They provide a platform to link all agencies working to change rough sleepers’ lives for the better both in person and in the various forums such as the RSAG (Rough Sleepers’ Action Group).

What we have achieved

As well as delivering a number of actions within the action plan and delivering against the above we have through shifting priorities and a changing landscape delivered multiple additional actions and initiatives that further support the delivery of the action plan and strategy and help us achieve our vision regarding rough sleeping.

To illustrate our achievements, we have mapped out what we have collectively achieved, services we have developed and the opportunities that have been created as well as further identifying any gaps; we also used our local intelligence as to why people lost or left accommodation and what they needed to get back on track. We have with partners created an ‘ideal pathway’ from the street into settled accommodation and sought funding where needed to provide emergency and interim accommodation as well as ongoing support for all. We know pathways for those who are rough sleeping or with a history of rough sleeping are rarely linear so having a clear customer journey that illustrated pinch points and challenges allowed us to better understand what was needed to ensure success and helped us to ensure our plans helped us focus on people who are now accommodated and how we need to support them to adapt to being in settled accommodation.

1. Prevention, Crisis Response & Recovery Achievements

• To prevent new people from starting to sleep rough
• To intervene rapidly when people start to sleep rough to help them off the street
• Support for those who have slept rough to ensure they do not return to the streets

Staffing

We enhanced the Council's Rough Sleeping Outreach Team with specialist roles including a Complex Women’s navigator to work with women who have been accommodated and to focus on preventing rough sleeping. Working closely with women’s support services, including sex worker services to collectively case manage very complex women. Working with the transforming Mental Health board we created the role for an Advanced Clinical Practitioner Social Worker role, to support those with poor mental health who were not engaged with MH services, to help prevent evictions and abandonments. A Partnership role with public health was also created to support people around health and infectious diseases.

Daily Outreach

The Outreach team carry out a 6am outreach walk, five days a week, targeting known sites and hot spots as well as responding to Streetlink referrals and partner reports of people sleeping rough. Those found are invited in that morning to be assessed and their options explored, to support them into short term mid-term or settled accommodation. Outreach outcomes are discussed in a multi-agency ‘Flash’ meeting daily to fully explore options for individuals and help us to understand the individual reasons people rough sleep.

Out of hours, the team have implemented an ‘on-call’ facility for those at risk of sleeping that night where someone is assessed by the team and provided accommodation if appropriate.

Emergency and short-term provision - E-beds

Following the requirement, due to COVID-19, to close all shared living spaces (Night shelters) the Council and Salvation Army secured funding to convert the Harnall night shelter area into 5 self-contained emergency beds (E-beds). These beds can accommodate rough sleepers for between 1-3 nights including people without access to public funds whilst options are explored, and more permanent accommodation sought.

Interim Accommodation- Stepping Stones

Following the provision of emergency beds, we have provided, in partnership with Khalsa Aid, an 8-bed unit providing interim accommodation for up to 3 months, coupled with case worker support as a step down from the E-Beds. This accommodation allows us to provide stability and time to investigate people’s circumstances and options, with a view to moving people into settled accommodation.

Tenancy Sustainment

Post ‘Everyone In’ we have increased the number of rough sleepers we are supporting in their own accommodation, which is both mid-term (up to 2 years) and settled. This accommodation is funded by various funding streams and shares a common aim of providing accommodation with support for those rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping.

2. The Gateway

Additional funding was secured through Homes England to re-configure The Gateway to provide an additional 16 rooms specifically for rough sleepers identified by the Outreach Team. These beds are for people who still need support and are building skills and tenancy experience. 2 support workers are located at the Gateway to support these 16 former rough sleepers to move them through into permanent accommodation.

Non-UK House

The ‘CRMC House’ has 4 x subsidised rooms to accommodate non-UK nationals while specialists seek to resolve their immigration.

AFEO (Accommodation for Ex-Offenders)

Funded by an external grant the AFEO scheme seeks to provide 30 ex-offenders with new and long-term private rented accommodation, coupled with intensive case support to manage and minimise issues that may impact the tenancy. The aim is to provide intense support at the beginning of a 12-month tenancy, providing the opportunity for people to use the stability of a tenancy to have a fresh start.

Rough Sleepers Accommodation Programme Supported Tenancies

10 x properties purchased by two local RSLs, to provide mid-term tenancies (2-3 years) with additional wraparound support for people with a history of rough sleeping.

Improved Pathways

Over the last two years we have built on local partnerships with both voluntary and statutory sectors to improve pathways for rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping. This includes a dedicated mental health social worker, a Public Health infectious diseases worker and a Vulnerable and Complex Persons worker to provide multi-agency case management support for single people at risk of rough sleeping.

As well as creating new roles we have built on and created new partnerships to map and improve Coventry services.

Covid Vaccination Programme: Prevent & Vaccinate

Through the Prevent &Vaccinate grant from Central Government we provided several emergency bed spaces and vaccination clinics in multiple locations, including community buildings and on the street.

Homelessness Co-Creation & Legislative Theatre

Coventry’s City of Culture status provided an opportunity to co-create a piece of legislative theatre to explore power sharing between the Council and our customers. These principles have been used to refresh the Rough Sleeping Strategy; including multiple workshops, drop in and consultations, supported by people with lived experience.

Change into Action

With sponsorships, notably Coventry Building Society we have purchased and installed five ‘tap to donate’ consoles, for various sites across the city. The money donated by sponsors and the public has allowed us to support rough sleepers in creative ways, with a new focus on supporting those in tenancies to maintain their home.

Current picture

2019 – 2022: the impact and opportunities of Covid 19.

The landscape of rough sleeping has changed in Coventry

All local authorities were given the instruction from Government on 27th March 2020 to shut down night shelters and get “everyone in”. In that first weekend we shut down 3-night shelters / shared sleeping spaces and went out and found and accommodated 70-80 individuals in hotels.

The ‘Everyone In’ initiative was a nationwide response to the Covid pandemic, calling upon local authorities to provide emergency accommodation for rough sleepers. Over the duration of the pandemic the rough sleeper team worked out of hotels and supported 310 people who were rough sleeping or a risk of rough sleeping, finding somewhere more permanent to live for 260 of these. More than 100 people who had no recourse to public funds were supported to gain UK status so they could access accommodation, work, and benefits.

The Rough Sleeper Outreach Team has grown substantially since 2019 through the increase in the RSI funding we have received as well as through additional funding streams such as RSAP and NSAP. In addition, several posts have been created in partnership and through statutory services (Public Health/ CWPT) to further enhance the team and their ability to respond. Coventry has seen a significant decrease in the number of rough sleepers since the implementation of its rough sleeping partnership strategy and the Covid 19 emergency.

The last official count for Coventry was in November 2020 there were 12 rough sleepers found.

Bi-monthly count figures

As well as the national count we also conduct bi-monthly counts as part of the rough sleeping initiative funding requirements which helps us map patterns and trends in local rough sleeping:

Outreach walks (emergency response)

The Rough Sleeping Outreach team carry out walks 5 days per week at 6am, these cover well known locations as well as responding to Streetlink or partner referrals.

Through Outreach so far for 2022 we can see the following:

There is generally a spike in numbers during the summer months where people who have accommodation will sleep out for various reasons; wanting to stay out with friends, having an early appointment the next day in town, lost keys, etc.

RSI and other funded interventions

The strategy covers the period for which the current team is funded (2022-2025) and sets out our commitments for its delivery within this funding cycle. Any future strategy and action plan beyond this date will be informed by need as well as resources available at that point in time, which may include an ask regarding mainstreaming of resources

We have successful secured multiple funding streams over the last 18 months to support the work we do with those who find themselves rough sleeping and to support our work in terms of prevention and recovery whilst still ensuring there is always an effective and quick crisis response. The total funding award equates to £2,399,431. Our funding position for 2022/ 25 is made up of the following.

What next

Our focus to achieve our vision of eliminating rough sleeping will remain in line with the 3 pillars

Prevention, Emergency responses, Recovery

We will know that we are succeeding in addressing rough sleeping through our refreshed Partnership Strategy and Action plan, if we are continuing to deliver our vision under the 3 core pillars. Continued success cannot be achieved by working in isolation. As we have stated throughout the life of the original strategy and through our co-produced approach to its refresh that it is a partnership strategy and the responsibility and the ability to deliver it belongs to us all.

Over the coming 24 months and beyond we want to ensure that we are equipped and able to focus on prevention and recovery – whilst still responding to crisis. We know that by working up stream to prevent people returning to the street and by ensuring people are supported in their recovery we will reduce the need for crisis intervention.

To achieve our prevention objectives and priorities it is crucial that we work in tandem with, Health, MOJ, substance misuse services and our own homelessness prevention function as well as our accommodation providers in the city to be able to identify and respond quickly to those on the cusp of rough sleeping.

In terms of recovery, connecting people with services and into their communities is key to sustainability of both their home and their own well-being. We will use and exploit the opportunities that the wider work currently being done in terms of support for people with multiple and complex needs (MCN), offers to ensure that recovery is supported and effective.

Our crisis response to rough sleeping is strong – we last year achieved 100% response to street link referrals, and we will continue to meet this target. Where people do end up in crisis and on the street, we will quickly mobilise support and explore immediate, medium- and long-term interventions to support them into an appropriate housing pathway.

We will use data and qualitative information to inform our practices and priorities to ensure our approach is effective and yields the best possible outcomes for individuals.

Outcome (What success looks like)

Our aim is that everyone who finds themselves rough sleeping will receive an initial emergency accommodation offer within 24 hours with, and as a minimum a short term / interim offer being made within 48 hours. There will be sufficient accommodation options that are appropriate to people’s needs including those who are Under 25, females, those with complex needs, non-UK nationals, high risk to both themselves and others (MAPPA, violent offenders, arsonists etc) and those with AHSC needs. The crisis response will be flexible and work at key times to ensure early identification of those who find themselves rough sleeping.

If it wasn’t for the council RSOT welcoming new CGL RSOT members and working in partnership, setting up the new service would have been so much more difficult. Since April 2022, the joint working and buddying up has been invaluable.

Most new referrals for the CGL RSOT come from the council RSOT; this just proves how essential the team are not only for the new CGL RSOT, but to the cohort they work with and Coventry city.

Team Leader - Rough Sleeper Outreach Team CGL

There will be a highly effective and responsive drug and alcohol treatment will be more easily accessible for those that want it, including rehab, with a persistent and reactive outreach team, working seamlessly along with the RSOT. Those who want to be scripted will be met, assessed, and given medication within 1-2 weeks.

We will support non-UK rough sleepers (unresolved immigration status /NRPF) without settled status in any way we can, to be entitled to the benefits that allow them to find a home and thrive there. Where there is no entitlement, we will work with the designated work coach to get them into employment where possible or explore other options based on individual circumstances.

There will be few surprises in the rough sleepers we find because of the implementation of the eviction prevention and the post eviction protocols for those who are ex-rough sleepers or at risk of rough sleeping. Those leaving prison or hospital will have the duty to refer completed and where a non-priority decision has been made pre-emptive work will have been done to secure accommodation. Any new flow onto the streets would have been unavoidable with the person not being known by services in the city.

We will develop an Eviction prevention panel that will allow city-wide services to be more aware and prepared when people threatened with homelessness act together to resolve issues and either avoid or act quickly to minimise chances of someone rough sleeping (again).

There will be a greater public awareness regarding rough sleeping and the public will know how to report someone and the steps to take if they see someone rough sleeping. There will be a shared vision in the city regarding rough sleeping with policy and practice decisions and changes routinely considering the impact of those who are rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping. Individuals with lived experience will be routinely included in decision making and their opinions on service design will be routinely sought. Housing pathways will be fully understood by partners and services and expectations will be realistic.

We will have considered and explored all funding opportunities through 2022-2024 to maximise our opportunities for rough sleepers and create smoother flow through accommodation options for all.

For those who have moved away from rough sleeping there will be a continuation of wrap-around support for as long as an individual needs it – the support will be focussed on tenancy sustainment developing life skills and health and wellbeing as well as ensuring people are connected to their communities alongside support in terms of access to employment and training. Staff will have been well trained and be experts in supporting people to thrive in their new environments, continuing to manage problems and avoid crisis.

There will be a programme for Experts by Experience to access training & employment by year 3 and in 5 years we would want training and employment opportunities for formerly homeless people.

The wider commitments and work we are doing in terms of co-creation within the housing function will underpin the delivery of the rough sleeping action plan which will provide opportunities for not only involvement but meaningful contributions towards services delivery and design.

The communication and working relationship between Housing Options duty teams and outreach teams will be smooth with better information sharing, increased awareness & communication if NIPN and possibly going to rough sleep, with no surprises for either team, who are working as one team to best manage those at risk of, or already homeless.

We know There are strong correlations between homelessness and complex needs such as substance misuse and a multiplicity, and heightened severity, of both physical and mental health conditions. Research demonstrates that the cohort are:

• 50 times more likely to have Hepatitis C
• 34 times more likely to have Tuberculosis 1
• 12 times more likely to have epilepsy
• 6 times more likely to have heart disease 2
• 9 times more likely to commit suicide

Among homeless people, the mean age at death is 45.9 years for males and 43.4 years for females in 2019; in the general population of England and Wales, the mean age at death was 76.1 years for men and 80.9 years for women. We will there for work to reduce the flow of new people sleeping rough through developing in partnership with public health an effective hospital discharge protocol and improve joined up working with the NHS and partners.

The Government's new rough sleeping strategy (published September 2022) sets out how the government intends to work with partners to eliminate rough sleeping. This includes the fact that prevention is at the heart of the cross-government strategy that recognises the need to work across disciplines to prevent rough sleeping. Where rough sleeping does occur, the aim is to ensure that it is:

• rare
• brief
• non-reoccurring  

Consultation

The refreshed Rough Sleeping strategy and Action Plan has been co-produced with partners and people with lived experience of homelessness. We ran 3 workshops with customers and partners as part of the development process as well as providing opportunities for people to comment and be involved through drop-in sessions run at various centres and accommodation locations The delivery of the priorities in the revised action plan, we hope, will be achieved through a process of co-creation and production. The Action plan clearly illustrates what we still want to and need to achieve in the city, both in terms of the priorities for people who use our service but also the actions needed to achieve our vision and aspirations in line with our funding asks. The action plan will continue to grow and change over time as the environment we are working in is forever changing and shifting and we will ensure those people who the strategy most impacts are continually included in its delivery and review.

But as a city we will eradicate rough sleeping

We will do this by:

“As a city working creatively and collectively to prevent people from having to sleep rough and by ensuring that every individual person who is sleeping on the street will receive support and advice to secure and maintain, safe suitable accommodation with the aim of eliminating rough sleeping in the city in 2022”.

Monitoring delivery

The requirement to publish a Rough Sleeping Strategy sits with the local authority. However, our One Coventry approach means that this is a Partnership Strategy. Accountability and the monitoring and scrutiny of its delivery will be equally through the city Council's internal governance structures and through our partnership forum who will receive 6 monthly updates on delivery and outcomes.

As part of our continued commitments to co-creation and power sharing with people who have and still use services, we will create a feedback and oversight committee to ensure delivery against the targets from a service users’ perspective.