“ending rough sleeping in south east london” 6 december 2010

““Ending Rough Ending Rough Sleeping Sleeping

in South East in South East London”London”

6 December 2010

Ending Rough Sleeping in South East London

SELHP PrOMPT ANALYSIS

Lydia Lewinson

SELHP Homelessness Co-ordinator


PrOMPT is a toolkit

•designed to help local authorities and service providers identify opportunities for early interventions to prevent rough sleeping.

•means to learn from the views and experiences of rough sleepers in order to provide interventions that meet their needs.

•an audit of individual journeys into rough sleeping.



STAGE ONE

Settled accommodation


Demographics

Experiences of 93 individuals

Male 75 (80.65%) Female 17 (18.28%)(No answer 1)

Age count Percentage

18-25 5 5.38%

26-35 20 21.51

36-45 33 35.48

46-55 27 29.03

56-65 6 6.45

No answer 2 2.15%


Ethnicity profileWhite - British (1) 56 60.22% White - other (2) 8 8.60% Black/Black British - Caribbean (11) 8 8.60% Black/Black British - African (12) 10 10.75% Black/Black British - other (13) 3 3.23% Mixed - White and Black Caribbean (3) 1 1.08% Mixed - other (6) 1 1.08% Asian/Asian British - Indian (7) 1 1.08% Asian/Asian British - Pakistani (8) 0 0.00% Asian/Asian British - Bangladeshi (9) 0 0.00% Asian/Asian British - other (10) 0 0.00% Chinese (14) 0 0.00% Mixed - White and Black African (4) 0 0.00% Mixed - White and Asian (5) 0 0.00% Other 2 2.15% No answer 3 3.23%


12 1 1 1

21

70

2

2

21

14 1 England

IrelandScotlandGuyanaJamaicaKenyaNigeriaRomaniaRussiaSaudi ArabiaSierra LeoneSingaporeSwedenTrinidadUSANot disclosed

Other – prison, stayed in a restaurant, hostel x 2

Accommodation Frequency PercentagePrivate rented sector 23 24.73% Local Authority allocation (LA/HA) 11 11.83% Housing Association direct let 1 1.08% Owner occupier/joint owner 2 2.15% With friends 3 3.23% With partner 21 22.58% Family home - parents 21 22.58% Family home - extended family 6 6.45% Foster care/looked after 0 0.00% Overseas 1 1.08% Other 4 4.3%

Last settled accommodation


Where was the accommodation? Bexleyheath Plumstead Greenwich Orpington Bromley Southwark Crystal

Palace Brixton Lambeth Croydon Bexhill Essex Whitechapel Westminster West London Newham Potters Bar

Leicester Lincoln Bradford Derbyshire Bolton Cyprus Ireland Addis Ababa,

Ethiopia

Kent Canterbury Bexhill Essex Newham Potters Bar Hertfordshire


What was the main reason for leaving?

Relatives/parents no longer able/willing to accommodate 7.5%Relationship breakdown 39.8%Mortgage arrears 1.1%Rent arrears 4.3%Evicted due to breach of tenancy 4.3%End of tenancy 1.1%Went into custody 11.8%Other 26.88%


What was the main reason for leaving?

Relationship breakdown 39.8%

Violent 11.9%Non-violent 19.3% Bereavement 3.2%Drug/alcohol use 10.8%Financial difficulties 2.15%


What one thing would have kept you in your last settled accommodation?

•Finance/income

•Employment

•Relationships

•Access to accommodation

•Access to information or support

•Family/Relationships

•Behaviour

•Nothing/Don’t know


48.4% people were rough sleeping in the local area

51.6% had moved into the area What drew you into the sub-region? 54.84% no real reason givenHomelessness services 6Family and friends 13Had to leave the area they were residing in 1

Aware of services 10 said “yes” 33 said “No”

Locality


How long ago were you living in the last settled accommodation?

1-6 months 106 -12 months 91 - 2 years 172 - 5 years 225 - 10 years 16More than 10 years 17 (18%)

•41% had resided between 1-5 years in last settled accommodation•35.5% had resided for over five years in their last settled accommodation


Did you access any support or advice before leaving?None 54%Services for Homelessness people 20.43% When asked any support or advice wanted but not accessed 50% of respondents said none

Those who did Local Council Housing departmentService for homeless people 25% Services for the general public 7.5%Specific advice for certain issues/groups 12%Other 8%


What type of support did you want or need but did not access?

None 47Day centre 1Homelessness Advice services 12Local Housing Department 8Outreach & resettlement 1Employment & Training 2Social Services 3Probation 1Job Centre Plus 1Legal advice 1General health 1Alcohol and drugs 3Mental health 1Young people 1



STAGE TWO

Settled home to rough sleeping


Pathway into rough sleeping


Vague responses around the transition into rough sleeping, no clear trends or patterns, some people 13 made informal arrangements in borough and about 7 made arrangements outside of the borough they became homeless in (Hackney, Lambeth, Whitechapel, Croydon, Highbury, Gipsy Hill, North of England)

Pathway into rough sleeping


Any services or support accessed during this time between leaving and going into rough sleepingNone 39Friends and family 2Services for homeless people 37Services for general public 5Specific advice for certain issues/group 12Other 10

Was there any support or advice you wanted but didn’t access?39 people didn’t want anyServices for homeless people 34Services for the general public 3 (Employment/Training, Job Centre Plus, Social services)Specific advice for certain issues/group 5 Other 7


What one thing could have stopped you from rough sleeping at this point

•Access or help to get accommodation/housing•Information/knowledge about services•Drug advice and services•Temporary accommodation for longer than 2 nights•General help and assistance•Being able to mend broken relationships•Having money•Resettlement whilst in prison•Employment•Medication•Access to hostel for rough sleepers


SELHP PrOMPT ANALYSISSTAGE THREE

Rough sleeping


Instances one Two-five Six-ten More than ten

Unable to say

No answer

Actual 13 34 5 12 24 5

From the first time of rough sleeping to the last time

How long did the unsettled period cover:1 to 4 weeks 71 to 3 months 123 to 6 months 96 to 12 months 61 to 2 years 162 to 5 years 165 to 10 years 13More than 10 years 14Between 5 and 10 years (29%)


Accommodation type No Details

None 19

Informal arrangements(squat/friends etc)

48 14 (in borough) 5 (out of borough)6 (both in and out) 2 (don’t know where)

Emergency accommodation(direct access hostel/night shelter)

30 4 (in borough) 2 (out of borough)6 (both in and out) 1 (don’t know where)

Specialist accommodation 2

Long-term or independent accommodation

6

Institution 12

Other 5

In between the rough sleeping where did you stay?


“My first period of rough sleeping slept in Central London. Then I came to Greenwich because I was told about a supported housing/work project here. More recently when homeless again slept rough in Greenwich for one night, then went to Central London and the Passage Day Centre, and was told that the policy had changed and that I needed to go back to Greenwich. I continued sleeping in Greenwich in a stairwell of a block of flats.”

Is there a formal referral reconnection process which is used to refer someone back to their “home” borough?


Any support or advice accessed during the time of rough sleeping

None 16Family and friends 0Services for homeless people 70Services for general public 6Specific advice for certain issues/group 12Other 11

Any support or advice wanted but not accessed at this stageNone 53 (over 50% not wishing to engage)


Any accommodation wanted but not accessed

None 26Family and friends 7Emergency accommodation (B&B, Night Shelter, DA Hostel) 42Long term care/support 6Specialist accommodation 2Long term-or independent accommodation 32Other 11

Any support or advice wanted but not accessed at this stageNone 53 (over 50% not wishing to engage)

3.6i How often did you access?

once Occasionally Regularly No Answer

Day Centres 2 5 16 70How did you find the service accessed?

Positive Negative Neither No answer

Day Centres 18 3 1 71

How often did you access?


Homelessness Advice Service

0 1 4 88

How did you find the service accessed?

Positive Negative Neither No answer

Homelessness Advice Service

3 1 1 88

How often did you access?


Local Council Housing department

2 0 2 89

How did you find the service accessed?

Positive Negative Neither No Answer

Local Council Housing department

2 1 1 89



STAGE FOUR

Moving away from

rough sleeping


Length of time since you have last slept rough14 – still sleeping rough1 to 4 weeks 121 to 3 months 143 to 6 months 126 to 12 months 23Over a year 15No answer 3

Accommodation type No DetailsNone 14Informal arrangements(squat/friends etc)

1

Emergency accommodation(direct access hostel/night shelter)

23 Mainly in borough

Second stage accommodation 0Long-term care and support 0Specialist accommodation 2Long-term or independent accommodation

10 Private rented sector 4 In borough 3 out of borough

Institution 1Other 4

What one thing made the biggest difference in ending your rough sleeping?

•Being able to access or being offered accommodation•Detox in prison and links to St Mungos outreach on release•Rolling shelter•St Giles Trust x 8•Local Council Housing Department•Housing/getting clean/BCDP•Diagnosis of Mental Health condition•Hostel accommodation and outreach workers•Own bed/accommodation•Changing my lifestyle (using less and now on script)•Getting in touch with my children•Being found by an outreach team•St Giles, St Mungos, Equinox, Housing Options•‘Freedom to be myself’


Conclusion

• A number of people lost there original accommodation because of a prison sentence and appear hidden in the stats. Increase in Resettlement work required

• High percentage had issues with drugs and alcohol and spoke about the local drug community - earlier access to programmes

• Consistent message approx 50% chose not to access or engage with services

• Safer environment for rough sleeping• After their initial approach people approached the

Housing Departments, access less and less throughout the stages but homelessness services increased

• Unemployment/temporary contracts and maintaininga tenancy can be challenging and support needed.


Conclusion• Outreach and Resettlement services were key to

engaging with and assisting these rough sleepers into accommodation

• What is the visibility of services to vulnerable people?• Both inward and outward migration, 50% were local

residents• Identifying how housing benefit signpost people to• help and support, when benefit entitlement changes

and could lead to the loss of accommodation• Routes for families to access family mediation and

support, before and after relationship breakdown • Advice for people facing rent arrears in the private

sector• Access to accommodation to avoid rough sleeping



Lydia Lewinson

[email protected]

SELHP Homelessness Co-ordinator

“ending rough sleeping in south east london” 6 december 2010

Documents

rough sleeping

south east london slide

south east london prompt

settled accommodation

ending ro

experiences of rough

mixed white

blackblack british african