Analysis of Duties and Performance
Our review evaluates how local authorities are fulfilling their statutory responsibility in partnership with VCSE partners, particularly under the Homelessness Reduction Act, Housing Act, and other related legislation.
We assess the efficiency and effectiveness of collaborative working arrangements, focusing on the systems in place to prevent homelessness and support rough sleepers. This includes mapping gaps in provision, reviewing performance, and identifying where VCSE partnerships can be leveraged to better meet legal duties and improve outcomes.
The review also examines how partnerships with the VCSE sector are being utilized to enhance housing allocations, homelessness prevention efforts, and temporary accommodation services. By analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of these collaborations, we aim to provide actionable insights into where processes can be improved for better service delivery.
Efficiency, Compliance, and Innovation
Our approach emphasizes practical strategies for improving compliance with statutory duties while strengthening local authority-VCSE partnerships.
By enhancing collaboration, local authorities can meet legal obligations more efficiently and provide more accurate, responsive services for rough sleepers.
We explore innovative approaches, including data-driven insights and digital tools, and how VCSE partnerships can play a role in implementing these solutions.
These strategies help maximize impact, improve outcomes for individuals, and address financial and operational constraints, ensuring more effective service delivery.
Upstream Prevention
In addition to evaluating current service delivery, we prioritize upstream prevention efforts aimed at reducing the inflow of individuals into the service. Through our review, we assess local authorities’ preventive initiatives that tackle root causes, such as housing instability, economic hardship, and health-related vulnerabilities.
Upstream Prevention Strategies include:
- Early Identification and Intervention: Collaborating with local VCSE services to identify individuals and families at risk, enabling timely intervention.
- Partnerships with VCSE Health and Care Services: Ensuring mental health, addiction, and social services are well-integrated, providing comprehensive support to those at risk.
- Community-Based Resources: Strengthening support systems in communities to reduce housing instability before it leads to homelessness.
By enhancing community-based prevention efforts, we enable local authorities to reduce overall homelessness demand, lessen the financial strain on homelessness services, and improve long-term outcomes.
Methodology
We use a combination of qualitative and quantitative data to assess local authority-VCSE collaborations in delivering homelessness services. Data is gathered through:
• Analysis of statutory homelessness data (e.g., from Jigsaw, H-CLIC, and local systems).
• Structured interviews with individuals with lived experience of rough sleeping and with those accessing homelessness services, particularly those with complex needs such as mental health issues, addiction, or domestic violence.
• Stakeholder engagement with statutory staff and VCSE partners, focusing on collaboration and shared service delivery strategies.
Our interviews extend to service staff and relevant VCSE groups to ensure comprehensive insights into the effectiveness of these partnerships in meeting the needs of rough sleepers.
Stakeholder Engagement
We prioritize engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including service users, homelessness staff, and external service providers.
Our engagement process is inclusive and diverse, with accessibility measures in place for both in-person and remote interactions.
We develop strong working relationships with local authority statutory homelessness services and VCSE sector representatives, fostering a collaborative approach that ensures a well-rounded understanding of service delivery challenges and opportunities for improvement.
Comparative Analysis
We research and compare best practices from other local authorities and highlight opportunities for innovation.
Our analysis mainly includes those involving work between local authorities and the VCSE sector, providing examples of where partnership working has led to significant improvements in outcomes.
In particular, where there are opportunities to learn from successful pilot projects and more radical approaches applied which ‘break the mould’ with associated improvements in outcomes, these will be highlighted in the report.
Within Scope
- Rough sleeping and street homelessness services.
- Supported accommodation services.
- Temporary accommodation (quality, suitability, and location).
- Social housing, with a focus on VCSE partnerships that support homelessness services.
- Compliance with legislation and legal duties, specifically including contracting or relying on collaboration with the VCSE sector to fulfil duties.
- Internal and external inter-agency collaboration to prevent and relieve homelessness.
- LA Human resource capacity and access to resources.
- Use of formal and informal measures to address anti-social behavior linked to rough sleeping, involving collaboration with both statutory bodies and the VCSE sector.
Legislation
The review considers key legislation such as the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, Domestic Abuse Act 2021, and other relevant housing and homelessness legislation, assessing how VCSE partnerships help local authorities comply with these laws.
Proposed Timeline
The data-gathering phase, particularly interviews with individuals with lived experience, the statutory team, and community partners, is subject to variables such as the number, diversity, and complexity of cases. These factors could influence the precise duration of this phase but will not affect the project’s deadline.
The timeline is illustrative and can be adapted to meet local requirements.
- Month 1:
- Initiation, review of policies, procedures, data systems, and collaboration frameworks between local authorities and the VCSE sector.
- Month 1-Month 3:
- Stakeholder interviews, data gathering from local authorities and VCSE partners, and best practices research.
- Month 4-Month 5:
- Data analysis, comparative review with best practices, initial report drafting, and stakeholder feedback.
- Month 6:
- Final report submission and presentation to senior leadership teams.
Outputs
We will deliver:
- An initial discovery paper outlining the approach and key areas of focus.
- Evidence of staff and stakeholder consultation, including feedback from individuals with lived experience.
- A comprehensive report detailing findings and recommendations, with a focus on enhancing local authority-VCSE collaboration.
- A presentation of findings and recommendations (upon request).
Benefits of Independent Review
An independent review provides local authorities with an unbiased assessment of their partnership with the VCSE sector in delivering homelessness services.
By identifying areas of improvement, local authorities can strengthen collaborations, enhance compliance, and optimize service delivery.
Through this process, local authorities can ensure more effective resource allocation, address challenges creatively, and improve outcomes for rough sleepers by leveraging the expertise and capacity of the VCSE sector.
Costing & Budget Considerations
We offer flexible pricing structures that allow local authorities to prioritize urgent needs and services, with phased payments aligned with project milestones. This ensures our review provides long-term value while addressing financial pressures.
Prepared by: Lloyd Hobbard-Mitchell
Negotiable Day Rate: (outside IR35)
Email: lloydhm@smallchangerevolution.com
Tel: 07970198992