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- 1. BY Beck Associates Limited November 2012 LATCH ; PUNCHING ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT A report for the for the City Bridge Trust The report will identify that there is a significant amount of benefit that accrues by the ongoing collaboration between the LATCH service and many other homeless/housing organisations. The report will outline and quantify the added value and the savings made to Bromley Council and wider society as a result of this collaboration. The investigation will concentrate on individual life costing calculations of those clients in receipt of state funded accommodation and benefit and through time/efficiency savings in the resource of other housing professionals. The report will highlight how the LATCH office acts as a support centre not just for dispossessed and vulnerable young people but also for other housing and social organisations within the London Borough of Bromley and suggest areas for business development and improvement – investigating whether the LATCH model could also be implemented by other London Boroughs and organisations such as Churches Together. A key area of focus will be what would happen if the LATCH service disappeared.
- 2. 12/3/2012 LATCH ; PUNCHING ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT A report for the for the City Bridge Trust 1. Introduction and Scope 2. Provisional Analysis • Local Provision – Bromley • National Provision – London Boroughs 3. Outline of the Service • Benefits and advantages • Costs – social and other • Intangible benefits and costs • Case Studies 4. Summary 5. Conclusion and Recommendation • Benefits of Social Investment & Social Impact • Social Investment Model • Social Return on Investment (SROI) • Wider impact and outcomes on society at local and national level • Human cost and benefits 2
- 3. 12/3/2012 • Economic and financial outcomes • Intangible Benefits 1. Introduction and Scope Of the 40,020 homeless households in priority need that are accepted by local authorities in England in 2009-10, 39% or 15,520 were young people aged between 16 and 24.1 Other agencies report the number of young people as a much higher figure if the whole of the United Kingdom is taken into account; “80,000 young people a year experience homelessness in the UK every year”.2 Indeed, in a major review of youth homelessness in 2008 the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that an annual total of around 75,000 people aged between 16 and 24 experienced some form of homelessness. This equates to around almost 1 out of a 100 of all young people in the UK.3 Bromley Churches Housing Action (BCHA) is a registered charity set up in 1988 to provide accommodation for young and vulnerable single homeless people aged between 16 and 25 within the London Borough of Bromley. Under the LATCH (Living Amicably Together in Caring Home) Project which began in 1996 the charity seeks to match homeless clients who are 1 Statistics on Homeless Young People, A summary of key facts and figures, Homeless Link, January 2011 2 From the Centrepoint web site 3 For further details please see: www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/2220-homelessness-young- people.pdf 3
- 4. 12/3/2012 young, single and vulnerable with ordinary householders who have a spare bedroom and who are willing to offer this room to accommodate the client. Referrals to the LATCH project are made from a extensive range of organizations and as a consequence the project has strong collaborative links with the following groups; Langley Park School for Girls, JusB, Community Link, Housing Benefit Department for Bromley Borough Council, Streetwise, The Salvation Army, The Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Bromley Y, Bromley Job Centre Plus, Bromley Youth Offenders Team, Orpington Foodbank and the Homeless Person’s Unit. The staff of the LATCH Project provides ongoing support to the client base (the young homeless people) and the host base (the family or individual who provide the spare room). Risk and need assessments are carried out by staff and an Individual Support Plan is drawn up for each client in order to assist them in finding employment, entering further education, acquiring life skills and finally moving into permanent independent living accommodation. The original remit of the Project was to simply find accommodation for clients; all other outcomes are added value and have evolved over the years. The scope of this project will be defined by the overall activities of the LATCH organization and it will illustrate what is accomplished by LATCH, how much this costs and how much time and money the project is saving the wider society by positively intervening in these young homeless people’s lives. In order to do this two separate case studies will be investigated and the successful outcomes of the project will be reported and investigated in detail. 2. Provisional Analysis Local Provision within the London Borough of Bromley The Borough of Bromley is the largest of the 33 London Boroughs, situated in the south east of the capital with a recorded population of 301,900 (2007). In March 2007, there were 132,747 dwellings in the borough. Of those, 16,261 were housing association and 116,486 (87%) were owner/occupier or private rented. The supply of affordable social housing available to let has steadily declined over the last few years and has contributed to the unmet homeless demand figures. Homelessness derives both from an inadequate 4
- 5. 12/3/2012 supply of social housing but often reflects wider issues, for example, when people face inherent or complex social and financial problems that make it difficult for them to sustain their accommodation. Interestingly one of Bromley’s key objectives in developing their homelessness strategy is “continuing and developing the partnership working to remove the barriers that exist to ensure that there are clear pathways for people in housing need”. This offers clear encouragement to schemes similar to LATCH to work in partnership with the Council in order to solve the problems of a lack of social housing. Indeed a list of the council’s key partners in housing and homelessness makes for extensive reading although it needs to be pointed out that LATCH shares many of these partners :- • Federation of Bromley Housing Associations • Specialist housing and support providers • Private sector housing providers including landlords and letting agents • Bromley Women’s Aid • Supporting People • Police and Probation Services • Oxleas NHS Trust and Bromley Primary Care Trust • Local solicitors • Streetwise Law centre • Bromley Churches Housing Action • Local advocacy groups • Citizens Advice Bureau • LATCH Project • iPAD • Bromley Mind • Shelter • Community drug and alcohol services including the Drug Action Team • Homelessness Directorate within the Department for Communities and Local • Government • Environmental health and Trading Standards • Community Safety Partnership • South East London Housing Partnership • Outmates • Domestic Violence Forum • Schools and Education As the Council puts it in their own words “The continuity and development of such partnerships are fundamental to the delivery of the Homelessness 5
- 6. 12/3/2012 Strategy objectives.” This report will not attempt to compare the services offered by the LATCH project with the services offered by the Council’s extensive list of partners, suffice to note that the LATCH project has a wide variety of allies and competitors. The six strategic themes of the Council’s plan to tackle homelessness are:- 1. Prevention of homelessness through accessible and innovative services, giving effective, timely housing advice and support to allow people to maintain their accommodation. 2. Supporting vulnerable people through effective assessment and co- ordinated decision making, offering more choice to independent living through suitable housing options 3. Reduction of homelessness through proactive partnership working, developing the range of solutions and promoting opportunities for people in housing need 4. Reducing the use of temporary accommodation through increasing the opportunity to access other housing sectors 5. Improve the access, availability and quality of housing across all tenures and types, for people in housing need 6. Increasing life opportunities and promoting independence for people in housing need by improving support and access to health, education and employment This report will aim to show amongst other things that the LATCH project is supporting each one of the Council’s strategic themes and that the disappearance of the project would reduce the impact of the Council’s strategy. Indeed Wendy Norman who is the Contracts and Compliance Manager for the Borough of Bromley’s commissioning division says in reference to the LATCH project in 2012 “The LATCH project continues to offer a high quality service which is well thought of by young people, their carer’s and relatives”. National Provision Housing Associations are the main providers of affordable housing in the country providing 2.5 million homes for 5 million people and building more than 43,000 homes in 2011-12. They are independent, not for profit social businesses that provide both homes and support people in housing need, as well as key community services. However for young and vulnerable people who have little life experience the whole process of applying to go on to a housing association waiting list is daunting, the paperwork is complicated and more often than not 6
- 7. 12/3/2012 homeless families rather than homeless single young people are prioritised to the top of the waiting lists. Faith in affordable housing is a free web based service which gives practical and technical information to assist churches in providing affordable housing. The service assists churches in renovating or developing their properties and changing the use to affordable accommodation, whilst praiseworthy and innovative the scheme has no specific aim to help young and vulnerable people. Centrepoint Mentoring Programme, Centrepoint’s nationally recognised mentoring programme for homeless young people was established in 2010. In the first two years, 128 of the people Centrepoint works with accessed the scheme. Their volunteer mentors work one to one with young people, empowering them to raise their aspirations, build their confidence and improve their motivation. 5 key areas are worked on with clients by the mentors; learning, work, health, home and engagement. The homeless bound booklet produced by the National Housing Federation sums up the national picture succinctly; “The social and financial costs of homelessness are well documented. It is estimated that the UK spends £1 billion a year to prevent and deal with homelessness, including bed and breakfast accommodation, leased and hostel accommodation, general administration and welfare. The cost to the health services from rough sleeping is particularly acute. Working together to tackle homelessness is therefore not just a social imperative but an economic one; in a time of austerity and limited resources it is more pressing than ever to invest in preventative services rather than allowing problems to escalate.” The booklet goes on to say “a perfect storm may be brewing for authorities inside and outside the capital seeking to accommodation homeless households.” 4 East Thames Group5 runs the biggest foyer in the country and provides services mainly for young people. The unit opened in 2009 and they have 116 units. Their slogan is “from Dependence to Independence” and the scheme prides itself on helping young people to become a contributing citizen. They outline the main problems of young people as being caught in a vicious circle of depravity, lack of educational and training opportunity and chaotic lives. Since April 2012 the project has helped 239 young people into work at an estimated saving to the State of £552,500. 4 Both quotes from Homeless bound? , The National Housing Federation, London, 2012 pp 28-29 5 http://www.east-thames.co.uk/barking-foyer 7
- 8. 12/3/2012 One of the key negative factors surrounding Foyers is that they are expensive to run. As we will see later in this report the average cost of provision of foyer accommodation in West Sussex is £130 per night or £910 per week. Compared to the costs attached to providing accommodation via the LATCH project (£110 per week plus a relatively small management/administration cost) this is an extremely large amount of money. Unlike the LATCH project foyer schemes do not always provide moving on support. The LATCH office, made up of xx staff are on hand to provide further support and assistance once the client has moved on to a positive outcome. The continuation of this floating support has been important to the success of the project and contributed intangible benefits such as goodwill. A further issue surrounding foyer provision is that the living environment can create high future expectations and make it more difficult for clients to move on to independent living, whereas those clients who have been placed with host families will often develop life skills more quickly to help them break away from dependency. The LATCH model does not foster dependency in any way, rather it uses empowerment to ensure that young people can begin to determine their own future and independence. The cost of placing and administering clients within LATCH is borne by the project, which receives funding and support from a number of sources including; local churches, individual donations, fundraising, charitable trusts and funding from Bromley Borough Council. What is clear from looking at areas of national provision of housing for young and vulnerable people is that organisations and service providers are keen to promote themselves through their ability to define cost savings to central government. In order to box clever and follow trends in best practice the LATCH project needs to do the same. This report will quantify what savings and wider socio-economic contributions both tangible and intangible the scheme has made to society. Nightstop is the provision of emergency accommodation specifically for single homeless 16-25 year olds in the homes of approved volunteers. The host offers a bed for the night, meals, an opportunity for the young person to bath and wash their clothes and a friendly listening ear. The approach is intended to keep the young person in a safe and friendly environment whilst allowing agencies time to look at the alternatives available to the young person or maybe even to use mediation services to help them to return to family where this is appropriate. This is a short-term and solution focused approach that could offer the possibility of being expanded to other 8
- 9. 12/3/2012 age and client groups. Nightstops are currently administered by Depaul UK . West Sussex County Council commission the YMCA to operate a Nightstop and 4 week long stays are used in order to assess the needs of young clients before alternative accommodation is investigated. Provision of support for young and vulnerable homeless people in West Sussex is dominated by the YMCA who recently won a new tender for joint provision. The main difficulty faced by the County is its geographic size and make up; it is divided in 6 districts and 1 Borough. The Stoneham Phoenix project in Worthing offers 14 spaces for young and vulnerable people aged between 16 and 25. Placements are arranged through the Housing Services department of Worthing Borough Council. There are two buildings which are provided with 24 hour a day cover by 4 full time and 4 part time staff. An extension to this project provides a service similar to LATCH by offering places for a maximum of 5 young people with host families in the Worthing area. A problem that would face the further development of a LATCH type scheme in many areas of West Sussex is the number of deprived areas in the County and the proportionately low percentage of home owner occupiers in these areas. A further issue is the varying levels of housing benefit in the county which range from £68 to £78 per week with the average cost of a rented room in a shared house running at £100 per week. Although the County has almost stopped using bed and breakfast accommodation the costs associated with other forms of provision such as Foyers (£130 per night) are high. However if a LATCH type scheme were to move into West Sussex the County Council would look how to work together with the scheme and there would also be a possibility of the Council commissioning the service. The Jericho Road Project is a project that provides services for homeless people both old and young. The project is run through Kings Church in Catford Hill and is rooted in the declarations of Isaiah 61 and God’s love of each person. Since 2004 the project has operated low support houses for those people who are ready to move to a more settled way of life. Their housing provides accommodation and support for 26 people within 6 houses. Rough sleepers, the homeless, ex-offenders and those coming out of substance abuse rehab and those with mental health issues are all catered for. Each resident has a Personal Support Plan and a designated 9
- 10. 12/3/2012 key worker who they meet with on a weekly basis to discuss employment, health, relationships and spiritual matters. Rent is deliberately kept at a reasonable level in order to encourage residents to seek employment. Training opportunities are also provided to all residents and include basic food hygiene and first aid. There would be high value in direct collaboration with this project in order for the LATCH project to share its SROI findings. In 2010 similar numbers of clients have been assisted by each project. It would also provide an opportunity for LATCH to look at the lessons that the Jericho project has learned and take on board any areas of best practice that have been developed. If the intention is for the LATCH project to move into the role of commissioning work or directly provide supported housing, then a close working relationship and knowledge of this project could prove to be invaluable. 3. Outline of the Service Benefits and Advantages Funding for the LATCH project has remained fairly steady over the past 10 years however the value being added has increased dramatically. Over the past 20 years the impact of the project has grown steadily and this report will aim to illustrate how this is accounted for on a local and national level. When the project first began the objective was to provide a room for young and vulnerable people between the ages of 18 and 25 by matching young clients with host families. The project also has the aim of meeting London Borough of Bromley contract objectives by finding accommodation and providing support to 16 and 17 year olds referred by the Support and Resettlement Team of the Council’s Housing Division. There is a raft of areas where extra business value has been added by the project and these include:- • The LATCH office acts as an advisory centre • Personal development takes place for clients and hosts • A mentoring scheme and training is in place for clients • Employment agency • Referral agency • Information Repository • Integration and collaboration with local community i.e. schools and prisons 10
- 11. 12/3/2012 In 2010 122 young and vulnerable people were referred to LATCH from a number of sources including the local authority, colleges and Citizens Advice bureaus of these 39 were eligible for the project and were successfully placed with host families. The youngest client was 16 and the oldest 24. There were 30 host families at the start of the year with a further 18 recruited during the year, unfortunately 16 host families left the scheme, often due to the host family moving out of the Borough. The support network that is provided to clients cannot be underestimated and as this has developed over the years it has enabled young people to feel as though they belong to society and can make positive contributions both to their own lives and to the lives of others. At the close of 2010 there were 26 clients in placements with host families around Bromley. 10 were studying at college, 7 were claiming job seekers allowance and actively looking for work from a position of stability, 2 were at university, 6 were working and 1 was at sixth form college.6 I am waiting for confirmation of the stats for 2011 and once received they will be included here. A piece of work carried out by Oxford Economics attempts to clarify the Social Return on Investment for the effects of direct intervention and support or “outcomes” (This is sometimes referred to as the ‘shadow price' or 'monetarization') for young people. This data gives the anticipated savings to society as a whole and also to the Exchequer (government coffers) as a result of positive changes made in the lives of young people.7 The categories that the LATCH clients fall into are people into education/training, people into employment and people into independent living. It has also been assumed that all the clients also fit into the stability of housing situation category. It is not the intention of this report to comment on the reliability or provenance of the Oxford Economics figures or data sets. The figures have been used in order to give an estimated benefit assessment to successful outcomes of the LATCH project. As can be seen from table 1.0 below in 2010 there is a considerable benefit to society as a whole and to the Exchequer from successful LATCH outcomes. The 7 people who were claiming job seekers 6 All figures used here are taken from the LATCH Annual Report 2011 7 The figures for the calculations in the table have been taken from research undertaken by Oxford Economics on behalf of Crisis and outcomes associated with their Crisis Skylight services. The document can be found at http://investors.crisis.org.uk/files/xls/sroi_calculation_2011_Actual.xls further information about Oxford Economics at Oxford Economics 11
- 12. 12/3/2012 allowance from the 26 clients have been excluded from the savings table in order that the figures represent only positive outcomes. The same 7 people have however been included in the benefit totals for those who have gained a stability of housing situation. It has been assumed that those LATCH clients involved in education will also fit into the “gained an accredited qualification” category. In summary the overall benefit gained by 19 LATCH clients is £232,056, or £12,214 per person. If gained stability of housing situation category is taken into account the overall gained benefit of 26 clients increases by an additional £1,365,260. The estimated cost of housing provision per person is calculated at £52,510 using the Oxford Economics data. This gives a total overall benefit to society and the Exchequer of £1,597,316. The table also illustrates the areas of estimated costs to society in the areas of violence, crime, drug and alcohol treatments and acute mental health problems and for the purposes of this report it has been assumed that if they did not have a stable housing environment then at least 12% of the LATCH clients would have a call on the services provided in the above categories. Crisis used their own figures and research to determine that 52% of homeless people are victims of violence during the course of 2011. In the table I have however urged on the side of caution by using a 12% estimate for LATCH clients. The assumption here is that if 3 clients had not been involved with LATCH then the minimum potential cost of treatment and services is estimated at £89,631 during 2011-12. Steph please insert table 1 at this point I am waiting for confirmation of the stats for 2011 and once received my analysis will appear here. Leave space. Steph please insert table 2 at this point Peter Shaman who is currently fund raising for a project to provide housing for ex-offenders estimates that the cost to society in related costs for a homeless person is £40,000 per year. If this figure was applied to the 26 LATCH clients then the overall cost to society in 2010 would be £1,040,000 which is a difference of £325,260 from the estimated yearly costs of providing a stable housing situation as calculated by using the Oxford Economics data which is calculated at £52,510 per person. 12
- 13. 12/3/2012 Whether we use the figure of £52,510 taken from the Oxford Economics data or the estimate of £40,000 used by Peter Shaman is a moot point. What is clear is that if the service provided by LATCH disappeared there would be a hugely significant cost to society and the Exchequer in terms of housing and service provision (including health and public protection) that was previously covered by the work of the project. If LATCH was to expand its service and offer support to more clients then the savings to society and the Exchequer would increase – this is clear to see from the figures above. It is presently beyond the scope of this report provide analysis of data prior to 2010 in terms of SROI. A recommendation is that a more detailed study of the Oxford Economics data and calculations is carried out to establish whole life project savings and benefits. Opportunities for the future of the LATCH project In a survey of services and local authorities by homeless link in December 2011 more than 70% of local authorities said that they had no shared accommodation private sector provision for young people, despite this being the only option for young people on housing benefit. 8 LATCH should be thinking of innovative solutions to this desperate lack of availability in the private sector. In January 2012 the Mayor of London refreshed the 2010 London housing strategy in light of significant challenges and changes for London’s housing across all sectors. The Chartered Institute of Housing reviewed this revision and note that “The Mayor is keen to encourage communities to become involved in building their own homes”9 The under occupation of social housing could offer a route for potential young people as clients. In collaboration with the local authority LATCH as service provider, could make referrals and a single accommodation rate could be claimed by the young person. In 2010 a public relations and marketing expert joined the LATCH project team. The logos and branding of the project have already been transformed and the corporate image enhanced. By increasing exposure it is clear that the reputation of the project will grow. The investigation of a 8 Young and Homeless – A Survey of Services and Local Authorities, Homeless Link, December 2011. 9 London housing strategy briefing, Chartered Institute of Housing, January 2012, p.10 13
- 14. 12/3/2012 more defined internet presence for the project should in the next year be a prime consideration for the team. The use and power of social media for communications and marketing activity should be fully explored via the use of blogs, Facebook and Twitter. The project would also benefit greatly by having a professional presence on Linked-In, the networking web site for business professionals. LATCH workshops have been held recently by the public relations and marketing expert to discuss areas of business development and service improvement. The assessment of project outputs and user satisfaction surveys were areas that were identified as improvement areas and these were discussed at a recent LATCH board meeting (June 2012). This area of improvement should be implemented as soon as possible in order to capture information and opinions from clients in order that response can be made. A review should also be undertaken of project outputs and what value has been added by each output. SMART advertising campaigns have already been used and investigated by the project team including the use of advertising panels on London Buses and a cinema advertisement using Pearl and Dean. In the current economic climate many charities are facing hard times and the team is constantly on the search for organizations to collaborate with. This kind of joined up working cannot be underestimated due to the fact that collaboration, if managed appropriately, can drive down operating costs and in some cases bring economies of scale. Joint advertising with sponsors could be an area worth investigating further. There may be opportunity for Bromley Churches Housing Association to develop homes with another housing association and for some of this provision to be tailored towards young vulnerable people. It may be possible to develop a similar scheme as already mentioned in this report which is being run by Housing Justice. A scheme in Alnwick, Northumberland was completed when the old church and hall needed renovation. The church was modernized and nine affordable houses were built on church land that now provides a rental income for the church. If churches are able to work in collaboration with local authorities and service providers then many more opportunities of this nature certainly exist. For the LATCH project to really be taken notice of and to enhance its reputation and position the project as a potential commissioning agent, a demonstration of saving money for the local Borough Council and wider society needs to be demonstrated. As we have already seen the project 14
- 15. 12/3/2012 draws its income from a number of sources including; local churches, individual donations, fundraising, charitable trusts and funding from Bromley Borough Council. It would be wise to assume that in future years the funding made available by the Borough Council will decrease. It is therefore important that LATCH begins to further increase income from all possible remaining sources and champions the costs advantages of housing young people with host families, rather than using more expensive provision such as foyers, night stops or bed and breakfast accommodation. Centrepoint have made clear their concerns regarding the impact that the introduction of Universal Credit is likely to have in 2013. With specific concern surrounding young people when they move into the Universal Credit model when they move out of the scope of homelessness services and on to independent living. While there will be scope for the most vulnerable young claimants to remain exempted from monthly payments and payment of the housing element directly to the claimant; “It is vital that feedback on an individual’s needs is actively sought by the Department for Work and Pensions, from voluntary sector and local statutory agencies to ensure that exception decisions are made on the basis of all available evidence”. 10 The National Housing Federation which represents 1,200 housing associations in England echoes these concerns by highlighting that the benefit cap on supported housing is likely to hit specific client groups harder than others; they identify single homeless people within this group. Crisis the national charity for single homeless people says that; “Throughout the autumn of 2011, we received anecdotal evidence from our regional teams that homelessness services throughout the country were seeing a higher proportion of younger clients, aged between 16 and 24, including greater numbers of young rough sleepers in some areas”. 11 In light of this gloomy national picture it is here that the LATCH project can provide a collaborative approach alongside other agencies locally and nationally to ensure that as much information as possible is shared in order that the needs of single young homeless people are properly assessed and met. Intangible benefits and costs 10 Centrepoint petition for concerns about the abolition of housing benefit for under 25’s. The petition and further information available at www.centrepoint.org/cuts 11 Crisis website - http://www.crisis.org.uk 15
- 16. 12/3/2012 Almost all of the organisations and authorities used in this report have recognised the massive importance of early intervention when attempting to help young and vulnerable people into independent living and accommodation. Engagement with people at the earliest opportunity is the easiest way to ensure that needs can be met and that other costs such as crime and disorder or drug and alcohol related treatment costs are kept to a minimum. Young people who feel isolated and alone are often also at their most impressionable and this can lead to gang membership and violence, which have massive associated costs to individuals and wider society. The quality of the service offered by LATCH office staff members and their knowledge and experience of dealing with young people ensures that applications are processed quickly and efficiently. Once assessed and accepted, clients are associated with a host family – this is a process that usually takes between 1 and 3 weeks and limits the amount of time that a young person will feel vulnerable and alone. “Young people experiencing homelessness can develop mental and physical health problems, accumulate problem debt, become more vulnerable to crime and find access to employment and learning further diminished”12 The LATCH project is acting as a social investment model but in many cases the benefits provided by the service are passing under the radar because they are often intangible. As can be seen from the case studies shown below clients are positively moving forward with their lives and becoming independent members of society. The service is providing a foundation stone for clients and allowing them to re-new and re-generate as individuals – must refer to the case studies how are lessons learnt and best practice been developed / used There are major social, environmental and economic investment consequences of the service that LATCH provides. There are qualitative examples of the latter in the improvement of individual worth in terms of economic, psychological and medical enhancement. Independent living often leads to relationship forming and re-integration into family life. Quantitatively the earning capacity of clients increases dramatically. If housing benefit is cut for 16-25 year olds then this Group’s earning capacity is reduced and the “Catch 22” situation of no house, no job and 12 Homelesswatch, Young and Homeless, A survey of services and local authorities, December 2011 16
- 17. 12/3/2012 no prospects continues. Alternatively secure accommodation can lead to clients increasing their opportunities and improving the quality of their lives. As we have seen there is a considerable saving to society by having young and vulnerable people in secure placements with host families. Some areas where positive contributions may at first apparent not be apparent are in the following areas; • Advantages provided to the local community? • Human Interest? • Equal Opportunities – The ethnicity of clients accepted by the project is varied and includes those of white British, black British, African, Caribbean, Asian and other denominations13 • Sustainability – providing the right local services - The key here is that LATCH has local knowledge of service availability and support networks for clients and other referrals that the project is unable to help for one reason or another • Community Interest Groups? • The long term symbiotic relationships that develop between clients and hosts and empowerment through an increase in good will, understanding and self esteem of both parties • The knock on effect of the scheme if clients move to different areas of the capital or country. This cannot be underestimated and also serves as free advertising for the project when clients talk about their positive experiences • A diverse group of trustees, supporters, hosts, clients and volunteers who give time and support to this project Once further investigation has been made of these areas, they can be included in future bids for funding as areas of added value and intangible benefit. A further intangible benefit of the LATCH scheme comes as the service operates in the capacity of an advice and support centre for young people. Not only does this provide the opportunity for people of similar ages and 13 The ethnicity of LATCH clients in 2010 was broken down as follows; white British 18, Black British 6, African 3, Caribbean 1, Asian 1 and others 2. 17
- 18. 12/3/2012 with similar issues to network with each other and find common solutions to common issues, it indirectly offers savings to Bromley Borough Council. In a web survey undertaken in August 2012 by West Sussex County Council it was discovered that following a study of around 200 Councils across the country that associated costs of contacting the council for help and advice were as follows; £8.62 per visit to speak to someone face to face. The cost per telephone conversation was £2.83, whereas a visit to the Council website cost £0.15 per visit. 14 This raises a number of issues firstly, that when advice is given out to young people that involves referral to other support agencies in the Borough of Bromley, time and resources are being saved. This is because by referring a service user to the right accommodation option in the first instance, it can prevent future homelessness and reduce the impact that longer-term homelessness can have upon them. Secondly, it points to the direction that Local Authorities are now moving in order to save money. The internet is now a major part of Local Authorities service offering. It may be prudent for the LATCH project to further explore how internet information provision may be improved and expanded. Perhaps the key intangible benefit offered by the LATCH project is the personal and social development of the young people themselves. In Maslow’s theory of human motivation, basic needs at the foot of the needs pyramid under the safety category include security of body, employment, resources, morality, the family, health and property and it is only once that these needs have been fully met can the higher level needs of love and belonging be attained, these include friendship and family. When these needs have been met people can focus on esteem which includes self esteem, confidence and respect for others. Finally self actualisation or becoming the best person one possibly can lead to an increase in understanding of morality, creativity and problem solving. The theory suggests that the basic needs of an individual must be met before they can begin to focus their motivation on the secondary or higher needs which can invariably make them a more productive and rounded person. In order to grow and develop a person must achieve and master physiological, safety, love and esteem needs. Without the provision of basic living requirements and the strength of relationships that are developed between hosts and clients it would be 14 See www.westsussex.gov.uk for further details 18
- 19. 12/3/2012 difficult to see how young people could develop in accordance with Maslow’s theory.15 Case Studies Kayon Kayon approached the LATCH project for help in 2008 he had been referred by Bromley’s homeless shelter after Bromley housing department were unable to help him. He had been a drug user in the past but he was clean of drugs for two years and had moved into his own flat in the August of 2009. “LATCH was helpful to me from day one. I was in genuine need of help and they listened to me”, says Kayon. According to a report by the Children and Young People Services (CYPS) Scrutiny Committee of Leicester City Council the cost of direct support costs alone “falling to Children’s Services (rent and living costs) will be in the region of £175 per young person per week or £9,000 per annum.” 16 - change context In this one instance LATCH has contributed to this young man’s life, his long term prospects, raised his self esteem and made a large financial saving for central government. Sal Sal was only 16 when his parents declared that they were going on holiday to Cyprus that was the last he ever saw of them. He became responsible for the family home and after falling behind with the rent the house was boarded up and his things thrown into the garden. The housing department could not help him until the back rent had been paid off and with nowhere else to turn he began to sleep rough meeting an older gentleman who was good enough to help him out and show him the tricks to staying alive whilst living on the streets. Eventually Bromley housing department referred Sal to LATCH. Sal was taken on by the project and lived with a number of hosts over a 15 month period. In this instance the LATCH project has saved the local council the cost of providing emergency accommodation for Sal over the 15 month period that he has spent with a number of host families. The total cost of the 15 Maslow, A.H. (1943). "A Theory of Human Motivation," Psychological Review 50(4): 370-96 16 Implications of the Southwark Judgement, Leicester City Council, Leicester, 25 November 2009, p 3 19
- 20. 12/3/2012 emergency accommodation would have been somewhere in the region of (use Oxford Economics Data to calculate) There is a view held by some in the homelessness sector that the current Coalition Governments “Get Britain Working” initiative and specifically the Work Programme initiative is not actually working for those who find themselves furthest from the job market. “By not helping homeless people to find work there will be significant costs later – estimated to be in the region of £26,000 per year per person” 17 4. Summary This section needs to be an executive overview of findings. Define study approach Summarise types of analysis methods Summarise results State Conclusion 5. Conclusion and recommendations The LATCH project does not receive any funding or grant aid to produce productive and successful members of society but as can be clearly seen from the analysis in this report there is a significant consequence of the activity undertaken through the project. There is a clear and significant social impact of LATCH activity. As a model for social investment there are wider outcomes and benefits to society both at a local and a national level. Need to compare the human costs and benefits with financial outcomes. This Cost Benefit analysis needs to been seen on a macro level both locally and nationally. There is 17 Connect, The Magazine of the Homlessness Sector, July 2012, Issue no. 46, p 11 20
- 21. 12/3/2012 a huge area of unchartered research into youth homelessness and this report is limited in scope. One of the reports key recommendations is that further study and research be undertaken in order to gain a more detailed understanding of the picture on a local and national scale. LATCH has achieved so much in helping to produce independent young people who can make significant contributions both socially and economically to society and this has been achieved on a relatively small budget because of the assistance and help of a growing number of people who volunteer their time and expertise freely. Outcomes of the LATCH project - tangible and intangible. Provide list As we have seen the project provides more than just accommodation for young and vulnerable people. The project has changed attitudes towards a group of people who are often stereotyped and therefore stigmatized by society. This has been achieved by providing opportunities for social networking, enhancing capability through education and work opportunities from a secure home base and ultimately through increasing self worth. Those who have seen the results of the project are keenly aware that this project is punching above their weight because it is enabling clients to develop and become fully paid up members of society by maximizing the use of existing funding streams, the generosity of volunteers and the practice of genuine Christian altruism. Wider impact and outcomes on society at local and national level In the guidance document entitled Guidance on Common Data Framework, Sitra have developed a framework designed to meet the housing related support sector’s goal of having access to robust, nationally consistent data that provides evidence of need and client and service outcomes to inform local and national spending decisions. Crucially under the definition of service types the LATCH project ticks a number of boxes that are perhaps at first glance overlooked as being related to the project. The first of these is “floating support” which is defined as; “A service not attached to accommodation; it can be delivered in a variety of ways, for example, in clients homes, at drop in sessions and surgeries; it 21
- 22. 12/3/2012 may be a crisis intervention service or provide to assist with resettlement or recovery”. The office based LATCH employees give all kinds of advice and support for clients who are both on their books and clients who for various reasons the project cannot help. In order to help feed into the data collection undertaken by local authorities and agencies such as Sitra it is imperative that the project begins to record the cases (if it doesn’t already do this) where advice and support has been given to young and vulnerable people outside of the remit of the LATCH project. This can then be directly correlated to apply for funding for other areas of service provision outside of host based accommodation. If the LATCH project were to have further resource it may be possible for it to also provide an “Outreach service” that engages with people who are sleeping rough on the street or who are living in bed and breakfast accommodation with the aim of placing these people with a host family. This would need to be discussed at high level and the pros and cons weighed up. The category of service type that LATCH primarily fulfills under the Sitra definitions is “Supported Lodgings”. There are 3 areas where the project supports client groups as defined by Sitra these are; 1. Single Homeless People with support Needs – people who are considered by the service provider to be homeless, who may or may not be owed a homeless duty. 2. Young People at Risk – people aged between 16 and 25 who are homeless or in insecure accommodation and who need support to be able to take care of themselves or to protect themselves from harm or exploitation. 3. Young people leaving care – Young people leaving local authority care who have been looked after for a continuous period of at least 13 weeks after the age of 1418 ? - Check this if they were 16 presumably LATCH can help them? 18 All definitions taken from Sitra Guidance on Common Data Framework, Sitra, March 2012 pp 15 to 18. 22
- 23. 12/3/2012 References The Manchester Evening News, September 17, 2012. i (daily newspaper), September 17, 2012. http://management.about.com/ Tackling homelessness and promoting options and solutions, Final Draft Homelessneess Strategy 2008-2012, Housing Strategy and Research Team, London Borough of Bromley, 2012 http://www.bromley.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/774/homelessness_stra tegy_2008-12 Building a community, National Housing Federation, London, 2012 Faith in affordable housing, Housing Justice, London, 2012 Homeless bound?, National Housing Federation, London, 2012 LATCH PROJECT – Annual Report 2011 Implications of the Southwark Judgement, Leicester City Council, Leicester, 25 November 2009 Connect, The Magazine of the Homelessness Sector, July 2012, Issue no. 46 23
- 24. 12/3/2012 Beyond Homes, Return on Investment, National Housing Association, Summer 2012 Statistics on Homeless Young People, A summary of key facts and figures, Homeless Link, January 2011 Responding to youth homelessness following the G v LB Southwark Judgement, Shelter Children’s Legal Service briefing, November 2009 Sitra Guidance on Common Data Framework, Sitra, London, March 2012 Young and Homeless, Homeless Link, London, November 2011 The Foyer Federation, 3rd Floor, 5-9 Hatton Wall, London, EC1N 8HX Further Resources In 2010 Homeless Link and Centrepoint produced a joint briefing about how Local Authorities and their partners can ensure young people who are homeless receive the support they are entitled to around Education and Training. In January 2011, Inside Housing published research into how local authority housing departments and social services are working together to support homeless 16 and 17 year olds. The National Youth Homelessness Scheme (NYHS) is the knowledge base for local authorities and their partners in preventing and tackling youth homelessness. The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) has launched a new microsite for integrated working, offering a range of free resources to help practitioners work together. This includes tools and guidance such as: • Common assessment framework - a process that enables practitioners and volunteers to identify each young person's needs, and who is best placed to deliver support and develop a tailored action plan to meet those needs 24
- 25. 12/3/2012 • Guidance for the lead professional / practitioner - the person who co-ordinates all activity and becomes a single point of contact for everyone involved, especially the child or young person • Guidance on information sharing - practical advice and guidance on appropriate ways to share information • Workbook and training materials to introduce practitioners and volunteers to integrated working. With Thanks Thanks go to the following people for giving their time and support during the research and writing of this report: Clive Mills (Team Manager Prevention of Homelessness Team, West Sussex County Council) Simon Cribbens (Senior Policy Officer, Greater London Authority) The LATCH team including all office based staff. 25