Rough Sleeping Intervention Team Annual Report 2020-21

1 Contents

3 Objectives 3 Partnerships 3 Strategic Highlights 5 Nobody Needs to Sleep Rough in East Lindsey 7 Outcomes 9 What have we learnt during 2020/2021? 9 What we need to do during 2021/22 – Next Steps 10 Case Studies 11 Myth busting

2 Significant support has been provided The Council was successful with its Objectives by Councillor Bowkett, Portfolio Holder application for funding to provide 6 for Housing and Communities plus the units of accommodation specifically The objective of the Rough Sleeping Intervention Team is to end rough sleeping Specialist Advisors from MHCLG. for people who are sleeping rough by helping people who are sleeping rough to quickly access accommodation and or at risk of rough sleeping. The support and to stop the flow of people onto the streets. funding had to be claimed by a Homes Strategic Highlights Investment Partner therefore the Council decided to work with Accommodation funded from Rough Framework Housing who specialise in Partnerships Sleeping Initiative (RSi) Grant funding providing accommodation for people Working with The Salvation Army with complex needs. Without the support of a wide range of organisations, our successes would have quickly enabled the provision of been very limited. This includes: 4 units of shared accommodation Framework are to provide 7 units of • ELDC Neighbourhoods Team in where there is most accommodation in Skegness and these • ELDC Housing and Homelessness Team demand. Two units of self-contained will be available late in 2021. The • ELDC Community Safety Team accommodation were leased from accommodation will be designated for • ELDC Vulnerable Adults Panel Platform Housing Group with one unit this cohort for a minimum of 30 years • ELDC Benefits Team in Louth and the other in Alford. The • Boston Borough Council Housing Team and the Council has 100% nomination range of accommodation enables • County Council rights to the accommodation. • Lincolnshire Police people with low to high support needs • We are with You to be accommodated as well as those The properties will be used for • Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust with a pet, usually a dog. people with low level support needs • Platform Housing Group who will be able to remain in the • Longhurst Group Covid Funding and Next Steps accommodation for up to three years • Salvation Army, Witham Lodge Accommodation Programme (NSAP) enabling them to receive the required • Salvation Army, Corps, Skegness “Everyone In” support and gain the skills required to • Hope House, During the 1st Lockdown the team move onto independent living. • New Life Centre, sourced temporary accommodation • Private Landlords and B&Bs for 23 people. Most were successfully Rehoused 117 people • P3 moved into long term housing with From April 2020 to March 2021 the • Framework Housing support from other ELDC Housing • East Coast Homeless Outreach team have supported 145 people staff. Only two returned to the streets • Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) who were found sleeping rough but this was their choice. They were • CCG Neighbourhood Teams and of those 117 have moved into • Probation offered accommodation within their accommodation. This ranges from • Light House Project, Louth local area but this was refused. supporting people to move back home • Urban Foundation Outreach Project, to sourcing social housing and private • Lincs Digital Rough Sleeping Accommodation rented accommodation. • Team Around the Adult Programme (RSAP) funding 3 Severe Weather Emergency from other agencies. P r o t o c o l ( S W E P ) A c c o m m o d a ti o n During the pandemic the Team No one has died on our Streets followed the advice from the Unfortunately people do die on the Government not to use communal streets in this country and it could halls/rooms for placing people happen in East Lindsey. We try to sleeping rough when SWEP was prevent this and thankfully, have not activated. This meant the usual had anybody die on the streets in options were no longer available East Lindsey in the last year. Getting however the Team worked with the people off the street quickly and Manager of Witham Lodge, Salvation provided with the appropriate support Army Hostel in Skegness to provide is crucial but this does require the self-contained rooms. B&B’s were engagement of the person sleeping closed due to Covid but some agreed rough, which is very often a real to open up so that people could be difficulty that our staff face. We will accommodated. Without the support always continue to offer people access of these B&B’s the Team would have to accommodation and support. struggled to provide accommodation and are very thankful those Reduced the number of people We are proud that at many points over The Team proprietors for working alongside sleeping rough within East Lindsey the year, there has not been anybody Without our dedicated staff who go ELDC. Rough sleeping trends are sleeping rough in East Lindsey. above and beyond to support their measured at a national level with an clients, the Council wouldn’t have Cold Weather Funding ‘annual snapshot’ which provides Covid Vaccination been able to reduce the number The Team were successful in gaining Government with an understanding The Team worked with Lincolnshire of people on our streets. This is the Cold Weather funding through of how many people are sleeping County Council and staff from often a thankless task dealing with MHCLG to enable rough sleepers rough in an area on a ‘typical night’ Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning people who can, by virtue of their to be accommodated when SWEP based on the figure at a snapshot Group to enable people who circumstances, appear to be rude, wasn’t activated but it was still very point in the year (Autumn). There were sleeping rough including aggressive and ungrateful but with cold. This enabled the Team to offer is a national methodology to guide those in our accommodation the time and support, people do generally continued support and housing local authorities consistently on this. opportunity to get the vaccine. This start to engage and can move on with over the winter months. The Team The number of people on our streets also included ensuring staff from their lives more positively. Long term could more easily complete their at the annual count has reduced as partner organisations who work with change requires a huge amount of assessments and provide support follows: rough sleepers to be prioritised for tenacity and persistence. Staff have to compared to when someone is on the vaccine. This was a significant be patient and respect that sometimes the streets. Being warm, fed and programme of work. clients do take backwards steps but comfortable gave clients a sense of 2018 2019 2020 the team will still be there. humanity and they were more willing 18 8 4 to engage with the support offered 4 Nobody needs to sleep rough in East Lindsey Referrals: 145 During the year 300 155 from April 2020 Referrals MEET THE TEAM to March 2021 the Team received People found People not found Rough Sleeping Prevention Coordinator 300 referrals, of People 100 sleeping rough sleeping rough which…  with a local CAROL RIPPIN connection 117 People completed People re-housed homeless application People completed with ELDC homeless application Tenancy Support & to another area Resettlement Officers 82 12 33 PHIL STARTIN, 58 Support LYNN PATTERSON, included within KERRY STABLES Tenancy Support accommodation BETH HOLLINGWORTH Out of the 300 referrals, 155 people Some may never end up on the streets were not located or able to be verified and say they are sleeping rough for as sleeping rough. The team will a range of reasons. This could be THE BEST WAY YOU CAN HELP IS TO CONTACT US complete outreach twice a week to because they don’t want the person SO WE CAN HELP THOSE WHO NEED US try and find people who have been where they are living to get in trouble reported as sleeping rough and anyone if they shouldn’t have lodgers or they else. A lot of Officer time is taken up consider they might get social housing Funding: trying to source information about if they say they are sleeping rough. The achievements have only been possible through successful applications for these referrals from other services Officers will spend time establishing grant funding: to establish whether they have seen the facts to help provide advice on  £202,936 - Rough Sleeper Initiative Grant 2020/21 them or had any contact which might their options and not unnecessarily  £46,278 - Underspends from 2019/20 help the Team to find them. provide temporary accommodation.  £6,000 – Covid Grant  £25,579 – NSAP short term funding The majority of the 155 people are There will be others who are passing  £443,800 – RSAP accommodation (paid to Framework) thought to be mainly sofa surfing or through the area and not found before  £4,151 - Cold Weather Grant living with partners, family or friends they have moved on elsewhere. but may end up on the streets for odd Continued funding has been secured for the remainder of the current financial nights when they can’t find anywhere Anyone who is living on the streets year. else to stay. in East Lindsey are usually found and offered advice and support to access accommodation meaning there aren’t numerous unfound people sleeping 5 rough. Location of People Sleeping Rough Advice and Support shows that most cases are effectively This chart shows the areas where Each person found sleeping rough dealt with however the Housing Team people have been found sleeping is provided with advice, support are going to look at this data in more rough. and encouragement to make a details to ensure opportunities to homelessness application which prevent homelessness at the earliest Skegness has the highest number can enable access to emergency opportunity are not missed. of people sleeping rough; followed accommodation and social housing. Some people are very untrusting of by Louth and then Mablethorpe. Partnership Working Councils and consider this to be a Partnership working is vital because These are the main areas that the waste of time which can be through as a single agency the Team does not team checks on outreach sessions. previous poor experiences. Prior have the capacity, knowledge or skills There will be known hotspots that to Government funding, options to to manage the range of complex issues will be checked as well as the exact provide advice and support to rough such as addictions, mental health and location of any reports. sleepers was very limited therefore anti-social behaviour. some people still think the Council Support Needs won’t help them. The team has continued to develop The Team will assess each strong working relationships with person on first contact to 82 people applied to East Lindsey different organisations, private establish the support needs. District Council Homelessness team landlords and other ELDC departments Often, individuals who are and 12 people applied to another which has helped achieve positive council which evidences the team outcomes. rough sleeping won’t want were able to encourage the majority to to discuss this, therefore make a homelessness application. A good relationship has been the figures are likely to be established with the local PCSO’s who higher than reported. Repeat Homelessness will report people sleeping rough and Repeat Homelessness can be a support the team with visiting known common occurrence and an indicator violent individuals on the street. of missed opportunities to help people to access long term accommodation Many cases are referred into ELDC’s or resolve all of the issues which can Vulnerable Adult Panel to obtain a result in repeat homelessness. The multi-agency response and further Team reviewed the 145 cases to see work is on-going to help develop how many times these people had Lincolnshire County Councils Team approached the Council for assistance around the Adult approach to because this could indicate insufficient managing people with complex need. support is provided by the Council at first point of contact. 34 of the Significant help and support with 145 cases had previously contacted accommodating people has been ELDC within the last 12 months, 27 achieved through working with The had applied once, 6 had two previous Salvation Army Hostel, Skegness and cases and 1 had applied 3 times. This HOPE House Mablethorpe. 6 Outcomes Outcomes of the 145 people found sleeping rough 117 23 1 4 Housed No engagement Sent to prison Open cases at year end Of the 145, 117 were rehoused by the Team which is

were placed in a B&B for 18 temporary accommodation in order to get them off the streets and assessed. This also provides an opportunity to apply for a DHP were housed within the (Discretionary Housing Payment) for 27 private rented sector. The deposits for longer term move on majority of accommodation either accommodation. suitable for our clients or with landlords who are prepared to assist is in Skegness. This is usually a HMO (House of Multiple Occupancy). Most flats have a shared a bathroom and kitchen area which isn’t always suitable because some clients are not suited to sharing with others. 7 Out of 117 people housed be able to reduce their debts and gain Overview of the 4 open cases altogether, 3 people were employment. 1. Living in a touring caravan that has no facilities and very specific about where he will live. As of May 2021 he had been offered a property that met housed with a social landlord: people moved into the his requirements. 17 commissioned accommodation 2. Slept on the streets/sofa surfing for the past 4 years and refused numerous  1 person was housed within Social at Witham Lodge in Skegness offers of accommodation. Will only accept accommodation on specific Housing via the housing register (commissioned by Lincolnshire roads in Skegness which the team cannot offer. Complex health issues, without being placed in a B&B first County Council). The accommodation addictions and begging. Regularly refuses to engage with services or  2 individuals moved into social is described as a hostel and is for fails to attend appointments. Some services are now refusing to offer housing after a period in bed and people with high support needs support unless he shows commitment to change his lifestyle. Risk of death breakfast accommodation who are unlikely to be offered any considered high. Ongoing support and offers of accommodation. other accommodation until the 3. Previously living in a car and refused 4 offers of social housing. Client There is a shortage of single persons support needs are reduced to a kept changing his mind every time he was offered a property of where he social housing across East Lindsey more manageable level with floating needs to live. Note: as of May 2021 he is now in accommodation and has and many clients will be refused support. The Team will support employment. by housing providers due to their Witham Lodge where there is a risk 4. Living in a shed and would only accept social housing in Louth. Note: as of previous tenancy history, debts, of eviction due to unacceptable May 2021, he has now accepted private rented accommodation addictions and convictions. There is behaviour to try and prevent the greater success in accessing social eviction and overcome the issues. housing after a period of housing Anyone evicted from a hostel is stability and the team work closely unlikely to be able to obtain other with housing partners at all times. accommodation, meaning that homelessness prevention efforts are people moved in with either particularly important. 15 friends or family in order to exit the streets or to move out of people were housed into the hostels and other temporary 16 non-commissioned hostel accommodation as they had no other accommodation. choice. Of the other 28 who were not Sometimes with their debts and rehoused by the Team: complex issues they cannot afford to  2 people were arrested and sent cover the shortfall in Housing Benefit/ to prison Universal Credit housing element  22 people moved away or were meaning there aren’t any affordable ‘just passing through’ housing options for them.  4 cases were still open to the team It is a challenge when people need to at the end of the year do have accommodation. Begging can be discharged from hospital or at risk of lucrative, meaning some rough sleepers eviction from their current home. aren’t prepared to stop and this can feed their addictions making it even more Source a range of accommodation and a difficult to get them to stop both activities. sufficient supply to get people rehoused More support is required to address into a property which meets their needs. begging because the team are aware of The new RSAP 7 units of accommodation some people moving to the area because of will help achieve this but further a perception that there is less enforcement accommodation options are needed. than in other areas of the country. A The team has successfully reduced the On reflection, the job descriptions for the partnership approach with the police is in number of people sleeping rough in East The Council will need to decide whether to team members were restrictive and needed place. There is more to do in relation to this. Lindsey. This needs to continue until we apply for the next round of RSAP funding to be changed to enable flexibility and to consistently have no one sleeping rough. ensure the team can react as required and Non-engagement from some people Consideration of an alignment of services work in a dynamic way. Changes to the continues to be a real challenge to ending This can be partly achieved by preventing with Boston Borough Council. delivery model enabled more flexibility and rough sleeping. the flow of people onto the street which a more responsive approach. The team will be a key focus over the next 12 months. The following case studies are intended to has moved from a position of reacting to Covid has necessitated the closure of offices Obtaining early notification of anyone who give an insight into the work of the team reports of rough sleeping to one that is which has made it difficult for the team is at risk of sleeping rough will be essential and the realities of supporting people who moving more towards preventing the flow to support their clients. It’s very difficult such as people being released from prison, have experienced sleeping rough: of people onto the street. This is critical to undertake assessments with people with flexibility to manage the increased in the rain, wind, snow or scorching sun. flow of people onto the streets from the Officers would sometimes use other venues seasonal influx of people coming to the including cafe’s and this wasn’t possible. seaside. Giving the person found sleeping rough a coffee and even a bowl of soup and a roll Being able to obtain get quick decisions starts to build the working relationship and on applications for Housing Benefit or they are then more inclined to engage. Discretionary Housing Payments is essential Without access to suitable offices the team otherwise available properties are soon let have struggled mentally, emotionally and to someone else. There is often a limited physically but continued to support each ‘window of opportunity’. other to achieve great outcomes for their clients. Many rough sleepers don’t have ID and obtaining this is time consuming meaning Reducing the number of people on the people can miss out on accommodation streets and associated anti-social behaviour options. is positive for local residents and tourists. There have been positive reports from There is an important distinction between returning tourists. Visibility of information rough sleeping and begging. Begging is about what people should do if they are not a reliable indicator of homelessness – aware of someone sleeping rough has been often those individuals engaged in begging a focus. Nobody needs to sleep rough in East Lindsey Nobody needs to sleep rough in East Lindsey CASE STUDY CASE STUDY

45-year-old male, with a history of alcohol threatening violent outbursts the team had 50-year-old male, current and long-term o Offered to look for a property out of the dependency and violent outbursts. limited housing options that could be offered. historic use of drugs with a history of non- East Lindsey area where no one knows They were aware of an owner of a B&B engagement with services. him and he could start afresh – client Was evicted from a hostel as he became who was a Mental Health worker, so he was refused verbally aggressive, he shouted at staff contacted and was happy to take him for a He became homeless about 4 years ago o Offered temporary accommodation in and swore at them. This is not acceptable week at a time. because his mum was moving into an older Mablethorpe with the ELDC Homeless behaviour and he was asked to leave with persons complex. The relationship had been Team - client refused to leave immediate effect. The client was given a goal of looking for chaotic with him using her home as a drugs Skegness rented property that the team would help him den with all his friends. Carers had refused to o Supported to get his Universal Credit in The hostel referred him to ELDC Rough to secure as well as the RSI team ringing go into the property to care for his mum due place Sleeping Intervention Team (RSI) because round as well. to drug paraphernalia and other people at the o Supported to sort out a bank account he was now sleeping rough. The hostel property therefore she was moved to safeguard o Supported to apply for Personal kindly agreed that they would help the person The team managed to source a flat and the her. Independence Payments out with food and allowed for him to be landlord met the client and he was offered o Supported to medical appointments as interviewed at their premises. the property. The team secured the flat by He was evicted from the property and has been his health has deteriorated but didn’t agreeing to pay the landlord a deposit and rent sofa surfing and rough sleeping since. attend all of them The RSI team went out at 6am to search for in advance using the grant funding. The client o Referred to Team Around the Adult – to this person, it had been snowing the night moved in and he and his Tenancy Support What has he been offered: get more services on board before and they could see footprints of where Worker from the RSI team sourced furniture  Support to attend appointments with someone had been walking away from the and other items. He had already found a job addiction service – We Are With You – this What does he tell us he wants: reported location. They went to look and found and he started a week after he moved in. only lasts a few days as he fails to attend  Accommodation on specific roads 2 tents but there was no sign of the person. the chemist to pick up his prescription and  To not pay rent On leaving the area and climbing back over Following on from this he told his Tenancy then fails to attend any appointments  To not abide by rules the fence there was a male standing nearby. Support Worker that he had lost his job as he  To continue taking drugs They spoke to him and he wanted to know could not cope. The Support worker went to  Supported into a Hotel during ‘everyone one  To continue begging how they knew he was there. They explained see him as normal on her weekly visits and in’ but he refused to comply by the rules and that they had seen the footprints in the snow. had a long chat with him and spoke to the caused damage, anti-social behaviour and Ongoing plans: employer to explain that he was struggling to begging money o Continue to try and get him to engage He was met at the Hostel and assessments sleep and therefore struggling getting up in the o Deal with begging issue were completed to find out about his life morning. He was supported to see his GP and  Referred to move on placements to – o Not give up from why they are homeless, their health, was prescribed some medication to help him o Hostel – refused by client their financial status, their addictions, their get into a routine and his employer gave him o Supported accommodation – refused employment history, where they have another chance. due to client’s high need and known lived and their support network. The team behaviour and lack of engagement with discussed where he wanted to live and what He has now been able to get up for work and services his expectations were and what did they want his Tenancy Support Worker is still keeping in o Local landlord, the only one the team out of life and what happens next. touch by phone but will visit him in person if could find that would give him a chance required. – client refused as too far from the He wanted to stay in the local area because seafront. he had a support network there with a few friends and did not want to move out of the area. As he was known to have verbally

10 Myth Busting Only people on the streets are What is rough sleeping? rough sleepers Rough sleeping refers to people who live on the streets and who sleep in places that are not designed to be slept in (for example building doorways, bus-shelters, parks, under-passes, cars and carparks etc). Rough sleepers do not have a suitable safe place to live, a place to call home.

It’s the homeless person’s fault What causes rough sleeping? Do rough sleepers actually want help? they are sleeping rough There are many reasons why a person may end up living on the streets. Financial stress, including job loss and gambling, housing affordability and relationship/family breakdown are the top reasons for homelessness. Illness, such as untreated mental health or other chronic health issues, problematic alcohol, drug or substance abuse, are additional factors that may result in some people sleeping rough. The RSI team are capable of responding to the issues faced by people sleeping rough. Sometimes, people choose not to engage directly with services. Support workers will then offer alternative methods of support, e.g. if a person will not accept assistance from the service, it can be provided through someone else they trust, such as a mental health worker, Addiction worker or Faith Group. The rough sleeper has said no Why hasn’t the Council helped a rough sleeper off the street one is helping them It is rare that the Council isn’t aware of someone who is sleeping rough. Everyone is offered somewhere to live but sometimes they refuse our help because it doesn’t meet their requirements which could be unachievable. Everybody has a role to play in helping to raise awareness and to let us know if they are aware of someone sleeping rough. There is nothing I can do. It’s not What should I do if I see someone sleeping rough? my responsibility. If you are aware of someone sleeping rough, please contact: ELDC 01507 601111 RSI Team email: [email protected]

Rough sleepers sleep on the Why would people sleep on the streets if they have somewhere else to go? street because they have Some of the people you see sleeping rough may have their own accommodation. However, personal issues such as isolation, mental health or drug/alcohol use may prevent them from using their property as they normally would. nowhere else to stay When this happens, homelessness services, mental health services, and other services can work together to offer wrap-around support to help the person to sustain their accommodation Every death on the Could the death have been prevented? street could have Rough sleeping and the reasons for this are complex. Rough sleeping is a key risk factor for ill health and life expectancy. It is not always possible to prevent a death on the streets. Where a death does occur, the council and its partners will look at the case in been prevented by detail to understand what, if anything, we could have done differently. We will do all that we can to prevent serious ill health or the council death. 11 All beggars are homeless Why do people sit on the street begging if they are not sleeping rough?

Some people who have a home will sit on the streets looking for the public to give them money before going home at the end of the day. This could be to feed their habit, whether that be for drugs, alcohol or gambling. When people are entrenched with their addiction, they are willing to sit out in all weathers to get the money that they need. Some people come from away and sit all day in the busy summer season as they can collect hundreds of pounds and then return home Handing out spare change helps Should I give my loose change to a beggar? rough sleepers It is your personal decision if you wish to give money. You can help in other ways. In fact, helping vulnerable members of the community is everyone’s business – it is not something ELDC can fix alone. Firstly, treat people sleeping rough with dignity and respect. You can provide support by buying a copy of the Big Issue from a vendor, donating directly to services such as the food bank in your own area. Giving cash directly is often used to fund destructive drug habits and there are cases where people have turned down a bed and not turned up for important appointments as they are obsessed with begging as they might miss out on some money. Instead of giving them money offer a sandwich or a coffee, if they refuse you may be better not to give them money. Most importantly refer them into the RSI team so that we can find them and talk to them to offer support. There are lots of rough sleepers How many rough sleepers are there in ELDC? Does the council not know who they are? each night This is not correct but one rough sleeper is too many. At the 2018 Rough Sleeping Count, there were 18 rough sleepers in the East Lindsey, last year we had 4 people found sleeping rough at the annual snapshot count. For many reasons (including privacy, anonymity, mental illness etc) rough sleepers may choose not to engage with support services. The RSI team go out weekly to look for people sleeping rough and find those referred into the service. Every person found sleeping rough are assessed and their needs identified, so that appropriate support can be referred into and they are supported to attend. The RSI team continues to offer support on multiple occasions if a person chooses not to accept support on the first meeting. The RSI team and the Housing Team know their cohort and work tirelessly to prevent people returning to the streets.

12 Nobody needs to sleep rough in East Lindsey: help us to help those who need us 1 2 concerned DON’T DELAY that Please email somebody may [email protected] be sleeping rough?

3 4 OR CALL so that we can make 01507 contact and provide 601111 support

THE BEST WAY YOU CAN HELP IS TO CONTACT US SO WE CAN HELP THOSE WHO NEED US