Homeless Or About to Be
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164995_Layout 1 21/08/2013 15:59 Page 1 HOMELESS OR ABOUT TO BE A GUIDE TO GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL'S HOMELESSNESS SERVICE 164995_Layout 1 21/08/2013 15:59 Page 2 1 Contents What to do if you are homeless or about to be 2 Where to go if you are homeless or threatened with homelessness 5 Why do you need an interview? 6 Who is homeless? 7 What does intentionally homeless mean? 8 What is Local Connection? 9 What you can do to help 10 The help we can offer you 11 What happens next? 11 Your right to a review if you do not agree with our decision 12 What if I am not happy with the service I get? 13 Where else can I get advice? 13 Contact details 14 164995_Layout 1 21/08/2013 15:59 Page 3 What to do if you are 2 homeless or about to be The purpose of this leaflet is to explain how Glasgow City Council provides its Homelessness Service, how it can be accessed and how it works. This is a brief guide and if you would like more information about our services please contact any of our offices listed at the back of the leaflet or visit www.glasgow.gov.uk/housingoptions 164995_Layout 1 21/08/2013 15:59 Page 4 Glasgow City Council’s Homelessness Service Every year Glasgow City Council 3 providing free advice and provides services to households information to people who who find themselves homeless are homeless or threatened or about to be homeless. with homelessness Having a home is very important to everyone and it can be preventing homelessness distressing to be homeless. That where possible is why Glasgow City Council try helping people find to ease this situation as much as somewhere to live possible by: providing support where required making sure people know about the services and support we provide making sure people get temporary accommodation when they need it making sure people do not have to stay long in temporary accommodation. 164995_Layout 1 21/08/2013 15:59 Page 5 You can get help from Glasgow If you have nowhere to stay, 4 City Council if you feel that you or are not able to stay in your are homeless or are about to home and are eligible for become homeless. If you are homelessness assistance, we threatened with homelessness, will offer you temporary we will try to prevent you from accommodation. We have losing your home where possible. different types of temporary accommodation throughout You are threatened with Glasgow including assessment homelessness if you will lose your centres, projects, temporary home within the next two months. furnished flats, supported accommodation and at times If you think that you are homeless, Bed and Breakfast type or at risk of becoming homeless, accommodation. we will make sure that you are offered an interview at your local Community Casework Team, or outwith normal office hours at the Hamish Allan Centre. 164995_Layout 1 21/08/2013 15:59 Page 6 Glasgow City Council’s Homelessness Service 5 Where to go if you are homeless or threatened with homelessness The Council has 3 Casework The addresses and telephone Teams across Glasgow. numbers of the Community You can make a homelessness Casework Teams and the application at your local Hamish Allan Centre are at the Community Casework Team back of this leaflet. or go and get advice and assistance. You will be able to When you contact us we will: talk in confidence and privacy to one of our Caseworkers. offer you a private interview with a trained Caseworker If you find yourself homeless offer you temporary outwith normal office hours then accommodation if you can phone or call into the appropriate Hamish Allan Centre. There is provide an interpreter or a free phone number at the end sign-language service if of this leaflet which you can use you need one 24 hours a day. offer you an interview with a Caseworker of the same sex. 164995_Layout 1 21/08/2013 15:59 Page 7 You will be required to provide We will arrange an interview on 6 identification for all members of the day you contact us. If it is your household, so if you can out of hours, we may offer you bring this along with you to your temporary accommodation and initial interview it would be useful. arrange for a full interview for the If you work, proof of income will next working day. be required. If it will help, you can bring someone with you to the interview, for example a friend, relative or adviser. Why do you need an interview? The interview is to help us assess Your answers to these questions the best way to help you. We will allow us to assess your need to find out whether you are application and find out how we homeless or threatened with can help you. homelessness. Your Caseworker will explain We will ask you a number of this process and tell you what questions, as required by enquiries we may need to legislation; this is called a make to reach a decision on Homelessness Assessment. your application. 164995_Layout 1 21/08/2013 15:59 Page 8 Glasgow City Council’s Homelessness Service 7 The questions are about the Who is homeless? following things: You can be homeless if: Are you homeless? Are you intentionally you do not have anywhere homeless? to stay Do you have a local your house is not safe to connection to Glasgow? live in you are fleeing domestic violence your landlord has stopped you accessing your house your house is overcrowded and a danger to your health you are at risk of abuse or threats of abuse you are living in a hostel or bed and breakfast it is not reasonable for you to continue living in the accommodation. 164995_Layout 1 21/08/2013 15:59 Page 9 What does intentionally 8 homeless mean? You are intentionally homeless if you deliberately do anything or fail to do anything which results in you ceasing to occupy accommodation which was available and reasonable for you to occupy. If we decide that you have become homeless intentionally, we still need to give you advice and assistance to find somewhere to live. You will get temporary accommodation if you need it for a reasonable period of time to enable you to find somewhere to stay. We will provide you with advice and assistance to support you to do this. 164995_Layout 1 21/08/2013 15:59 Page 10 Glasgow City Council’s Homelessness Service 9 What is Local Connection? You will have a local connection If you need to live in Glasgow to Glasgow if you: for other reasons we will take these into account. However, this does not guarantee that have lived in the area for at we will accept that you have least six months a local connection. have lived in Glasgow for six months of the last year If you do not have a local or three of the last connection to Glasgow we may five years refer you to the local authority have close family living in where we believe you have a Glasgow connection. If you have a local work or attend further connection to more than one education in the area local authority, we will discuss with you which local authority require specialist health area you want to live in and treatment in the area. make a referral on your behalf. 164995_Layout 1 21/08/2013 15:59 Page 11 What you can do to help 10 To help us make the right decision, and give you the information and advice you need, you should: give us as much information cancel appointments that as you can about your you cannot make – don’t circumstances – the more worry, we can arrange you tell us the better another appointment tell us your circumstances let us know if your as they are – you don’t need circumstances change. For to make your situation sound example, do you want to any better or worse than it is add someone to your application or take someone come along to appointments off it? Do you have medical – remember that you can reasons that you want us to bring someone with you if consider now? you don’t want to come alone 164995_Layout 1 21/08/2013 15:59 Page 12 Glasgow City Council’s Homelessness Service 11 The help we can offer you We are here to offer you advice The Council also has a legal duty about your housing options and, to protect your property if you if needed, help you to find are awaiting a homelessness somewhere else to live. assessment or have been assessed as homeless or If you need support to manage threatened with homelessness. your home, we have a Housing This duty includes the storage of Support Service that we can belongings that you are contact on your behalf. We can temporarily unable to look after. also put you in touch with other For example, this may be services that can offer you help because there is insufficient and support. space within your temporary accommodation to store your furniture. If this is an issue please speak to your Caseworker. What happens next? We aim to make a decision within We will always keep a copy of 28 days of your interview. We will the letter at our office for you to always tell you our decision in collect if you do not have an writing.