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Blackburn with Darwen Integrated Homelessness Review

April 2014

http://cms.intra.blackburn.gov.uk/

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Abbreviations used in this document

DCLG Department for Communities and Local Government BwDBC Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council MRS Mortgage Rescue Scheme HMOs Houses of Multiple Occupation B&B Bed and breakfast (accommodation) BME Black and minority ethnic TVH Twin Valley Homes HB Housing Benefit DHP Discretionary Housing Payments AGMA Association of Greater Manchester Authorities CIPFA The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting SP Supporting People

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i Introduction The Homelessness Act 2002 places a legal duty on the Council to carry out a robust review of homelessness in Blackburn with Darwen so that it can develop a homelessness strategy which will prevent and respond to homelessness. A review of homelessness helps the Council to:

analyse the effectiveness of work delivered under the previous Homelessness Strategy;

map the current provision of homelessness services and identify any potential gaps (or duplication of services);

map the current provision of preventative measures;

analyse data to identify current trends and demand in homelessness;

survey the economic, demographic and environmental backdrop;

assess the impact of recent and forthcoming legislation;

inform the Homelessness Strategy and Housing Strategy for Blackburn with Darwen.

The review has considered evidence from a range of sources, including data from the Council and other agencies and relevant research in homelessness and associated areas. In addition, consultation has been carried out with partners and stakeholders and with key service user groups to ensure that their views are represented and that housing services meet the needs of homeless people in Blackburn with Darwen.

ii Summary

This review will inform the Blackburn with Darwen Homelessness Strategy for 2014 2019. It contains a review of the previous homelessness and young peoples homelessness strategy, explanation of national and local drivers, a needs analysis and map of organisations providing homelessness services.

Key points

Despite changes to LA finances during the lifetime of the previous strategy the majority of actions have been completed. Any that are still outstanding will be rolled over into the new action plan.

Provider organisations have had reductions in funding from SP which has resulted in slight reductions in service provision. Further funding cuts will have significant impact

Following on from the development of the Young Peoples Housing Team the protocols and partnership between Housing Needs and Childrens Services have improved

Some elements of service provision are now outmoded and the ongoing SP review will allow for re-commissioning of up-to-date services

Inward migration of vulnerable homeless single people through the HMOs is a major issue for the Borough

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Housing Needs is now part of Adult Social Care which will encourage closer links

Housing Needs are now administering the Local Community Care Grant which will improve facilities to enable people to move into their own properties.

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Contents Page

Section 1: Review Methodology

1.1 Desktop Review Page 8

1.2 Face-to-face consultations Page 8

1.3 Electronic questionnaire Page 9

1.4 Young Peoples Consultation Page 9

1.5 Case studies Page 10

1.6 S.W.O.T analysis Page 10

1.6 Potential actions identified from the review Page 10

Section 2: Homelessness in Context

2 Housing Needs Survey Page 11

2.1 Key Survey Findings Page 11

2.2 Housing Tenure Page 12

2.3 Private Rented Sector Page 12

2.4 Housing Markets Page 14

2.5 Housing Conditions within the Borough Page 14

2.6 Future Housing Need Page 15

Section 3: Achievements of the 2008-13 Homelessness Strategy

3.1 Aim 1 Preventing Homelessness Page 16

3.2 Aim 2 Promoting multi-agency working Page 16

3.3 Aim 3 Providing an enhanced housing options service Page 18

3.4 Aim 4 Providing a safety net of accommodation and support Page 19

Section 4: Policy, Government Initiatives and New Legislation 4.1 Legal framework Page 20

4.2 Strategic fit Page 21

4.3Housing options approach Page 24

4.4 Welfare reform agenda Page 24

4.5 Local Housing allowance Page 25

4.6 Universal Credit Page 25

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4.7 Spare Room Subsidy (Bedroom Tax') Page 26

4.8 Single Room Rent Page 27

4.9 Housing Benefit and Discretionary Housing Payments Page 27

4.10 Council Tax Support Page 27

4.11 Benefits Cap Page 28

4.12 Repossession Prevention and Mortgage Rescue Schemes Page 28

4.12.1 Mortgage repossessions Notification Scheme Page 29

4.12.2 Mortgage rescue scheme Page 30

4.13 Worklessness Page 30

4.14 Making Every Contact Count Page 31

4.15 The Gold Standard Page 32

4.16 Funding and benchmarking with other authorities Page 32

4.17 No Second Night Out Page 33

4.18 Supporting People Page 34

4.19 Lancashire Single Homeless Initiative Page 36

4.20 Family-centred Initiatives Page 37

4.21 Vulnerable Families Team Page 38

4.22 B-with-Us Register Page 38

Section 5: Needs Analysis: Housing and Homelessness in Blackburn with Darwen 5.1 Housing enquiries Page 40

5.2 Age groupings Page 41

5.3 Presentations and acceptances Page 43

5.4 Vulnerable people Page 44

5.4.1 Young people Page 44

5.4.2 Homeless people from BME communities Page 48

5.4.3 Homelessness and EU National Page 48

5.4.4 People in contact with the criminal justice system Page 50

5.4.5 Young people leaving care Page 53

5.4.6 Vulnerable groups due to mental health and learning difficulties Page 54

5.4.7 Vulnerable due to fleeing violence Page 55

5.4.8 Homeless families and use of bed and breakfast accommodation Page 57

5.4.9 Rough sleeping Page 57

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5.4.10 Homelessness and the elderly Page 58

5.4.11 Single Homeless Page 59

5.4.12 Homeless people with drug and or alcohol problems Page 60

5.4.13 Adults with multiple and complex needs Page 62

5.4.14 Hidden Homeless Page 63

Section 6: Service Map: Organisations Page 64

Section 7: S.W.O.T. Analysis Page 68

Section 8: Homelessness Definitions Page 70

Section 9: Bibliography Page 72

Appendices

Appendix 1 Results of face to face consultations Page 72 Appendix 2 Electronic survey results summary Page 73 Appendix 3 Case Studies Page 79 Appendix 4 Suite of Homelessness data Page 83 Appendix 5 Young peoples delivery plan Page 97 Appendix 6 Table showing housing tenure page 112

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Section 1: Review Methodology

The main part of this review was carried out between December 2013 and March 2014 using a mixture of research techniques:

A review of relevant documents

Face to face consultations with key stakeholders

Electronic questionnaire

Young Peoples Consultation 2012 - Face-to-face interviews - Stakeholder consultation events

Case studies

S.W.O.T analysis

Actions

1.1 Desktop Review

The following documents have been examined:

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Homelessness Strategy 20082013.

Young Peoples Housing Strategy 2008-13.

Strategic Housing Market Assessment; 2008 SHMA and Housing Needs Survey 2013 SHMA specification/ work plan.

Homelessness Pressures and Impact of Government Policies June 2013 (Paper by Housing Strategy/ Housing Needs).

Blackburn with Darwen Integrated Strategic Needs Assessment.

Blackburn with Darwen Health and Well Being Strategy.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Corporate Plan.

Family centred initiatives; Think Family; Troubled Families.

Blackburn with Darwen Domestic Abuse Strategy.

The Impact of Welfare Reforms, BwD Policy paper written for the Corporate Welfare Reform Board.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council/B-with-Us Allocations Policy 2012.

Information re Supporting People Reviews/ Commissioning Plans 2014.

Making Every Adult Matter Blackburn with Darwen Business Plan 2014/15.

Multi-Agency Looked After Children Strategy 2014-18.

1.2 Face-to-Face Consultations

The main points of contact have been with the Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Head of Housing, Specialist Housing Developments Co-ordinator and Housing Needs Manager but consultations have also taken place with individuals representing the following:

Housing Standards

BwD MEAM (Making Every Adult Matter) Project

Blackburn and Darwen District Without Abuse (formerly Womens Aid) incorporating the Wish Centre)

Housing Benefits/DHPs

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DWP/Job Centre Plus

Childrens Services (Assessment)

The Revolution Project

Supporting People

Nightsafe

Foyer

James Street Project

Hollin Street Families Project

Twin Valley Homes

DAAT

THOMAS

Families, Health and Wellbeing Consortium

Age UK

Traveller Liaison Officer

See Appendix 1 for the structure of these consultations; responses have been included in the appropriate sections of the review.

1.3 Electronic Questionnaire

A questionnaire was emailed to the following organisations: DASH (Decent and safe homes team) Hospitals Lancashire womens centre Health Visitors Leaving care team Shelter YOT CAB/Advice for All Youth Parliament BWDBC IAG Probation Connexions Project 66 Credit Union Maryvale Mother and Baby Unit Education Welfare Union House Blackburn College Salvation Army Training 2000 Places for People Bootstrap Great Places BwD Interfaith Forum Guinness Northern Counties Foodbanks Inward House Neighbourhood Managers Jarman Centre Primary Care Adult Social Care (Commissioning) Together Housing

The response rate was 78%; see Appendix 2 for the compiled responses from the emailed survey. Information gained from questionnaire responses has also been incorporated into the review as appropriate.

1.4 Young People Research was carried out into young peoples experiences of homelessness within Blackburn with Darwen in May-June 2012. Consultation events were held at the Youth Zone for young people and professionals and 1:1 interviews held with young people who were experiencing homelessness at that time.

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1.5 Case Studies

Case studies have been included in Appendix 3 to illustrate the impact of the bedroom tax and the associated prevention work undertaken by Housing Needs plus the work of the Vulnerable Families Team, located within Housing Needs.

1.6 S.W.O.T Analysis

The Strengths and Weaknesses of homelessness services in Blackburn with Darwen plus the Opportunities and potential Threats identified during the Review are shown in bullet point form on page 68

1.7 Potential Actions identified from the Review Where the review suggests the potential for action this is shown at the end of the relevant section. Potential actions will be taken forward and included in the draft strategy which will be consulted on before the strategy is finalised. Potential actions may address more than one need/gap/development opportunity and may therefore be suggested more than once.

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Section 2: Homelessness in Context: 2 Housing Needs Survey The most recent Housing Needs Assessment was carried out before the recession in 2008. The local authority has recently completed a tendering exercise for a new strategic housing market assessment, to be completed by June 2014. The 2008 assessment was based on primary data collection via personal interviews and postal questionnaires with local households. In total 3,214 households took part in the survey. The questionnaire covered a wide range of issues including questions about:

Current housing circumstances

Past moves

Future housing intentions

The requirements of newly forming households

Income levels (and other financial information)

2.1 Key Survey Findings An assessment of the current housing stock is an important consideration in identifying gaps in the market and for providing information about potential future requirements. The points below highlight some of the key findings from the 2008 household survey:

In total nearly half of all households were living in terraced homes (46%), significantly higher than the average for the North West region (29%) or England (27%).

Households living in rented housing were more likely to live in flats whilst those in owner-occupation were more likely to live in detached homes than other tenures

The Borough had a significant older person population: just under a quarter of all households were pensioner-only whilst just over a quarter contained children. Lone parent households were found to be concentrated in the rented sectors.

Analysis of household moves in the previous two years showed a particularly mobile private rented sector: an estimated 53.0% of private renters had moved home in the past two years. This was more than double the figure for any other tenure group

The level of overcrowding recorded in Blackburn with Darwen (at 5.0%) was noticeably higher when compared with the national (2.5%) and regional average (2.0%

The 2008 survey data suggested that 6,923 households were living in unsuitable housing (this represented 12.5% of all households in the Borough). Overcrowding was the main reason for unsuitable housing, followed by health and/or mobility problems because of the condition/layout of the home.

In total, it was estimated that there were 1,279 households that could not afford market housing, living in unsuitable housing and whose circumstances required them to move to alternative accommodation. This represented 2.3% of all existing households in the Borough these households were considered to be in housing need.

2008 survey results estimated average household income in the Borough to be around 23,000 per annum, which was significantly lower than national figures.

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There were wide variations by tenure, with households living in social rented housing having particularly low income levels. The survey also estimated that the average level of savings for all households was 1,000.

Information from the Land Registry suggests that 2008 house prices in the Borough rose rapidly in the period 2003-08 with the average price of a home being 121,000 in 2008. A survey of local estate and letting agents suggested that access to the housing market then started at around 81,000 for a two bedroom home (to buy) or 385 per month (to rent privately).

The housing register for Blackburn with Darwen currently stands at 4,649 households with 2,384 with high category housing needs. In 2011/12 there were 135 households re-housed as a result of becoming homeless, of which 24% of instances were due to private landlords terminating tenancies. Overall 1,066 household were re-housed by housing association partners. In 14% of these cases homelessness was caused by private landlords terminating tenancies. 2.2. Housing Tenure As the table below shows, the breakdown of housing tenure in Blackburn with Darwen is not very different from the North West or England as a whole. Social rented: Council and Social rented: Other (both shown in blue) are best considered together as one category, as there is clearly some confusion as to who does own the social rented housing stock, even where there has been no council housing for many years. Tenure by household: Blackburn with Darwen v. NW and England, 2011

(showing counts for Blackburn with Darwen)

The main difference since 2001 in Blackburn with Darwen is that renting from a private landlord has grown from 6.9% to 14.1%. This is mainly at the expense of buying with a mortgage, which is down from 38.0% to 32.7%. 2.3 The Private Rented Sector The private rented sector is an important element of any housing market: it serves as the main entry point and clearing house for those moving into ownership, or into social renting. It is mainly a transitional tenure. It is also sharply distinguished by the two types of households within it: those on Housing Benefit and those not. The benefit sector is very large: in 2013 nearly half (47%) of all private tenants were claiming benefits compared with approximately 20% nationally.

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In January 2013 Housing Benefit records showed that the Council had 4,900 live claims from people (approx. 9% of the population) who were living in private rented accommodation amounting to payments totalling 376,200 each week (19,560,000 during 2011-12). In recent years we have seen a significant increase in private renting primarily in the terraced housing stock. In 2001 6.9% of the stock was privately rented and 70% owner occupied. The remaining 23% was Council or housing association. The 2011 Census shows Blackburn with Darwen having 15.6% of the total stock privately rented with 64% owner occupied. Some neighbourhoods and streets now have over 30% of houses privately rented. Across Pennine Lancashire 7.66% of housing was privately rented in 2001 and it has now increased across authorities to 14-19% with some streets having 40% privately rented. As part of the review consultation was carried out with a private landlord who has a large portfolio of two bedroom properties in Darwen. Nearly all this landlords tenants are couples or single mothers. Properties are rarely rented to single males because they dont pay their rent; theyre either drinkers, drug users or they dont pay however an emerging pattern is that some women, even those with children, dont pay and risk losing their home. A lot are on drink and drugs. If a childless couple aged under 35 split up whilst renting notice is immediately served on the partner remaining in the property because the single room rent restriction will cause them to be unable to afford the 95 pw rent. House-sharing is problematic for under 35s because if one tenant leaves the one remaining cannot afford to make up the other half of the rent while another tenant is found. Direct payment of Housing Benefit to tenants is causing landlords to lose a great deal of rental income as a significant proportion of tenants lead chaotic lives and use drugs and/or alcohol. This landlord recently evicted a young woman because she was paid her benefits direct and spent the first two months rent money. This equates to nearly 1,000 in lost rent which the landlord will not be able to get back. In isolation this is a significant loss but when it happens many times within a large portfolio of properties and is added to the money required for repairs, redecoration and emptying rubbish left by tenants it has a massive impact on rental businesses. The landlord predicted that when Universal Credits are introduced landlords will sell a lot of properties in anticipation of loss of income. Itll be a nightmare for landlords and tenants. Landlords will end up evicting tenants who dont pay and a lot of people will become homeless. The Credit Union can receive benefits and immediately pay the Housing Benefit element to landlords but the account holder has to be convinced this is a good idea. Paying landlords direct may be the only way to keep some people in tenancies but the type of tenants this landlord rents to would be reluctant to set up a direct debit because they lead chaotic lifestyles and frequently prioritise other things over paying rent. The landlord predicted that the situation will get much worse.

Potential action: Consider formalising the use of DLA to bridge gaps in payment in cases of house sharing

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when one tenant leaves and another is being sought and also when regularly paying tenants are between jobs. Landlords would need to know that DLA could be used for these purposes in order to prevent tenants being evicted.

2.4 Housing Markets Failing housing markets, population exodus and difficulties of home owners when trying to sell or by prospective buyers struggling to obtain a mortgage due to low incomes or current mortgage policies of lending institutions have contributed to the growth in private renting. Many houses are being bought by investors living outside Pennine Lancashire. Unfortunately, this change in tenure patterns has contributed to neighbourhood decline and depressed local housing markets. The reluctance of some landlords to maintain and manage their properties and, in some instances, their uncaring attitudes have directly contributed to the incidence of tenants anti-social behaviour. For the majority of households seeking social renting accommodation there is virtually no prospect of obtaining social housing. Government housing reforms have the potential to make this situation more difficult. This means that the PRS will continue to be the only housing option available to those excluded from home ownership and given low and often insecure incomes this will remain so for the foreseeable future. Across Pennine Lancashire Councils have been obliged to establish Selective Licensing areas to require landlords to improve and manage their properties responsibly. In recently declared Selective Licensing areas over 60% of property, often privately rented, failed to achieve the Decent Homes Standard containing category 1 and 2 hazards (2). Common and often dangerous failings are a threat to health and well-being including unsafe electrics and gas appliances and very poor energy efficiency. A Health Impact Assessment carried out for the local Health Authority and the Council in the Griffin area of the Borough confirmed the close association between poor residents health and poor rented housing. 2.5 House condition within the borough House Condition Surveys (HCS) are conducted on a regular basis by local authorities as a means of maintaining a detailed picture of housing conditions, primarily in the private sector. The most recent House Condition Survey was carried out in 2009. The borough has a substantially higher proportion of terraced stock that was built pre-1919 than the national average. These properties tend to be in poor repair and fail to reach the decent home standard. Some 27,300 properties (45.8%) failed the decent homes standard; this is substantially greater than the English national average of 36.7%. A property can fail the decent home standard for a number of reasons, for example having little or no insulation or using electric fires for heating. A dwelling with a steep, narrow poorly lit staircase that has no hand-rail would also fail the standard. In the borough approximately 19,000 (or 31.9%) of dwellings fail the thermal comfort criterion compared to the national average of 16.7%. As is expected, the highest failure rate (42.5%) is found in pre-1919 properties. Privately rented properties (at 40.7%) have the highest failure rates in tenure type followed by owner occupied properties (31.3%) and then the RSL stock (28.1%).

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2.6 Future Housing Needs Using the CLG Guide for assessing affordable housing requirements the 2008 housing market assessment estimated that there was a significant requirement for additional affordable housing to be provided. Overall it estimated that there was a net annual need for 426 additional units to be provided per annum. It was clear from the survey results that the majority of this need was for additional social rented housing. In terms of future demand for housing, the 2008 survey estimated that 11,257 existing households and 3,170 newly forming households needed or were likely to move in the next two years. In both cases there was an overwhelming aspiration for home ownership although many of those households did not expect to be able to buy their own homes.

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Section 3: Achievements of the 2008-13 Homelessness Strategy Blackburn with Darwens second Homelessness Strategy, published in June 2008 was based around the following four strategic aims:

1. Preventing homelessness 2. Promoting multi-agency working 3. Providing an enhanced housing options service 4. Providing a safety net of accommodation and support

Actions completed since the publication of the 2008 Strategy are shown below as are issues and actions which remain to be carried forward to the new strategy and, where appropriate, current gaps in provision. 3.1 Aim 1: Preventing Homelessness

Potential actions: Review the way in which the hospital discharge protocol is working in relation to discharges from Accident and Emergency The posts of One-Stop Shop; Advice Manager and Contact Centre Manager are to be merged. The post holder will need to brief/remind staff about the newly implemented triage process, which identifies customer needs and enables them to be routed to the most appropriate service. BwDBC website to be updated to reflect the fact that the Mortgage Rescue Scheme ends March 2014 - continue to monitor for any further schemes going forward. Funding has been secured from the Community Safety Partnership for a further twelve months to March 2015 in order to provide the Sanctuary Scheme, which enables vulnerable victims of domestic violence to remain safely in their own home. Further funding to be sought to enable the scheme to continue after this time Ensure that people at risk of homelessness will continue to receive priority service. Continue dialogue with the Police about whether the Revolution Scheme could fund rent bonds and the staff time required to administer them.

3.2 Aim 2: Promoting multi-agency working

Actions completed 1. Multi-agency assessment and referral team for young people developed and

operated 2008-11 (now disbanded) After the team was disbanded and co-location of Housing and Childrens Services staff ceased the specialist housing officer continued to provide a service to 16-17 year old young people and maintain good working relationships with Childrens Services from

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within Housing Needs. If there are further staff cuts within Housing Needs after April 2014 the officer will have to take on generic duties and the specialism, including the link with Childrens Services, will be lost. 2. Vacancy notification system between supported housing providers and referral

agencies developed and implemented The vacancy notification system is working well with the majority of providers. Housing Needs referrals generally fill available bed spaces and the system ensures that only individuals with a local connection are placed into supported accommodation.

3. Passport to Housing developed and rolled out to providers A package of pre-tenancy training was rolled out and providers have continued to develop it to suit their own settings and to meet the needs of their particular service users. Although in many ways this is positive it does mean that there is no single standard to offer potential landlords, that achievement is no longer accredited and delivery no longer validated externally.

4. Links strengthened between refugees and Housing Needs floating support service Housing Needs floating support workers carry out regular outreach at Wesley Hall to offer support to refugees when they move from Home Office Asylum accommodation.

5. The needs of vulnerable people are incorporated into the sub-regional choice-based

lettings scheme Blackburn was closely involved in setting up the sub-regional scheme and ensured that prevention objectives were built in. As a result a high banding can be awarded to those with vulnerabilities.

6. Joint protocols between Childrens Services and Housing Needs covering homeless

young people aged 16 to 21 developed and implemented. The protocols have been implemented and are working well

Potential action: The all-age vacancy notification system for places in supported housing is working well although one hostel does not provide information about their vacancies. Address the inclusion of the provider that continues not to use the vacancy notification system. Access to Tier 1 and 2 services for individuals with mental health needs who live in supported accommodation remains problematic. Continue to work with mental health services on development of protocols. Review the current position with commissioning and ensure future commissioning includes this issue. (To include Social Care, Public Health, Health and Strategic Housing) Ensure the joint protocol between Childrens Services and Housing Needs covering homeless young people aged 16 to 21 is included in training for new staff It is recognised that significant savings can be made and services improved by joint working at the service commissioning level however more work remains to be done. The following mechanisms will assist in achieving both cost savings and improved services:

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Link work with HMOs/ single homeless and the review of SP-funded services Look at how Leaving Care and YOT commission and procure their accommodation Ensure that Housing issues are linked into integrated commissioning through inclusion in the Adult Services service plans. Monitor progress of ongoing review of Supporting People funded services for socially excluded people

3.3 Aim 3: Providing an enhanced housing options service

Actions completed

1. Selective licensing introduced to additional areas in which poor quality private sector housing is contributing to neighbourhood decline Selective licensing is proving to be an invaluable tool with which to influence owners of poor quality private rented accommodation. Therefore a further area has been designated at Griffin and re-designations under consideration.

2. Home improvement service implemented within the Decent and Safe Homes Team

to assist older people to remain in their homes if they wish to do so. The DASH Team continues to operate. Under the recent restructure it is now integrated within Adult Services.

3. We need to maintain and if possible develop the Information, Advice and Guidance

service currently being offered to economically inactive people in housing need. Confirmation received that EHO IAG service can continue to be delivered This service lapsed when EHO funding ended

Gaps identified

1. Integrated commissioning must include housing options for older people ( including self funders), including Extra Care.

2. IAG service no longer being offered specifically to economically inactive people in housing need/single homeless people.

Potential action: Griffin has been designated as a further selective licensing area and Darwen and Infirmary may be re-designated at the end of their five-year lifespan. Monitor the progress of the revised business plan submitted to Public Health for continuation of funding for selective licensing on the grounds that when properties are inspected occupants with health needs can be signposted to appropriate health services. Work with Sustainable Neighbourhood Services to take forward targeted provision of the National Careers Service to people in housing need.

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3.4 Aim 4: Providing a safety net of accommodation and support Actions completed 1. Supported accommodation for young single mothers developed

Accommodation continues to be offered at Maryvale and the Foyer for single young mothers but some of the service provision is now outmoded.

2. Access to supported accommodation for young couples both with and without children increased by the Foyers conversion of two commercial units into two self-contained two-bed flats for use by young families. The two flats for couples at the Foyer are generally in high demand and ideal for young couples who are possibly not statutory homeless (i.e. each partner residing separately, possibly overcrowded, residing with parents etc) but are expecting a child or have a child together and wish to commence living together.

3. Nightsafes emergency night shelter and day centre have been relocated successfully. Despite the popularity of the new provision the majority of young people (79%) do not make repeat visits to the shelter. This is due to close partnership working between Nightsafe staff and Housing Needs specialist young peoples officer who begins work to identify appropriate accommodation pathways as soon as young people begin their stay (maximum nine nights) at the shelter.

Potential action: Review occupation levels at Maryvale and assess the relevance of service provision and its links to Childrens services. Lack of funding for support provision for young families living in the Foyers two new flats needs to be addressed.

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Section 4: Strategic Fit, Policy, Government Initiatives and New Legislation 4.1 The legal framework Since the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977, authorities have been legally required to assist people under the threat of homelessness by taking reasonable steps to prevent them from losing their existing homes however, since the Homelessness Act 2002 came into force local authorities have been increasingly encouraged to take a more proactive approach to tackling homelessness. The most widely adopted approaches to homelessness prevention are the provision of housing advice, a deposit for private sector accommodation and similar schemes to increase access to private tenancies, family mediation, domestic violence support and tenancy sustainment. Blackburn with Darwen makes full use of these measures.

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4.2 Strategic Fit Integration of Homelessness with other strategies and how they will help to achieve wider strategic objectives:

Strategy/Plan Outcomes Homelessness strategy contributes to

Strategic Integration

Corporate Plan 2012/15

Creating more jobs and supporting business growth Improving housing quality and building more houses Improving health and wellbeing Improving outcomes for young people education and skills Safeguarding and helping the most vulnerable people Managing the impact of national reforms on residents particularly around the welfare system, health services and educational provision

JOBS - Improving skills to allow local people to access local jobs HOUSING - Delivering a quality housing offer, and address the issues related to private sector housing HEALTH - Improved integration of public health commissioned programmes YOUNG PEOPLE - commissioning functions in Childrens Services VULNERABLE PEOPLE - Integrated support for people with significant needs, integrated holistic service for children and young people with complex needs 0 25 and their families. IMPACT -supporting residents through the changes of welfare reform

Blackburn with Darwen joint Health and Wellbeing strategy 2012/15

Improve the emotional and psychological wellbeing of children and young people. health services for children, young people and their families are of a high standard health services for children, young people and their families are of a high standard

Best start for children Health and Work Safe and Healthy Homes and Neighbourhoods Promoting older peoples independence and social isolation

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support to families through parenting programmes and ensure that they are delivered to high quality standards. ensure that young people have the right skills for life and to gain employment Ensure that Children and Young People remain safe and protected within and around their homes. Reduce levels of poor, unhealthy housing occupied by vulnerable groups and promote development of new housing suitable for older people Reduce levels of fuel poverty by improving energy efficiency of housing across the social gradient and affordability of fuel for those in poverty that all people using substance misuse and alcohol treatment services will be supported Tackle youth unemployment by improving the skills and readiness of young people for work.

Pennine Lancashire Housing Strategy 200/20129 (Refresh)

To ensure a sufficient quantity, quality, and appropriate type of housing supply. To meet the housing, health and support needs of residents and vulnerable people; promoting better services, with greater choice and accessibility that are fully integrated into local communities.

the need for sufficient housing to meet needs; Homelessness Prevention: Associated with high levels of deprivation is an increased risk of homelessness in vulnerable groups e.g. substance abusers, prolific offenders etc and through mortgage defaulting and repossession. Young people in PL, due to family circumstances, exacerbated by our problems of deprivation, are

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at risk of becoming vulnerable and in need of co-ordinated support and care.

Supporting People Programme To deliver a Diverse Range of high quality housing related support services to vulnerable people living in the Borough.

Making best use of resources.

Ensure services meet peoples needs.

Take account of views of users; partners and stakeholders.

Integrate with existing services/strategic plans.

Looked after childrens strategy 2014/18 To ensure young people find a safe, comfortable and caring place to live in. To support and advice young people leaving care

Provide young people with the opportunity to say where they want to live and with housing options and appropriate support Provide support & advice to find a suitable place to live for young people leaving care. To help young people develop independent living skills.

0-25 Complex needs strategy (version 17) Provisions of suitable housing for young people with complex needs living with their families or separately.

Promotes access to appropriate support and care

Enables social integration.

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4.3 Housing options approach Prior to the Homelessness Act 2002 the main role of local authorities in relation to people presenting as homeless was to process a homelessness application. Since the Act there has been a strong emphasis on finding alternatives to processing such applications. Instead of providing temporary accommodation and processing applications, local authorities now offer a housing options interview as a first response. Housing options interviews are a crucial component of Housing Needs approach to homelessness work. Under this approach all new housing applicants are given an initial interview to identify alternative ways of addressing their immediate housing need. A homelessness application is taken only when other avenues have been exhausted. For example, those who have been living with family or friends and are asked to leave may be offered mediation with a view to enabling them to return; those who experience domestic violence are offered sanctuary schemes, involving the installation of security measures within the home, which remove the need for re-housing. A significant part of this preventative approach involves referring households to the private rented sector, often facilitating the move through payment of rent deposits. This new approach has resulted in a significant drop in the number of homelessness applications taken by local authorities and accounts for the difference in the number of enquiries and presentations. See appendix 4. The housing options approach has significant financial benefits to LAs: in 2013-14 the average one-off and on-going costs associated with a statutory homeless application was 2,501 compared with an average cost of 642 for prevention of homelessness through a homelessness prevention or housing options scheme. 4.4 Welfare Reform Agenda

The present governments welfare reform agenda has been cited as a contributory factor in the recent national increase in homelessness. Research conducted by Heriot-Watt University and the University of York on behalf of Crisis describes evidence of the impact of these policies on homelessness as very worrying. The Governments welfare reforms are highlighted as particularly problematic:

It should be emphasised that almost all aspects of the Coalition Governments welfare reforms are considered to be problematic with respect to their implications for homelessness, to a greater or lesser degree.

The research paper also concluded that:

housing market conditions tend to have a more direct impact on homelessness than labour market conditions, and the last major housing market recession actually reduced statutory homelessness because it eased access to home ownership, which in turn freed up additional social and private lets. However, no such benign impact of the housing market downturn is likely in this current recession, with levels of lettings available in the social rented sector now much lower (due to the long term impact of the right to buy and continued low levels of new supply), and continuing constraints on mortgage availability also placing increasing pressures on the rented sectors. Research by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University found that local authority areas in the North West, North East and Yorkshire will

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experience some of the largest reductions in benefit income due to welfare reform. By 2014-15 the average loss of benefits per working age adult in Blackburn with Darwen will be 672.00 per year against a national average of 470.00. However, this is only the beginning as most of the impact of Universal Credit will be felt well beyond 2015. Its introduction began in 2013 in only a small number of pilot areas and only for new claimants. The full impact is unlikely before 2018 at the earliest. 4.5 Local Housing Allowance (LHA) From April 2011 LHA rates for private tenants were based on the 30th percentile rather than the median market rents (50th percentile). This reduced the number of properties for which benefit payments can cover the full rent. In Blackburn with Darwen, where rents are generally low, some landlords raised their rents in response.

4.6 Universal Credit Following testing within the 10 pilot areas and subject to any IT problems the Government intends that the Universal Credit service will be fully available in each part of Great Britain during 2016-17. The initial roll out for this phase will begin in the North West. The introduction of Universal Credit (UC) in Blackburn has the potential to make the single largest impact on homelessness since the 2002 Homelessness Act came into force. The majority of agencies surveyed for this report believe that, if they are rolled out, the effect of UC will be to increase the number of homeless households within the Borough. By including housing costs within the single benefit payment made direct to claimants the potential for rent arrears leading to eviction and homelessness is significantly increased. With more than 50% of Twin Valley Homes tenants currently having rent arrears and 40 households evicted during 2013-14 the potential for worsening rent collection rates under UC is clearly a major concern to the housing association. The Government recently released details that under its Universal Credit reform a mechanism that automatically recovers rent arrears from UC payments will be introduced alongside direct payment of housing benefit to tenants. Landlords will be able to contact the Department for Work and Pensions to request benefits, designed to cover housing costs, are paid to them once a prescribed level of rent arrears (currently eight weeks) is reached. The government has also extended the pilot project from one year to 18 months to allow it to look more closely at the protection that is needed for landlords and tenants. In January 2012 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) established a programme of Direct Payment Demonstration Projects (DPDPs) to pioneer the direct payment of Housing Benefit (HB) to social rented tenants. Evaluation of the pilots commissioned by CLG has shown that participating tenants were mostly unsupportive of direct payments. The policy was generally viewed as being an unnecessary burden on people on low incomes. These views were reflected in tenants projections about how they would cope: 31% of respondents thought they would cope poorly on direct payments and 38% said they would find it difficult to manage their finances.

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According to data released by DWP in December 2012, rent collection rates are lower in all project areas than before the DPDPs. Some tenants who had never previously had rent arrears are now behind with payments.

Potential action: Review homelessness strategy action plan after UC has been in place for six and twelve months

4.7 Spare Room Subsidy or Bedroom Tax

From April 2013 all current and future working age tenants renting from a local authority, housing association or other registered social landlord will be subject to the spare room subsidy rule or bedroom tax

The size criterion in the social rented sector will restrict Housing Benefit to allow for one bedroom for each person or couple living as part of the household, with certain exceptions.

Of the 1200 households identified by Twin Valley Homes as under-occupying 990 remain in their properties (some are unaffected by the bedroom tax as they do not claim Housing Benefit). In the last 12 months TVH has moved 140 households to smaller properties but they lack the stock to move everyone who wishes to move immediately.

Many households that are currently under-occupying are choosing to stay in their homes and pay the bedroom tax but, in time, this is likely to prove unsustainable and may have a knock-on effect upon other forms of debt such as Pay Day Lenders. It seems inevitable that the legislation will propel the majority of these households to downsize thus increasing pressure on the supply of one-bedroom properties in the Borough. Even though TVH have 1300 general needs flats in its stock with a turn over of 21% the lack of one bed accommodation has been mentioned as a growing problem in Blackburn with Darwen; at present there are 2,384 households seeking this type of property registered with the B-with-Us scheme, which is an increase of 285 since April 2013. There has been an upturn in the demand for smaller units of accommodation: since April 2013 the number of households requiring a one bed property has increased by 13.6% from 2,099 to 2,384 and the number of households requiring two bed properties has increased by 16.0% from 1,257 to 1,463.

The number of households registered with B-with-Us has reduced by over a third from a high of 6,833 in December 2011 to a low of 4,061 in October 2013. The reason for this reduction is largely due to households not renewing their membership annually with B-with-Us as required. Following policy changes introducing reasonable preference, all members of B-with-Us were sent a new application form to complete. Those who did not complete and return the form had their B-with-Us registration closed.. Following the requirement to re-apply, during October 2013 to March 2014, the number of households registered increased by 778 (19.15%).

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4.8 Single Room Rent Restriction

On the 1st January 2012 the Single Room Rent Restriction was extended from 16-25 year olds to claimants aged 16-34. This means that for those under 35 renting from a private landlord, with some exceptions, the maximum Housing Benefit claimable is the same as the rate payable for renting a single room in a shared house. Again, the full extent of the changes are still to be felt although the ruling has been in place for almost 18 months but it is expected that this will have further impact on homeless presentations, if not duties, in 2014.

One possible outcome of the Single Room Rent Restriction may be the increase in the number of single people aged 34 and under opting to share accommodation. This could help to reduce the pressure on the supply of one bedroom accommodation and benefit the tenants. In another local authority area separate agreements have been made for each sharer; this provides security for the remaining tenant if one leaves. There is a desire within BwD to use Discretionary Housing Payments flexibly so there is potential for them to be utilised to cover short term void loss whilst the landlord seeks another tenant.

The Single Room Rent Restriction does not apply to single people aged over 25 who have spent at least twelve weeks living in designated hostel accommodation or to under 35s who are parents.

Potential action:

Research mechanisms for separate agreements between the landlord and each house sharer, also house sharing projects such as Snug Bug in Manchester

4.9 Housing Benefit and Discretionary Housing Payments

Within BwD payment of Housing Benefit (HB) is outsourced to Capita with quality assurance undertaken by the Councils Service Assurance Team. This team also ensures that the Council claims back from the Government the maximum amount of HB allowable which, in the case of individuals entitled to higher rate HB, is approximately 60 pw less than the amount paid out and is therefore a cost to the local authority. This is particularly relevant to individuals living in listed hostel accommodation; the cost may increase if single homelessness increases.

To help ameliorate problems posed by the Bedroom Tax and the Single Room Rent Restriction, the Government provided an uplift during 2013-14 of 376,643 for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) to help smooth the transition between the previous and new payment systems. DHPs have been used very flexibly in partnership with Housing Needs as a means of prevention but it is likely that this transitional funding will be reduced whilst the impact of Welfare Reform is likely to increase for some years to come.

4.10 Council Tax Support

Under the Localism Act 2011 the Government replaced Council Tax Benefit with a new scheme allowing each local authority to implement its own arrangements and at the same time reduced Council Tax Benefit nationally by an average of 10%, the effect of which was

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a reduction of approximately 12% in this borough. From April 2013 working age people in Blackburn with Darwen have been unable to claim 100% Council Tax Support and instead have been required to pay at least 20% of their Council Tax bill. This means that for people in receipt of benefits living in a Band A rated property their annual contribution will be approximately 200.

4.11 Benefit Cap From September 2013 a maximum was applied to all out of work claimants. This restricts the total amount of benefits a household can receive to 350 per week for singles, and 500 per week for couples/families. This has had little impact in Blackburn with Darwen. 96 households were identified as being affected and offered interviews but only four were found to have affordability issues.

4.12 Prevention of Repossession and Eviction

The number of enquiries based on mortgage difficulties received by Housing Needs increased from 44 during 2008-09 to 81 during each of 2010-11 and 2011-12. At this point the effects of the recession were being felt after a period during which mortgages were easy to obtain. The fall in enquiries to 49 during 2013-14 reflects the fact that it is now more difficult for individuals to borrow money and for lenders to repossess properties.

The number of homeless acceptances due to mortgage difficulties has fallen from 11 in 2008-09 to just two during 2013-14.

Repossessions The table below shows the number of repossession claims during 2012-13 by mortgage lenders and landlords. It compares BwD with other Pennine Lancashire (PL) authorities plus those identified by CIPFA as being similar in terms of demography and size. Blackburn with Darwen had the highest number of possession claims and has the highest national ranking amongst the PL authorities.

Region/ local authority

National rank out of 325 (by rate of possession claims)

Rank within region by rate of possession claims

Number of mortgage and landlord possession claims,Oct 2012-Sept 13

Rate of possession claims - 1 in x households

North West

29,359 1 in 103

Blackburn with Darwen

79 13 563 1 in 102

Hyndburn 121 22 282 1 in 122

Rossendale 150 23 220 1 in 132

Burnley 169 25 259 1 in 145

Pendle 200 31 236 1 in 158

Ribble Valley 318 38 81 1 in 297

Oldham 27 3 1,382 1 in 65

Rochdale 72 10 920 1 in 95

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Bolton 75 11 1,178 1 in 99

Bradford 6 6 1,680 1 in 119

4.12.1 Mortgage Repossession Notification Scheme

Since October 2009 under the Civil Proceedings Rule mortgage lenders are required to notify local authorities when possession proceedings relating to a mortgaged property in their area have commenced. The aim of such early notification is to enable local authorities to prevent homelessness and to carry out interventions in repossession cases. The table below highlights the volume of early stage Housing Options work carried out by Housing Needs in order to prevent households progressing to homelessness.

.

Mortgage difficulties

2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 20011-12 20012-13 20013-14

Enquiries 44 66 81 81 64 49

Acceptances 11 3 3 3 2 2

Assisted through prevention

33 63 78 78 62 47

The national Court Desk contract is held by Shelter. Under this scheme an adviser attends the local court on possession days to represent the individual and provide independent advice on repossessions sought by housing associations, mortgage lenders and private sector landlords.

Figures from the Shelter Databank for Blackburn with Darwen show that for both possession claims and orders, despite seasonal variations which are particularly noticeable in the figures for landlords, the trend is downwards for mortgage lenders but markedly upwards for landlords as shown in the table below:

Mortgage Lenders Landlords

Claims Orders Claims Orders

2012 222 177 267 205

2013 191 152 401 290

Shelter were surveyed as part of the research for this Review and stated that they will be able to continue to assist those at risk of losing their home through legal aid but this is subject to change and may well be cut/reduced in the next five years.

The Repossession Prevention Fund was introduced by the Government, however households are required to meet numerous criteria in order to qualify and data shows that no loans were made during 2012.

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4.12.2 Mortgage Rescue Scheme

A further measure for those in danger of losing their home, the Mortgage Rescue Scheme (MRS) was intended as a 'last resort' for households facing eviction. There were two strands to the scheme: mortgage to rent and shared equity. A Registered Provider (RP), which is a housing association, was involved with both strands; under the mortgage to rent strand the RP bought the house and rented it back to the householder whereas under the shared equity strand the householder retained partial ownership.

The MRS has been an administratively cumbersome and resource intensive scheme with many restrictive criteria nevertheless data shows that of the 30 formal MRS applications considered by BwD Housing Needs, 13 completed applications were forwarded to RP, Plumlife, and all were successful.

The Government announced as part of the public spending review for 2015-16 that no resources will be made available for the continuation of MRS. The scheme therefore closed to new applicants on 31st March 2014. No details are available at present about the likelihood of a replacement for this scheme.

4.13 Worklessness

The Department for Work and Pensions recently reviewed the employment support provided by Jobcentre Plus (JCP) to homeless people. This review led to two main principles and a range of recommendations. The principles are:

Work can make a significant contribution to recovery and resettlement for homeless people;

A joined-up service delivery is required to address the barriers to employment experienced by homeless people.

The recommendations include: individuals should have a continuous, named JCP adviser; relationships between JCP advisers and key workers should be strengthened; co-location of staff and reciprocal training.

The recommendations are underpinned by the Flexible Support Fund, which is a new source of funding for agencies supporting homeless people.

Jobcentre Plus District Managers have access to the devolved Flexible Support Fund (FSF), which can be used for a number of purposes including discretionary funding of projects and services that are not duplicated elsewhere and that can help Jobcentre Plus to meet its local priorities. Examples of ways the FSF can be used include:

Supporting effective local partnerships to develop and implement collective solutions for improving employment outcomes;

Making links between public services providing related support to clients including health, housing, transport, employment and skills, and organisations - particularly those within the voluntary and community sector - providing related support to clients;

Purchasing other provision that is aligned with local priorities. The member of staff contacted at Blackburn Job Centre Plus explained that their ethos is to work closely with partner organisations in the local community and to provide support and assistance for moving towards and into work, especially to vulnerable clients, in order to maximise their chances of fulfilling their claimant commitment and avoid sanctions.

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Specialist support is provided to 18-24 year olds and those claiming ESA with health, including drug and/or alcohol, issues.

The Focus Team is a local initiative which offers additional support to individuals to address issues and barriers. Clients who are particularly vulnerable can have a disadvantage marker put on their file which triggers additional support. THOMAS report a more positive relationship with Job Centre Plus as they are putting less pressure on clients to take unsuitable training.

Potential action:

Explore possibilities for developing a local response to worklessness amongst homeless people, possibly including links with the BwD Making Every Adults Matter (MEAM) project.

Agencies to ensure the Focus Team is alerted in cases of actual/risk of homelessness.

Improve access to learning, training and employment for young people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness.

4.14 Making Every Contact Count

Making Every Contact Count: A Joint Approach to the Prevention of Homelessness was produced by the Department for Communities and Local Government in August 2012.

The document contains five commitments:

1. tackle troubled childhoods and adolescence - through interventions to turn around the lives of the most troubled families; and by promoting innovative approaches to youth homelessness.

2. improve health - including improving outcomes for homeless people with dual drugs/alcohol and mental health needs; and helping to ensure medical professionals discharging patients know who to approach for help to meet housing needs.

3. reduce involvement in crime - through support to the new Police and Crime Commissioners; improving offender access to private rented sector accommodation; and measures to help those on short sentences retain their tenancy.

4. improve skills; employment; and financial advice - through new housing demonstration projects which help claimants budget and manage rent payments; a commitment to explore a payment by results approach for those some distance from the labour market; and piloting community learning trusts.

5. Pioneer social funding for homelessness - through a world first Social Impact Bond for rough sleepers and support to other local commissioners to turn social investment propositions into reality.

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4.15 The Gold Standard

The Gold Standard is based on the ten 'local challenges' set out by government in the Making Every Contact Count. The targets are to:

1. Adopt a corporate commitment to prevent homelessness which has buy in across all local authority services.

2. Actively work in partnership with voluntary sector and other local partners to address support, education, employment and training needs.

3. Offer a Housing Options prevention service, including written advice, to all clients.

4. Adopt a No Second Night Out model or an effective local alternative.

5. Have housing pathways agreed or in development with each key partner and client group that includes appropriate accommodation and support.

6. Develop a suitable private rented sector offer for all client groups, including advice and support to both clients and landlords.

7. Actively engage in preventing mortgage repossessions including through the Mortgage Rescue Scheme (N.B. scheme ended 31.03.14).

8. Have a homelessness strategy which sets out a proactive approach to preventing homelessness and is reviewed annually so that it is responsive to emerging local needs.

9. Not place any young person aged 16 or 17 year olds in bed and breakfast accommodation.

10. Not place any families in bed and breakfast accommodation unless in an emergency and then for no longer than 6 weeks.

The Gold Standard application is a voluntary process which involves local authorities demonstrating that they have met each of the ten local challenges.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has either met or is making significant progress towards meeting all of the above targets and is striving for continuous improvement in its frontline services.

Potential action:

Consider carrying out an internal audit and a peer review (in partnership with Preston and Lancaster) to identify good practice and areas for development against the Gold Standard criteria.

4.16 Funding and benchmarking with other Local Authorities We have benchmarked with other local authorities; our immediate neighbours in Pennine Lancashire and a CIPFA comparator group comprising Oldham, Rochdale, Luton, Bolton and Bradford. We have also looked at authorities operating the Gold Standard. The average cost of homelessness, administration, prevention and support for AGMA local

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authorities minus Manchester, plus BwD, Preston and Lancaster in 2012-13 was 467,000. The cost for BwD was 407,000. Blackburn with Darwen performance for Rough Sleeping and B&B Accommodation is comparable for other benchmarked authorities. On all of the above measures BwDs performance is either equal to or better than the majority of other local authorities in its comparator group. As discussed, the issues of single homelessness and an increasingly large HMO sector are significant within BwD. Reference was made to initiatives used by Blackpool, a high performing authority with similar problems in respect of these two groups. It was found that Blackpool has successfully used three strategies:

They have varied their local connection criteria and now require individuals to prove three years continuous residence within Blackpool. This has made a significant difference.

As in BwD, they operate a single point of access to the regulated hostels/supported accommodation.

Selective licensing is being rolled out and is flushing out the problem. It is intended to apply this across the whole town.

Blackpool Council also operates its own private sector lettings agency. They pay landlords a bond and rent in advance. The benefits are:

Application of the three year local connection rule

Ability to regulate the standards of PRS accommodation and ensure individuals are placed into suitable tenancies.

Blackburn with Darwens Preventing Homelessness Grant allocation for 2014-15 is 106,734. DCLG writes that it would always encourage local authorities to use their Preventing Homelessness Grant allocation to support the development and enhancement of front line housing services, which will ensure that services for anyone homeless, threatened with homelessness, or rough sleeping in (the) area are available and of a high quality.

Three years ago an agreement was made between Housing and the Local Authoritys Finance Department that Housing Needs would receive 100,000 in lieu of receipt of the Prevention Funding. Since then the grant from DCLG has increased but there has been no increase in the internal allocation leaving a gap of nearly 7,000 for 2014-15.

4.17 No Second Night Out

No Second Night Out (NSNO) is a pledge made to people new to the streets and is part of a (Government sponsored) commitment to ending rough sleeping. It is based on four pledges:

1. No-one new to the streets should spend a second night out. 2. No-one should make their home on the streets. 3. No-one should return to the streets once they have been helped off of them. 4. Ultimately no one should arrive on the streets.

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In the strategy Vision to end rough sleeping: No Second Night Out nationwide (2011), the Government called on every local authority to adopt the NSNO standard. The strategy notes that communities require the right services in place so that:

New rough sleepers should be identified and helped off the streets immediately so that they do not fall into a dangerous rough sleeping lifestyle.

Members of the public should be able to play an active role by reporting and referring people sleeping rough.

Rough sleepers should be helped to access a place of safety where their needs can be quickly assessed and they can receive advice on their options.

They should be able to access emergency accommodation and other services, such as healthcare, if needed.

If people have come from another area or country and find themselves sleeping rough, the aim should be to reconnect them back to their local community unless there is a good reason why they cannot return there. They will be able to access housing and recovery services, and have support from family and friends.

Blackburn with Darwen was not part of Lancashires successful bid to the Transitions Fund so has to respond to the NSNO initiative without the benefit of additional funding. It has purchased fold-away beds and has an agreement with the Salvation Army that anyone new to the streets who is found rough sleeping will be accommodated even when all the hostels beds are full. See further information under Rough Sleeping, page 57

4.18 Supporting People Services Provision in relation to Supporting People Services (housing related support) has been funded by BwD since 2003. The programme commissions a wide range of supported housing services with the primary purpose to develop and sustain peoples capacity to live independently in their accommodation. When considered in isolation the tasks may not immediately appear significant but, when delivered as a package of support, they can make the difference between people sustaining independent lifestyles of their own choice as opposed to maintaining a dependency on a more intensive residential or institutional setting. Some examples of housing related support services include enabling individuals to access their correct benefit entitlement, ensuring they have the correct skills to maintain a tenancy, advising on home improvements and accessing a community service alarm. Other services include a home visit for a short period each week or an on-site full-time support worker for a long period of time. The emphasis is about enabling services as opposed to doing for services. Support services can be categorised as short term and long term in accordance to their aims and objectives. Short term schemes last for up to two years with the intention of moving a person on to independent living or increasing the ability to live independently. Long-term services are on a continuous basis and are often characterised as open-ended. The programme currently funds a mixture of long and short term accommodation services as well as floating support provision. The client categories supported include:

Homeless Families with Support Needs

Offenders / People at Risk of Offending

Older People with Support Needs

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People with Drug Problems

People with Learning Disabilities

People with Mental Health Problems

People with a Physical / Sensory Disability

Single Homeless with Support Needs

Teenage Parents

Women at Risk of Domestic Violence

Young People at Risk The aim of the Supporting People programme in BwD is to deliver a diverse range of high quality housing-related support services to vulnerable people living in the Borough, making best use of available resources, ensuring that the services meet peoples needs, that they are integrated with existing services/strategic plans and take account of the views of users, partners and stakeholders. Provision is reviewed through a combination of annual quality assurance exercises whereby the quality assessment framework (QAF) is assessed and a level of quality assurance issued (from level A being the highest and level C being the lowest). These include staff and service users consultations. In addition, value for money assessments, analysis from performance indicator returns and detailed consultation on an individual provider basis are also carried out. In 2011, an efficiency review programme was undertaken where efficiencies were negotiated and agreed for all Supporting People independent sector contracts. This was carried out through a combination of value for money assessments in addition to detailed consultation on an individual provider basis discussing any potential impact and associated risk to users, staff and the organisation. A further strategic risk analysis was carried out in 2013 to enable a full market analysis and needs assessment/strategic relevance review. It was carried out in conjunction with key partners and stakeholders to identify the services deemed to be of a high risk and therefore a priority to be reviewed in the first stage of the timetable. The analysis has indicated a high risk for the sector of single homeless with support needs. The quality of service provision for some of these services also requires a more in depth and detailed analysis. The review will result in a revised commissioning statement and services will be commissioned in accordance with those requirements. This will include a reduction in some services (in some cases, fully decommissioned), a change in service requirement for others and a focus on services which provide preventative measures to reduce the demand on reactive services ultimately providing an efficiency in other areas of the business. A full market analysis and needs assessment/ strategic relevance review of the sector will be undertaken culminating in a revised commissioning statement and services will be commissioned in accordance with those requirements. The North West Supported Housing Needs Model indicates trends showing the need for more supported housing for single homeless and those with drug and alcohol problems. These groups are generally accommodated within the HMO sector, many of which do not receive Supporting People Funding.

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All recommendations and discussions regarding sector provision are discussed at the multi-disciplinary Supporting People Officers Group. Representation includes Strategic Commissioning, Contracting, Quality, Drug and Alcohol Team, Probation, Housing Strategy, Housing Needs and Finance. The SP funding reduction target so far has been achieved for this year, with a saving of 420k. A further reduction of 420k needs to be saved across SP for 14/15. It is also very likely that further cuts to funding will be needed following 15/16 onwards. Supporting People Utilisation Rates

Providers 2013/14

Utilisation Throughput

Salvation Army 95.7% 479.6%

Union House 100% 217.10%

James Street 97.3% 216.7%

Hollin Street 98.8% 260%

Project 66 90.7% 100%

The Foyer 98% 204.5%

Night safe hostel 98.4% 212.5%

Nightsafe shelter 79.8% 4780%

Cornfield Cliffe 95.3% 180%

Stepping Stone 103.6% 302.6%

Housing Needs 100% 246.70%

Homegroup 103.6% 225.7%

4.19 Lancashire Single Homeless Initiative

The Government has awarded Lancashire, including Blackburn with Darwen, 300,000 over two years to develop housing options for non priority homeless people; this may be another means of alleviating the effects of welfare reform on potential homelessness. Three geographical cluster groups have been formed, BwD and five other LAs being part of the East Lancashire group.

There are three aspects to the initiative:

Shared housing

Pre-tenancy training

Accommodation finding

A steering group has been meeting to discuss viable options and has decided that the funding will be used to deliver a private sector access and shared accommodation finding scheme in East Lancashire.

Review the success of the two year contract starting in approximately mid-June 2014.

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4.20 Family-centred Initiatives Troubled Families

Through the Troubled Families initiative DCLG funds local authorities for three years to work with families who have:

been involved in anti social behaviour;

a child/children convicted of an offence;

a child/children with poor school attendance;

an adult in the household who is unemployed and receiving out of work benefits. Families that meet the criteria are assigned a Family Intervention Key Worker who will work alongside them to identify and address the issues they need help with. The Key Worker co-ordinates the work of other services and agencies; they can work with the family to improve budgeting and reduce debt, access positive activities for young people, help with parenting boundaries and routines and help adults seek education, training or employment. Outcomes from the Programme:

No further offending

Reduction in reports of antisocial behaviour and domestic abuse incidents

Increased levels of school attendance

Adult family members in part-time or full-time paid employment and/or voluntary work or training

Increased skills for parenting

Improved property condition and family in secure and stable tenancy

Reduction in substance misuse and improved physical/mental health

Networks of support identified through engagement in community groups and provision and access to youth provision and positive activities

Child protection concerns addressed.

There is a good fit between the above and the work of the Vulnerable Families Team, which comprises two specialist floating support workers located within Housing Needs, and in recognition of this 50% of their salaries have been paid from the Troubled Families budget during a time when there was insufficient funding from other sources to meet their full cost.

Potential action

When assessing clients for support Housing Needs Officers to ask questions in relation to school attendance, youth offending and ASB and if the clients meet one of those criteria and are also receiving out of work benefits they can be referred for additional support to Troubled Families team.

Develop integrated approaches for preventing family breakdown using a whole family approach (as used in Think Family and Troubled Families)

Think Family is now one exit option for families who have been supported through the Troubled Families Programme.

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4.21 Vulnerable Families Team

For the past year the Vulnerable Families Team has been based in Housing Needs and 50% funded through the Troubled Families budget, working with a mix of young parents and families with multiple problems. They have now secured from Supporting People the funding necessary to continue to employ two full-time support workers during 2014-15.

A joint protocol between Housing Needs and Childrens Social Care covering duties owed to homeless 16 and 17 year olds was agreed in 2011 and outlines the duties of each organisation when a 16 or 17 year old presented as homeless. There is also a protocol for Care Leavers aged 18-21. The protocol generally seems to be working well and will be reviewed early in 2014.

4.22 B-with-Us; the sub regional Choice-Based Lettings Scheme B-with-Us is the name of the sub regional Choice-Based Lettings Scheme that provides almost all social housing in Pennine Lancashire through one allocation policy. It encompasses five local authorities and 17 landlords. The B-with-us scheme, through its partner organisations which include Twin Valley Homes, administers the waiting list for properties in the form of a common housing register. This is a single register for both new customers who want to move into a property and those who are existing tenants seeking to transfer. This housing register is divided into 4 Bands, according to housing need; with Band 1 awarded to the highest priority and Band 4 to the lowest. Customers are prioritised within the bands according to their individual needs, circumstances and waiting time in line with the common allocations policy. In BwD Band 1 is used mainly for homelessness prevention and Housing Needs have the authority to allocate this banding in cases where prevention work is being carried out. In addition, since the bedroom tax was introduced households under-occupying by two bedrooms have been placed in Band 1 and those under-occupying by one bedroom into Band 2. The effect has been to put greater pressure on the number of available smaller properties thus pushing more people to look to the private rented sector. A move-on protocol with B-with-Us has been developed to help residents in supported accommodation to have better access to social housing. The most significant change to the policy in terms of its possible impact on homelessness is the minimum age for a tenancy being raised from 16 to 18. 16 and 17 year olds may register with B-with-Us but their application is suspended until their 18th birthday at which point the application is made live and backdated to the date they registered. Local Authorities have the power to lift the suspension placed on B-with-Us applications in cases where they have accepted a statutory duty, which is a key part of the policy since 16 and 17 year olds are a priority need category. Although this facility exists BwD Housing Needs has not needed to apply it as options usually exist within supported accommodation such as the Foyer and James Street. Also worth noting is the fact that housing associations will not offer a full tenancy to under 18s because of the difficulty involved in pursuing a breach of tenancy in court therefore equitable tenancies are offered instead. Applicants to B-with-Us must provide references, one of which must be a current or most recent landlord, if the individual/household lives in rented accommodation. If they have not had a previous landlord, references may be accepted from a responsible member of the community such as an employer or teacher, including advocates from agencies involved

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with the individual. Alternatively a Passport to Housing qualification will be accepted. A Ready to Move form from an approved supported accommodation provider will be accepted as a valid reference.

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Section 5: Needs Assessment: The Current Level of Homelessness in Blackburn with Darwen Data is available for a wide range of enquires. The most pertinent will be discussed in this section. Further graphs and data are available in appendix 4.

5.1 Housing Enquiries

The graph below shows the number of housing enquiries received by Housing Needs during the years 2008-09 to 2013-14. On this basis the number of enquiries has doubled since 2008-09. It is anticipated that numbers will continue to increase as Welfare Reforms are rolled out and the impact is felt.

The below graph is for all housing enquiries

In 2008-09 the three main known causes of homelessness enquiries were:

Medical 229 (25%)

Termination of assured short-hold tenancy 144 (16%)

Violent breakdown of relationship involving partner 49 (5%)

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By 2013-14 ending of tenancies was still a significant issue but other reasons for enquiries had increased in number:

Friend/relative no longer willing/able to accommodate 261 (13.6%)

Termination of assured short-hold tenancy 244 (12.7%)

Parent no longer willing/able to accommodate 210 (10.9%) Whilst not falling within the most common reasons for enquiries a number of categories have increased significantly as shown in the table below. For the full table see Appendix 4. Although some of the numbers are relatively small the five categories of enquiries which have experienced the greatest percentage increase are shown below. Such increases may indicate factors that need to be addressed within the strategy; these will be referred to later in the Review.

No. of enquiries 2008-09

No. of enquiries 2013-14

% increase

Leaving prison/remand 1 35 3400%

Sleeping rough 2 67 3250%

Rent arrears (social housing) 5 98 1860%

Affordability 10 130 1200%

Leaving hospital 2 26 1200%

5.2 Housing Enquiries: by age and composition

16-17 year olds The number of housing enquiries from households aged 16-17 has quadrupled from 19 (2.1%) in 2008-09 to 95 (5.1%) in 2013-14. The number of enquiries from this age group reached a peak of 155 (10.6%) in 2010-11, which corresponds with the early part of the

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recent recession and the point at which the Young Peoples Housing Team was well known and receiving frequent referrals. 16-24 year olds In 2008-09 the main reason for enquiries for 16-24 year olds was Termination of Assured Short-hold Tenancy at 31 enquiries (13.7%). Parental evictions accounted for 15 enquiries (6.6% of the total number of enquiries from this age range). Since then the category Parental evictions has increased to a high of 200 enquiries (32.1%) in 2010-11 and then decreased each year to 120 enquiries in 2013-14, however this still accounts for 23.3% of all enquiries from this age group.

Under 35s The number of housing enquiries from households under 35 has almost doubled since 2008-09. The number of enquiries from this age group now accounts for 1027 (53.4%) of the total number of enquiries in 2013-14, up from 437 (47.8%) in 2008-09. The increase in the number of enquiries from this age group could be attributed to the Council having referral rights for all supported housing projects within the Borough as well as to the increase in the number of spaces available in unregulated hostels, also referred to as HMOs, which accommodate individuals from out-of-borough and thereby contribute to the problem of inward migration. The recent extension of the Local Housing Allowance shared accommodation rate (at time of writing 53.50 per week in Blackburn with Darwen) to those up to age 35 has had some impact on number of enquiries from this age group but perhaps not as great an impact as could have been expected. Of the 341 households affected by this change only 59 (17.3%) contacted Housing Needs for advice and assistance. Over 65s The number of housing enquiries from households over 65 remains low despite the aging population. The likely reason for this is the availability within the Borough of properties for this age group including general needs social housing, sheltered accommodation and extra care housing. The majority of people within this age group contact the choice-based lettings scheme, B-with-Us, or go direct to housing associations for assistance rather than contacting Housing Needs, hence the low number of enquiries. All housing enquiries: household composition The largest household group Housing Needs provide assistance to are singles with no dependent children; this group has risen from 377 (41.2%) in 2008-09 to a high of 1283 (66.7%) in 2013-14. (See Appendix 4 for household composition data). The other group for which there has been a noticeable increase is Couples with 3+ children. Enquiries for this group have increased from 11 (1.2%) in 2008-09 to 84 (4.4%) in 2013-14. Although this is a relatively small percentage increase it is a significant increase in households and may be indicative of the fact that some families may now be subject to the bedroom tax which they are unable to afford.

All housing enquiries: Ethnicity White British households account for over half of all housing enquiries, with 479 (52.3%) in 2008-09 rising to 988 (79.4%) in 2011-12 and more than tripling to 1434 (74.6%) in 2013-14.

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5.3 Homeless Presentations and Acceptances

The law about homelessness is complex, but in summary, local authorities have a duty to help people who are either homeless or threatened with homelessness within 28 days.

Homelessness is defined as:

Having no accommodation that you are legally entitled to occupy in the UK or elsewhere.

Having accommodation but being unable to gain entry to it.

Facing threats of violence or actual violence from someone living there.

Not being reasonable for the individual to continue to live in their accommodation.

Living in movable accommodation such as a boathouse or caravan and having nowhere to place and live in it.

Once the local authority decides that the individual/family is homeless it then assesses whether they:

Have a priority need e.g. have dependent children, are pregnant or are vulnerable as a result of age, disability, mental health issues, etc.

Have become homeless intentionally e.g. have been evicted for mortgage or rent arrears despite having the means to pay.

Have a local connection, e.g. they normally live or work in Blackburn with Darwen or have close family living in the Borough.

The graph below shows the annual total of all enquiries (housing options, homeless applications and customer services cases dealt with by phone). In addition it shows the number of acceptances and preventions plus preventions as a percentage of enquiries. Preventing homelessness can involve a considerable amount of work by a Housing Needs Officer but by doing so not only are the individuals concerned assisted but cost savings are made to other local services.

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5.4 Vulnerable Groups and Homelessness

A recent (December 2013) House of Commons Social Policy Report notes that: The financial year 2009/10 saw an increase in homelessness acceptances by local authorities of 10%, representing the first financial year increase since 2003/04. The 2012 calen