Greenwich Enhanced Housing Options
Service
Choice and Opportunity for vulnerable and
socially excluded people
Jo Beck, Enhanced Housing Options Manager, Greenwich Council
Jo.beck@greenwich.gov,uk Tel: 020 8921 6825
Greenwich Enhanced Housing
Options
• For all ‘homeseekers’: Home Employment
Connections, accessible information via the website,
Housing Options Service, partners and outreach to
address needs around housing, financial and debt
advice, employment and training and health.
• For Young People: An integrated ‘one stop shop’
service where housing options and support staff work
with Connexions, Health, substance misuse and
other specialist services for young people,
• For vulnerable adults: Multi agency and outreach
arrangements to reach people before the point of
crisis and to provide a range of options and advice.
Focus on socially excluded
people to meet local needs…
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24th most deprived borough in England and Wales, and
8th in London
40% of children are living in families affected by income
deprivation.
5th highest in England and Wales for households
headed by a lone parent
56.5 teenage pregnancy(45.4 London, 40.7UK)
5.2% JSA claimants (4.4% London, 4.2% UK)
9.6% 16/17 year olds are NEET, and amongst
homeless young people only 24% are known to be in
education/training/work
5000+ per annum DV incidents reported to police, 45%
of which have an alcohol indicator
A third of assessed Probation Service clients have
accommodation needs, 2/3 have alcohol/drug needs, ¾
have employment and training needs, 2/3 have mental
health needs
Moving up a Gear –
The Next Steps for DIP 2009
A national review of the Drug Intervention
Programme (DIP) assessed DIP’s ability to
drive down drug related offending…
• Housing was identified by offenders as the
most important intervention
• But current provision assessed as
unsatisfactory and in some areas non existent
• 2nd most important intervention is support in
development of life skills
• Also important crisis support, peer support,
daytime activities
Providing housing and support for vulnerable adults
Enhanced Housing Options linked to Supporting People (SP)
services and the (Every Child Matters) outcomes framework
• be healthy- manage physical health, mental health, substance
misuse; aids and adaptations,
• stay safe- maintain accommodation, comply statutory orders,
avoid harm to self and others,
• enjoy and achieve- participate in training & education,
cultural/faith/informal learning activities, volunteering/unpaid
work, establish contact with services/family, friends
• achieve economic well-being – maximise income, reduce debt,
find and maintain work
• make a positive contribution – developing confidence & ability to
have greater control/involvement
Housing Support to achieve positive
outcomes
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Mental Health Resettlement Team
Hospital Discharge Team
Community Team
Family Support Team
Moving On Support Team (MOST)
Over 500 clients
7% in employment or training
6% want support with finding work
11% with training/education
MOST: A multi agency ‘virtual’ team for people with
a substance misuse and/or offending history
M.O.S.T. Coordinator – Debbie Potter
8 housing support officers, including a specialist Domestic
Violence and Substance Misuse Support Officer
Located in:
• Resettlement Service co-located with Housing Options
• Probation Service
• Drug Intervention Programme
• Greenwich Addiction Service (Alcohol Support)
From 1 post, to 5, to 8 and a 3 year SP contract!
First Greenwich SP service to be assessed as all ‘A’s on QAF and SP
review
Cheaper than equivalent services, and with better outcomes
Outreach and partnership
• Referrals via criminal justice, substance
misuse, DV and housing services
• Referral links with 15 prisons
• Regular options clinics at substance misuse
services and HMP Belmarsh
• Work with Multi Agency Public Protection
Arrangements (MAPPA) and Prolific and
Priority Offender (PPO) panel
• Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference
(MARAC) and work closely with DV refuge
and advocacy services
HMP Belmarsh Options Clinic
• Prevent tenancy loss for
prisoners going in to custody
• Monthly + service for
Greenwich prisoners close to
release
• Identify needs, provide advice,
look for housing solutions –
supported housing, Newtrac,
family and friends, options
pack
• Initiate resettlement support –
housing, treatment, benefits,
employment training
Into housing ….and beyond?
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Supported housing with NACRO, Thamesreach etc
Newtrac – Rent Deposit Scheme, SP funded for vulnerable adults
Over 120 clients housed in private rented accommodation with
support since June 08
45% of these are MOST clients
Majority are not in ‘priority need’ but are socially excluded, repeat
offenders, on the ‘journey’ to recovery from drug/alcohol abuse
Over 95% continue to sustain their tenancy
•Support with Education Employment and Training (ETE)
via Greenwich Local Labour and Business (GLLAB), and
other specialist ETE services
•Working with JCP outreach pilot, in Belmarsh and on 2
estates
•But as ‘Hard to reach’ clients are also hard to refer an ETE
adviser is being placed within the service
Quotes from Newtrac SP review
Actual outcomes:
• A young couple with learning disabilities, previously sofa surfing, were placed
close to family.
• A rough sleeper accessed his first settled home for years and his serious
physical health problems are improving.
• A woman with a very chaotic lifestyle has engaged with services since moving
into a private rented flat
• A former serviceman with multiple health problems who had attempted suicide
has re-engaged with family and is maintaining abstinence from alcohol.
Service users said…
• I'd been waiting less than three months, its kept me clean, its saved my life
• I only waited 5 months versus the 10 years I could have waited on the council
waiting list, and I'm still allowed to bid. I've got options now, before I had no
options, I've been very lucky, It’s been very good.
• I am excited and happy about it and I wouldn’t want to change it for anything, I
have the doctors the hospital everything is a bus ride away and close by, it is
ideal.
• The plumbing went wrong, that was the fault of the flat above, but the landlady
was on it straight away, it was sorted.