Introduction

This is a report of Path’s activities and service provision for the period April 2005 to March 2006.  It contains brief summaries of services provided, with statistics to illustrate what was achieved.  Ultimately, it aims to record a year of development and change, as we have continued to build on Path’s existing good work.

Last year saw some specific changes, as noted in the Significant Developments section.  A new logo was part of updating and improving our image and identity.  Some new services were started.  Some of our staff moved offices, from the Harwell Centre to Midland House.  But, mostly, we’ve worked to continue services, to further build relationships and to work better alongside and with the many partners we are pleased to collaborate with.

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Significant Developments

As noted above, there were many developments in 2005 / 06.  These included:

• our Rent Deposit team moving to Midland House to work with and alongside the Housing Dept
• expanding our work with people using community drugs services
• updating our image and identity, with new look and logo
• developing a Path website
• investing in, planning and working for future developments, including funding and planning work regarding private landlords and our work with offenders

Services

Rough Sleeping

The service essentially works with two groups: those at risk of sleeping rough (where we work to prevent rough sleeping); and those already sleeping rough (working to reduce the numbers of people doing so).  It does this through two aspects of the service:

Outreach

Tuesday & Thursday, 07.00– 09.00

We provide a regular point of contact for people who are street homeless.  Our workers provide skilled support and advice on how to utilise local services.  We visit known rough sleeper sights, monitoring numbers and engaging with rough sleepers to support them to move off the street.  Contacts statistics for the year include:

• 2 sessions provided per week
• 251 individuals seen
• 1041 contacts

These reflect large numbers of contacts and support, the numbers of people actually sleeping rough varying according to many factors, including the season and local and national policy and practice.

Rough Sleeper Drop-in  Monday to Friday, am & pm

This is a drop-in service for people sleeping (or at risk of sleeping) rough.  Clients can expect a short interview where their housing needs are assessed.  Where relevant, we can refer clients to the Gates night shelter, hostels, or support their applications to other housing providers.

• 10 sessions pw
• 594 individuals seen
• 1172 contacts

These figures reflect more people who are vulnerable to sleeping rough using the drop-in service to gain access to accommodation, this indicated both through use of duty (higher stats) and generally lower numbers sleeping rough. 

RSI Strategy

PATH employs the Rough Sleeper (RS) Services Coordinator and takes a lead on reviewing, developing and implementing the local Rough Sleeper strategy.  2005 saw a review of the previous RS strategy for the city, with significant work to develop the next one.  The content, format, versions and approach all progressed significantly, led by the RS Services Coordinator but with ongoing input from relevant partners; this included through ongoing RSI (Rough Sleeping Initiative) meetings and formal consultation events. 

The strategy also continued to reflect and bring about change and development, the Coordinator supporting and prompting specific planning for the year ahead.

Bond: Deposit Guarantee

(single people / couples)

The Bond service receives referrals from Midland House, The Zone (Youth Enquiry Service) and Shelter.  Housing needs assessments are provided, identifying any relevant housing options. When a client is considered eligible for a Deposit Guarantee, they are then encouraged to find a sustainable tenancy where they will be guaranteed a deposit, in line with the current bond scheme.  (In some cases, alternatives are found to support people into accommodation.)

In 2005 / 06 there were:

• 428 people assessed
• 66 people provided with a bond
• 6 supported into accommodation through other means (eg benevolent funds)

HomeFinder: Rent in Advance/Deposit

(for families)   

This is a service administered by PATH, working with the Housing Advice service on behalf of Plymouth City Council.  Referrals are taken from PCC, support then given to the families to move into appropriate private accommodation.  Path liaises with and pays the landlord both rent in advance and a deposit.  For the client, we also provide a degree of resettlement and tenancy support.

• 158 families housed

People in drug treatment

From September 2005 we provided additional support to people using community drugs services.  For them, we assess housing needs and seek to access appropriate housing or otherwise to advise them of their housing options.  

For the seven months from Sept 05 till Mar 06:

• Housing Needs Assessments: 21 completed
• Resettlement: 3 x DRAG panels; 19 into temp housing (B&B); 3 into hostels; 1 Homeless duty.  Also people referred on / supported through Bond and HomeFinder schemes.
• Presentations & partnership: 10 presentations; 11 multi-agency mtgs.

Probation 

For clients of Probation, we offer full housing needs assessments, aiming to identify and support their housing options.  This can include helping with applications to supported housing and supporting clients to use the private rented sector.

• 175 people given full housing needs assessments
• 62 known to have directly resulted in accommodation

Tenancy Support 

Tenancy Support (TS) workers help clients to set up, sustain and maintain tenancies, often where a client has had difficulties in doing so in the past.  If a person is deemed to be in need of tenancy support, referrals can be made to the TS Team Leader.

Across 3 different Supporting People contracts, we have been able to support up to 85 people at any time.  These contracts allow us to work with a range of people who have issues that have led to them not being able to sustain a tenancy or manage it                 independently.  This could be due to literacy problems, mental health issues, budgeting problems, alcohol and drug issues, mild learning difficulties, domestic violence or immigration (being a refugee).

Training Events

Last year Path worked with Homeless Link to develop and run a one day event for workers in the field of homelessness.  The conference, which took place in February 06, was called: Partnership, Pathways and Problem Solving.

Workshops for the day included: Accessing drug services (Torbay DAAT), Working with Drinkers (Exeter SHOT), Education and training (Shekinah), Dealing with difficult behaviour (Zebra Collective), The Private Rented Sector (PATH and Homes4Let), Sexual Health and Blood Born Viruses (Eddystone), Tenant Participation (Plymouth City Council).

Plans also began for Path to contribute to and provide training in the future.

Other contacts   

People contact Path for a range of reasons, often wanting housing information and advice.  Some of this is part of existing service provision but we now monitor calls and contacts which fall outside those roles but are still relevant to our provision.  Below are details about contacts from September 05 to March 06, the period we started monitoring in this way (ie contacts not included in other stats, covering these 7 months).

• 279 contacts
• 125 from wkrs; 154 from public
• Main issues: housing advice (98); tenancy advice (66); referral / other service info (53)
• Main referrals to: Housing Advice (53); Path (57).

Website

During this year we set up a website, aiming to use the internet to make (information on) Path more accessible.  Broad details of services, information about the agency’s aims and identity are included, along with sections on – and downloads of – leaflets and our first published annual report.

Future Developments

2006 / 07 is already an exciting year for Path.  Some of the developments we are working on include:

• Publication of the Plymouth Rough Sleeper strategy
• A new Landlord Liaison post (funded by The Big Lottery)
• Re-configuration and development of some existing services into the Plymouth Advice and Assessment Service (PAAS)
• Work with START to provide the Refugee Housing Support Service (RHSS)
• Development of our client and support (assessment) systems
• A new Gateway service to provide additional housing support to offenders
• Further development of our website, partly to reflect and promote the above

Staffing

As of end March 2006 Path was made up of:

Board of trustees
Sue Hunting (Chair); Josie Wood; Kim Ansari; Councillor George Wheeler; Nick Thomas.

Staff members
Mike Taylor (Director); Elaine Bentley (Finance Manager); Tracy Childs (Tenancy Support Team Leader); Ian Carrie (Pre-Tenancy Team Leader); Mike Leeder (Rough Sleeping Services Coordinator); Aidan Barlow (Outreach); Kate Medhurst (Bond Wkr); Denis Johnston (HomeFinder); Sharron Newberry (Office Manager); Sam Dean (Admin Wkr); Linda Taylor (Housing Needs Worker); Ghia Gambardella, Julian Barr, Karen Buckland, Nick Reid and Martin Robinson (Tenancy Support Wkrs).

Richard Belboda is the mental health social worker for the homeless, based with us.  PATH also contracts Plymouth Focus Advice Centre to provide benefits and money advice and support.

Finances

PATH’s annual income was in the region of £570k for the reporting year.  This mostly comprised grants for contracted work; also £125k rent deposits processed by us for PCC Housing Dept. 

In the reporting year our main funding derives from Plymouth City Council (mostly funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, as it was) and from our Supporting People (SP) grants.  The SP grants fund our tenancy support work; our pre-tenancy work is supported by, as well as PCC, a range of organisations, including Devon & Cornwall Probation service and Plymouth Drug & Alcohol Action Team.  This funds our work with rough sleepers, offenders and drugs clients; plus our rent deposit work.

Partners

There are many services and agencies we work and communicate with, in varying ways, to ensure and improve effectiveness of services.  We value and appreciate all, whether mentioned here or not. 

Generally, across our services, we work particularly with housing providers, such as: Plymouth City Council; Stonham; Westcountry; Devon & Cornwall Housing Association; and others.  Also, Social Services and the Salvation Army.  

The Housing Dept is crucial, including Housing Advice, Allocations and the Homeless Unit.  The Primary Care Trust, and other aspects of Health, are also vital service providers and partners.

In addition, and more specifically, we also work with those below.

Rough Sleeper work: Shekinah (inc Gates nightshelter); The Ship hostel; Soup Run; Devonport House.

Work with Offenders and those in drug treatment: Devon & Cornwall Probation Area; Harbour.

Rent Deposit work: The National Rent Deposit Forum (now sadly gone), The Zone, Plymouth City Council’s Housing Advice, Shelter, Letting Agents and Landlords across the city.

MT/19.9.06