Regional Homelessness Forum

Introduction
Latest news/events
Terms of reference
Co-ordinating Group members
GO-EM role
ODPM Homelessness Directorate
Homelessness statistics
Other partners
Your views and input

INTRODUCTION

The government has placed increasing emphasis on identifying and tackling the causes of homelessness. In the region, there are a wide and varied range of stakeholders who can contribute to tackling and resolving these issues. However, to bring people together to contribute their expertise, experience and to foster a joined up approach to tackling the issues and priorities it was necessary to look at a regional body to bring this together.

With the support of the Regional Housing Board and ODPM, A Regional Homelessness Forum was launched on 17 March 2005. The initial aim of the Forum is to widen the scope of tackling homelessness by broadening the scope of representatives from those with a stake in homelessness in this region and bringing them into the debate by providing a vehicle to talk about and discuss the challenges faced by them in tackling homelessness.

The forum will also actively seek to encourage participation from those with expertise on specific thematic causes of homelessness to further encourage the envisaged joined-up approach to issues identified and maximise use of resources wherever possible.

Through the Forum we can identify the major issues of homelessness in the regions. It’s intended that the wider forum will meet on a 6 monthly basis to discuss the main issues of homelessness in the region. By examining these issues in more depth we hope to identify good practice, offer practical solutions and foster a collective approach which will inform and strengthen delivery of future editions of the homelessness section of the Regional Housing Strategy.

LATEST NEWS/EVENTS
The Regional Homelessness Forum event in the Y Theatre at Leicester’s YMCA took place on Wednesday, 1 February 2006.

Over 200 represenataives from organisations involeved in homelessness in the region came together in a unique event to discuss the main themes and issues on homelessness in the region. The conclusions of the day formed the basis of a successful bid to the Regional Husing Board to fund a strategy to address the main issues of homelessness in the region and address them in future updates of the Regional Housing Strategy.

The Regional Housing Board agreed to provide up to £60,000 to fund the strategy. Following a tender process, 13 bids were submitted on the basis of a tender specicification and timetable drafted bymembers of the Co-ordinating Group of the Forum. 4 bids were shortlisted and the selection panel invited the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS) at Birmingham University as the preferred bidder.

Discussions are taking place with CURS on finalising the terms of reference for the study and arrangements are being made to ensure that service user engagementis as wide ranging as possible, particulalrly to take account of sub-regional priorities and thematic issues.

It's expected that this will be finalised by the end of October and a timetable of sub-regional consultation events, methodology and a regional presentation on conclusions will be posted in due course.

TERMS OF REFERENCE
Initial Terms of Reference for the Forum and are set out below for your information. As the work of the Forum progresses and takes future shape, the terms of reference will alter as, and if, required to reflect such changes.

Background

The Regional Homelessness Forum was launched on March 17, 2005. It is aimed at bringing people in the region with a stake in homelessness issues together with a view to a cohesive and co-ordinated approach to investigating and resolving the causes of homelessness in the region.

Meeting twice yearly, the Forum will be the decision making body on issues that impact on homeless people and the delivery of homelessness services that will be reflected in the regional Housing Strategy. The Forum’s work will be supported by a co-ordinating group who will ensure that the decisions of the Forum are appropriately reflected.

Aim
The overarching role of the Forum is to reduce and prevent homelessness and the use of temporary and inappropriate accommodation in the East Midlands.

We aim to achieve this by -

• Providing networking and learning opportunities for those involved in the delivery of services for homeless people in the region as well as anyone affected by homelessness
• Informing regional decision making about issues that impact on homeless people and the delivery of homelessness services.
• Working to strengthen gaps on homelessness policy in the Regional Housing Strategy
• Seeking out and sharing good practice, in particular, identifying good practice from Local Authority Homelessness Strategies and encouraging regional cohesion where possible

Membership

• Membership of the Forum is open to anyone involved in the delivery of services for homeless people and anyone affected by homelessness who can bring their experiences to the Forum

Operation

• The Forum is the key decision making body on issues regarding homelessness which are communicated to the Regional Housing Board for inclusion in the Homelessness section of the Regional Housing Strategy.
• The Forum meets at least six monthly at venues around the region
• Wherever possible, information dissemination to Forum members will be by e-mail using existing sites. Alternative arrangements will be made where forum members do not have this access

Co-ordinating Group

• The Forum has a co-ordinating group made up of representatives from Local Authorities, Registered Social Landlords, Voluntary Sectors, GO-EM and ODPM’s Homelessness Unit. In addition there are representatives from the Housing Corporation, Supporting people and Department of Health.
• The group will elect a chair from within its membership. When required, the Steering Group will co-opt members who can add specific expertise on the issues that the Forum will determine.
• The Co-ordinating Group administers the work of the wider forum. The Forum is the decision making body on issues that impact on homeless people and the delivery of homelessness services and the Co-ordinating Group’s role reflects those decisions

Role of the Co-ordinating Group

• To co-ordinate the contribution of Forum members to regional decision making To disseminate information to Forum members
• To identify resources for additional pieces of work e.g. research, policy development

Operation of the Co-ordinating Group

• The Co-ordinating Group meets at least quarterly at venues around the Region
• It co-ordinates the work of the Forum through organising events and meetings
• It disseminates information and encouraging responses to consultations and requests for information

Links to the Regional Housing Board

• The Chair of the Steering Group will represent the Forum at Regional Housing Board meetings.

CO-ORDINATING GROUP MEMBERS

When the Forum was established GOEM sought the input of individuals to form a Co-ordinating group to help take forward and administer the work of the wider forum in it’s early stages. The co-ordinating group reflects the wide variety of expertise in the region.

Co-ordinating Group members and contact details are listed below.

GOEM would like to acknowledge our real gratitude to the members of the co-ordinating group. In the early stages of establishing a regional network which strives to encompass everyone with a stake in tackling homelessness, we can’t emphasise how important the input by the members of the group was, particularly because their input is voluntary and in addition to their normal full-time jobs.

Claire Grainger (Chair)
Notts Hostel Liaison Group
E mail - claire.grainger@hlg.org.uk

Ellen Milazzo
Shelter
E mail - EllenM@shelter.org.uk

Dave Cressey
East Lindsey District Council
E mail - david.cressey@e-lindsey.gov.uk

Jon Cowdell
Housing Corporation
E mail - jon.cowdell@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk

Andrew Redfern
Framework Housing Association
E mail - Andrew.redfern@FrameworkHA.org

Zoe Wortley
Longhurst Housing Association
E mail – zoe.wortley@longhurst-group.org.uk

Ruth Rigby
Regional Supporting People Officers Group
E mail - ruth.rigby@nottscc.gov.uk

Denise Steadman
Regional Supporting People Officers Group
E-mail - denise.steadman

Gary Harvey
Nottingham City Council
E-mail - gary.harvey@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Geoff Robinson
Action Homelessness
E-mail - info@actionhomelessness.org.uk

Mohammed Sabeel
Homeless Link
E mail - mohammed.sabeel@homelesslink.org.uk

Sarah Cumberland
DCLG Homelessness Directoratet
E mail - sarah.cumberland@communities.gsi.gov.uk

Carl Neal
Dept of Health
E mail - carl.neal@goem.gsi.gov.uk

Jenny Allen
National Housing Federation
E-mail - jennya@housing.org.uk

Stewart Bembridge
GO-EM
E mail - stewart.bembridge@goem.gsi.gov.uk

Links to meeting notes will be added to these pages for your information. In the meantime Mike Dowdican at GOEM will be happy to mail word versions to you if required. You can contact Mike by e mail at mike.dowdican@goem.gsi.gov.uk

GOEM ROLE

GOEM Area Teams work closely with the Homelessness and Housing Support Directorate at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) to monitor and support Local Authorities development of sustainable communities by tackling homelessness. This includes targets to sustain reductions in rough sleeping, end the use of bed & breakfast accommodation for homeless families with children and prevent homelessness occurring.

We have worked hard to forge partnerships. In particular, we have strengthened our relationship with ODPM colleagues and local authorities to help them access a range of information and best practice to enable them to begin to take on and implement effective homelessness prevention strategies.

We do this by working in partnership with:

• Local authorities on homelessness issues and action plans;
• Providing strategic support to authorities that are finding the delivery of homelessness services more challenging.
• Key stakeholders working alongside LA and voluntary groups
• Other Government teams and ODPM teams, particularly the Homelessness Directorate team.

DCLG HOMELESSNESS DIRECTORATE

ODPM’s Homelessness Directorate are taking forward government policy on identifying and tackling the causes of homelessness.

The directorate work in partnership with other Government Departments (including Government Offices), Local Authorities, The Housing Corporation, Registered Social Landlords, private landlords and voluntary organisations to deliver programmes and projects to meet local and national aspirations on reducing homelessness and its causes.

You can find out more about the work of the directorate by accessing the ODPM website at www.communities.gov.uk

HOMELESSNESS STATISTICS

ODPM provide a wide range of useful statistics and information on homelessness throughout the country. If you want to look at this information it can be viewed on the ODPM website at www.communities.gov.uk.

OTHER PARTNERS
In addition to government agencies we have a number of partners in the Forum who are committed to working to tackle homelessness issues and information on the services they provide can be viewed on their websites which are set out below.

YOUR VIEWS AND INPUT

The Regional Homelessness Forum and these pages are in its infancy. Hopefully, the future work of the Forum will achieve the aim of having a Homelessness section of the Regional Housing Strategy that reflects priorities and targets that we can all buy into.

We want your input into these pages and the work of the Forum so please use the messageboard we've developed for any questions and views on homelessness in the region and where informed discussion and opinion can be encouraged.

If you want to be alerted to updates to the site please fill in the form at Contact us and we'll alert you to any inforamtion and news as soon as the sirte is updated