1

Southwark Early Adopter Prevention Trailblazer Pilot – Detailed Delivery Plan as at 26th January 2017

Introduction

The London Borough of Southwark is proud to have been chosen by DCLG to be an ‘early adopter’ trailblazer for new homelessness legislation focused on new duties to prevent and relieve homelessness

The Council is committed to providing early learning and dissemination of information to support all local authorities in their preparations for implementing new prevention focused homelessness legislation.

Our work programme will mirror the proposed duties to be placed on local authorities as set out in the Homelessness Reduction Bill. The programme will be amended if further amendments are made to the Bill at the House of Lords stage in early 2017

The new prevention model will be underpinned by the principle of treating customers with compassion, understanding and empathy.

How we wish to work with DCLG on monitoring progress and sharing ideas

It is suggested that quarterly progress monitoring meetings are held. The intention is to hold a learning log capturing all learning from the new ways of working implemented in this pilot. What is working well and what is not working so well will be captured to help other local authorities as they set out on a similar implementation pathway.

There are a number of specific initiatives proposed in the work plan that are likely to require short task and finish project groups to be established. DCLG will have an open invite to attend, observe and participate in these project groups.

What does Southwark seek to benefit from being chosen as an ‘Early Adopter’ pilot?

We are grateful for the opportunity and funding and believe this will help the Council to successfully implement the new legislation by providing an opportunity to implement many of the proposed legislative changes early on a voluntary basis. We will monitor the impact on our acceptance numbers and rate, prevention numbers and how the initiatives impact on the numbers entering or leaving temporary accommodation.

2

Resources Plan

The Council has developed a Resources Plan to budget the cost of each initiative and action in the work plan. The Resource Plan is broken down by staff and non staff resources and is attached at appendix 1

Each of the items listed below in the Work Plan will have its own delivery plan with milestones, responsibilities and target dates for implementation

Early Adopter Trailblazer Work Programme as at 19th January 2017

Desired Outcome

Description What needs to be done Lead Officer and Progress

Timetable

1 Developing a Council wide approach to preventing and tackling homelessness

Action: Obtaining a Corporate Commitment to prevent and tackle homelessness.

Proposed actions and dates

1. A report will be submitted to the Portfolio Member for Housing on the outcome of Trailblazers and Preventing Rough Sleepers Bids, the action plans and information on the implications for the Homeless Reduction Act on the authority

2. Seek lead member approval for a further report to be submitted to members seeking a commitment that all departments must adopt a corporate commitment to work in partnership with the Housing Solutions Service to prevent homelessness and the actions for that Department to contribute to the Council’s Prevention of homelessness strategy should be contained in that department’s annual action plan. – By March 2017

3. If 2 is approved to set up a cross departmental working group of

Group Services Manager Group Services Manager Housing

Completed December 2016. March 2017 April 2017

3

relevant council services to coordinate and monitor corporate delivery for preventing homelessness. – By Spring 2017.

4. Produce a new homelessness strategy

Solutions Manager Project Officer

July 2017

2 Working in Partnership to prevent and tackle homelessness and the new duties in the Homelessness Reduction Act

1) Obtaining a commitment from all relevant statutory and voluntary sector partners to work in partnership to pilot and successfully implement the new model of prevention to meet the requirements of the Homelessness Reduction Act

Actions to deliver: Set up a Sub Group of the Homeless Forum to:

a) Progress how prevention work will be delivered through greater partnership working

b) To monitor the pilot and outcomes

c) To provide a ‘critical friend’ function for the pilot and a group to consult with and discuss new initiatives

Proposed actions and progress:

1. Homeless Forum has been informed of the successful bid and draft work program circulated for comments – Nov 16

Housing Solutions Manager Housing Solutions Manager Andy Gale Housing Consult Housing Solutions Manager

February 2017 March, July, October and December 2017 January 2017 November 2016

4

2) Deliver the Homelessness Reduction Act objective to provide early intervention prevention work through partnership working

2. Agreement obtained from the Forum to set up sub group to help with

delivery of the pilot

3. Requests via the Homeless Forum have been made for members to form a sub group and organisations have come forward

4. First meeting of the sub group to take place in February 2017 and terms of reference to be agreed

Actions to deliver this action

1. Overall aim is that all relevant partners sign up to a new “Homeless

Prevention Charter” structured around the partnership aims of the Homelessness Reduction Act

2. Charter will be consulted on through the Homelessness Forum – Feb

2017

3. Work will then commence with each partner to identify their organisations role and agree their contribution in helping to deliver early intervention prevention work and to set out their contribution in

Housing Solutions Manager Housing solutions Manager Housing Solutions Manager Group Services Manager Housing Solutions Manager Housing Solutions Manager Group Services Manager

February 2017 February 2017 February 2017 February 2017 February 2017 February 2017

5

3) Deliver bespoke prevention help through Personal Housing Plans as required by the Homelessness Reduction Act and to seek to make the Personal Housing Plans a live and evolving plan through partnership working

the appendix to the charter they are asked to commit to – From March 2017 to end June 2017

4. Objective is to provide effective prevention help and advice through the principle of ‘no wrong front door’ Applicant would be able to receive the same quality of advice from any partner agency even if the delivery of specific prevention actions may be the responsibility of the Council or a specific agency in that partnership. The model would work on the concept of a ‘Hub and Spokes’ model with the Options service being the Hub and the partner agencies being the spokes with consistent messaging and advice available from all ‘signed up’ partners. – no front door model for delivering consistent advice and options to be launched by September 2017

Actions to deliver the objective of bespoke Personal Housing Plans:

Actions set 1: Delivering Personal Housing Plans through the Housing Solutions Service

As an early adopted Trailblazer authority introduce pilot Personal Housing Plans at the earliest opportunity. Personal Housing Plans have been developed and are being introduced in January 2017 for all applicants threatened with homelessness within 56 days

Action set 2: Delivering Personal Housing Plans in Partnership

Southwark will develop a system with selected partners who will have access to the persons personal housing plan (with consent) to help keep the PHP and the actions relevant and live to increase the chances of a successful prevention outcome

Introduce concept of prevention help being delivered through Personal

Housing Solutions service Housing Solutions Manager Housing Solutions Manager

September 2017 January 2017 December 2017

6

Housing Plans that are used by all accredited prevention partners to record their contribution to prevention help

1. This will involve developing a system whereby copies of all PHPs will be stored on a password protected server – By October 2017

2. Applicant will be given password and link to own their own Personal Housing Plan – By November 2017

3. All partners to be asked to follow a protocol whereby they can (with the customers consent) to add, amend and support the delivery of that plan – By Nov 2017

This is to realise the objective of the plan being a live and evolving set of actions to be taken with support from the Council and Partners to try and achieve a solution.

Action set 3: Piloting delivering PHPs through selected partners

Southwark will work through options for devolving the delivery of personal housing plans to selected internal council departments and selected external partners

1. Develop a list of relevant potential internal and external partners where the issuing of a PHP could be devolved – By April 2017

2. Discussions will take place with all possible partners selected on how they could deliver PHPs – Between April and June 2017

3. The aim would be to have pilots in place by November 2017

Action set 4: Piloting other ways of delivering PHPs that recognise that some applicants understand information delivered through

Housing Solutions Manager Housing Solutions Manager

November 2017 July 2017

7

other means than by written notification

Action is to develop models for delivering PHPs through other means in addition to a written plan

1. Piloting visual plans – develop what these might look like and decide whether a pilot is feasible – by July 2017

2. Piloting plans explained through spoken word and link available to applicant so plan is retained in that format - develop what these might look like and decide whether a pilot is feasible – by July 2017

3. Piloting how PHPs can be delivered through community languages – This will require the issue of how bespoke plans can be made available in community languages or if there is another method whereby a plan can be explained in a community language – options to be developed by end July 2017

Action set 5: Develop Pathway Plans for a number of specific vulnerable groups

Southwark in response to the new section 179 advice duty in the HRA will as will be required by the new legislation develop and pilot Pathway Plans – These can be seen as a specific form of a Personal Housing Plan for specialist vulnerable groups who may have more problems in preventing homelessness or help to obtain accommodation. Applicable where a persons’ housing problem is ‘more than needing a roof’.

Actions: ‘Pathway Plans’ will be developed to provide meaningful prevention help, support, and an accommodation pathway for:

a. 16/17 year old homeless cases b. Care leavers c. Hospital discharge cases including mental health d. Leaving prison or young offenders

Housing Solutions Manager

May 2017

8

e. Service personnel homeless on leaving the armed forces 2. A framework for each Pathway Plan for each vulnerable group will be

developed between January 2017 and end of April 2017 and consulted on with partner agencies who work with each vulnerable group

3. Plans to then be piloted from May 2017 4. Learning disseminated to other local authorities in writing and through

on-going dissemination program

3 Improving the quality and effectiveness of prevention work to meet the requirements of the new section 195 prevention duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act

1) Develop and introduce new prevention focused casework resource toolkits targeting the 2 main causes of homelessness in Southwark - parents/relatives exclusions and section 21 notice cases.

Introduce new prevention casework toolkits to improve the quality of early intervention prevention work for the 2 main causes of homelessness –completed January 2017

Review effectiveness of the new prevention approaches by measuring specifically prevention outcomes for all parental/extended family exclusion cases and all AST/Possession action cases at 6/12/18 months after introduction compared to prevention rates prior to introduction for these 2 main causes – actions at 6/12/18 months after introduction

Share learning across local authorities – timescale see dissemination to other authorities action points below

Housing Solutions Manager

January 2017

9

2) To introduce the ‘Offer to Resolve’ model

Actions to deliver a ‘Formal Offer to Resolve’ Model Southwark will introduce and pilot a new concept in prevention work of making ‘a formal offer to resolve the problem’ to any person wishing to exclude covering all approaches where there is a threat of homelessness relating to a notice for any tenure, or withdrawal of a permission to live with parents, relatives or friends. This is not a requirement of the new Homelessness Reduction Act but Southwark believe it is an essential model to give discipline to prevention work and to ensure everything has been tried before it is accepted that homelessness cannot be prevented. We think the concept has important learning for all other local authorities. This is different to a personal housing plan and covers a formal written bespoke offer to resolve the problem that has been identified and made to the person wishing to exclude or repossess (in AST/tenancy cases) This will be a written offer tailored to the problem and potential solution (unless it is a case where it is assessed that it is unsafe for the applicant to remain). Actions: 1. Formal offer to resolve templates to be developed for all common

threat of homelessness problems – completed January 2017 2. Concept should be introduced from February 2017 for all casework 3. Review compliance and effectiveness of the formal offer to resolve

process at 6 months and 12 months

Housing Solutions Manager

March 2017

10

3) To pilot sustainment plans at the point of ending a prevention, relief or main duty

Action: To pilot sustainment plans at the point of ending a prevention, relief or main duty

As a trailblazer Southwark Council want to pilot an approach that will reduce the revolving door of homelessness. This is especially important given the new legislation will allow the prevention, or relief (help to secure) duties to be ended with any accommodation offered or secured that is likely to be available for 6 months.

Actions:

To develop a series of framework sustainment plans linked to the successful solution that ended the prevention or relief duty – By June 2017

To pilot sustainment plans for selected groups or more widespread – By August 2017

To monitor the success of the sustainment plans through discussions with a random section of households who have had the duty ended and are still in accommodation 6 months following – to commence evaluation exercise in January 2018.

Housing Solutions Manager

January 2018

Improving the quality and effectiveness of help to single applicants to help them to find accommodation to meet the new section 189B ‘Help to Secure’ Duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act

Action 1: Extra support to help single people secure accommodation

1. Southwark Council will pilot a Partnership Hub’ for single people delivering a multi agency advice, options accommodation finding and access to support service accommodation finding. This is anticipated to be a weekly single person multi agency surgery

a. Scope the surgery and discuss with relevant partners – By May 2017

b. Find a location – By May 2017 c. Commence single person Hub Surgery by July 2017

Housing Gateway Manager

June 2017

11

2. The Options Service will introduce ‘the offer to speak to any family of friends to help secure accommodation’ model for all single people who are homeless and not owed an accommodation duty. The aim is that this simple promise to speak to any family or friends where no accommodation duty is od may make the difference of helping the person to obtain some form of accommodation – To commence by March 2017

3. There will be a number of new accommodation initiatives developed specifically targeted at helping single people secure accommodation – see section below on lodgings scheme for details and timings

4 To develop a self-help prevention of homelessness strategy

The objective is to promote concept of Customer Choice and Empowerment as a core principle for how the new prevention model is intended to operate both in the pilot stage and to inform thinking post enactment of the HRA.

Encouraging the principle of self help for applicants who are not so vulnerable that they are able to help themselves to find a solution Self help on line resources

The Self-Help principle is enshrined in the Homelessness Reduction Act and Southwark Council will pilot the approach in several ways. Applicants should be seeking a solution themselves with the support of the Council and should be helped to take actions through bespoke practical resources. (Note: an assessment will be made to ensure an applicant can help themselves. Applicants with a level of vulnerability that means they cannot help themselves will not be expected to pursue self help options)

This will be achieved through several strands of work

A self help strategy will be delivered through:

1) Developing a fully interactive on-line self help prevention and options advice module and to use it to encourage all the key software providers of homelessness and advice systems to commit early to developing their own modules to roll out to all local authorities

Housing Solutions Manager

July 2017

12

1. Scope the on-line self help module – by January 2017 2. Consider whether any LA trailblazer bids have been successful for

developing online self-help. If so consider partnering any successful bid – find out by February 2017

3. Discuss and possibly invite quotes from one or all 5 main providers of Homelessness and Advice modules to partner the Council to develop the module – By June 2017

2) Develop practically focussed Self Help Packs to be provided to applicants at the earliest point where an approach for help is made

1. Self help packs for the main causes of homelessness and for single people and families who are homeless when they present to be developed by January 2017

2. The packs will be introduced between January 2017 and March 2017 and monitored and reviewed following feedback

3) Finding out early customer expectations to manage expectations and provide realistic help at the earliest point of contact

The Council to adopt the Welsh model where by within the new statutory assessment applicants are asked what solution they are seeking. This will allow the council to discuss how realistic that solution is and may mean applicants are more receptive to the practical solutions when discussed at the development of the personal housing plan stage

1. Question to find out applicant’s expectation of a solution to be incorporated into new assessment duty form – By March 2017

2. To be piloted along with the new assessment duty once the assessment duty is finalised – From April 2017

4) Providing clear facts and illustrative materials on what solutions are available so people can understand their options quickly

13

1. Southwark Council will develop a suite of illustrative materials giving facts on the likely housing solutions available

2. These will cover: a. Fact sheets on social housing prospects b. Fact sheet on where people can afford to live and what they

can afford To be developed between January 2017 and June 2017 and introduced as pilots as completed and checked

5) Piloting the ‘passport to Independent living model’ to support the principle of Self-help: Promoting Customer Choice and Empowerment

Southwark Council will specifically pilot a new approach to parents seeking to exclude – Where the conclusion is that there are tensions at home and a desire to see son/daughter into independent housing to provide very practical help and support to try and engage parents and applicants through a more honest approach to address the housing need problem rather than the homeless in crisis problem. a) This is to support parents where they feel they have to exclude to

obtain help b) Provide solutions that are planned and therefore more likely to be

sustainable through the person being more ready for independent living.

c) Setting this out in a new model called ‘Passport to Independent living’ setting out help and support and milestones for the person to seek to achieve working towards being ready for independent living

Actions

1. The model will be developed by Spring 2017 2. Officers with responsibility for Home Visiting parent/extended family

threatened exclusion cases will be trained intensively in the model –

14

by June 2017 3. New model introduced by July 2017

5 Treating Customers with Compassion, Understanding and Empathy to tackle the culture change issue highlighted by the DCLG Select Committee and change which the Government have publically stated they want to see brought about by the HRA

Action 1: Changing the language used in statutory notification letters

Southwark Council will change the language used in all contact with customers for example: advice letters and statutory decision letters to avoid technical language and bureaucratic framework to be replaced by plain English explanations and clear information on customer options, e.g. – this is what is likely to happen if you go down avenue A versus this is the likely outcome if you choose avenue B rather than language that indicates the customer will be ‘punished’ in some way

Actions

1. Develop new plain English notification letters – By March 2017 2. Develop plain English principle to all options and advice notifications

– By June 2017 3. Introduce new model whereby all statutory decision letters and

notifications to be rewritten in new customer focused language - by end July 2017

Action 2: Develop a new approach to intentionally homeless households

Promote a new approach to intentional homelessness within the personal housing plan with the concept of a ‘pathway out of intentional homelessness’ Aim is to change the approach to intentional homelessness to tackle the causes of any deliberate action rather than punish that action providing a better ‘deal’ for potentially IH applicants who are willing to address any issues that cause the loss of their accommodation. Intentional homelessness will still be applied to those

Housing Solutions Manager

June 2017

15

unwilling to take action to address causes or who fail to cooperate with help offered

Actions

1. Start to pilot the new approach to IH by setting out actions to resolve the underlying problem through the Personal Housing Plans – introduce specific tackling IH PHPs by May 2017

16

Develop a number of new initiatives to support the new section 189B ‘Help to Secure Accommodation Duty’ for single people and families

Action 1: Providing a new Accommodation Finding Service tailored to find a solution based on a customers informed choice

A new Accommodation Finder Service is to be developed to search for private rented accommodation in any area where the Council and the applicant agree that is realistic and affordable for a household to consider living in.

The new service will be based on the following key principles:

a) People should be given all the information available to freely identify what accommodation options are realistic and affordable

b) They will be offered the new service and supported to secure any accommodation options in whatever area that is affordable based on a clear discussion and acceptance by the client

c) They will receive bespoke practical help and materials to help them secure including information on any guarantees re deposit, rent in advance, landlord incentive package, etc

d) The offer will include helping people to apply to register for any council housing register or registered provider waiting list where the person would qualify and wish to live

Actions:

1. Develop what staffing resource will be needed to operate a new Accommodation Finding Service – By February 2017

2. Recruit staff internally or externally to run the service – By April 2017 3. Develop the paperwork and procedures to operate the new service –

By March 2017 (see below a scope for the procedures to be developed)

4. Introduce and pilot the new Accommodation Finding Service - By May 2017

Housing Solutions Manager

July 2017

17

Scope of the accommodation finding service

What the service will offer re the offer re:

1. When applicants will be interviewed 2. The social housing finding service 3. The PRS finding service 4. The resettlement package

Applicants given self-help tools and provided with ‘virtual currency’ to achieve resolution. Illustrative example – this is your package to achieve the objective of obtaining accommodation in your chosen affordable area

Travel costs can be met to view the area and any property Rent deposit/rent in advance/landlord incentive promise Moving costs/resettlement and support package

Action 2: Set up a Residential Lodgings scheme to increase accommodation options for single people

1. Develop what staffing resource will be needed to operate a new Residential Lodgings Scheme – By February 2017

2. Recruit staff internally or externally to run the service – By June 2017 3. Develop the paperwork and procedures to operate the new Lodgings

Service – By May 2017 (Complete marketing packs and information for the schemes)

4. Introduce and pilot the new Lodgings Scheme - By July 2017

This initiative will include exploring the concept of single people sharing accommodation

18

6 Disseminating learning to other local authorities and the sector more widely

1. To hold a ‘What we have learnt’ conference with practical workshops to disseminate learning – by September 2017

2. Hold bi-monthly learning from Southwark days for small groups of local authorities to come in for a day to see the service in operation - Beginning in April 2017 by monthly

3. Hold webinars – beginning May 2017 4. Disseminate paperwork to all local authorities - Disseminate

paperwork from July 2017 onwards once each initiative has been piloted

Group Service Manager

July 2017

7 Develop a Resettlement Support Service to provide on-going support to the most vulnerable and act as an early warning service for those housed who may experience difficulties in sustaining their accommodation.

Resettlement Support will be targeted at:

1. Individuals and households whose homelessness problem is ‘more than a roof’

2. Where households have chosen accommodation outside of Southwark to help these households settle into their new area

3. To provide an early warning route for households where problems emerge that may threaten the ability of the individual or household to sustain their accommodation

Actions:

Set up a Resettlement Support Service from the existing staff resources – to be confirmed by February 2017

Scope the role of the RSS to provide support to sustain people in accommodation and early intervention work – By April 2017

Gateway Manager

April 2017

8 Making sure there is a holistic approach to assessing housing needs and homelessness with Children Services and Adult Social Care and ensure that where no duty is owed applicants are

Action 1: Developing effective working protocols with Children Services aimed at preventing and relieving homelessness

Actions to develop working protocols to cover:

1. 16 and 17 year olds – In place

Gateway Manager

July 2017

19

dealt with correctly under social services legislation supported by the Housing Service

2. Care leavers – In place 3. No Housing Duty cases – protocol for no recourse to public funds in

place but protocol needed for no housing duty or end of housing duty cases

Too establish joint protocols and working practices to prevent or relieve homelessness for families with children where there is an interface with Children Services for who are owed, or may be owed, section 17, section 20 duties under the Children Act including families with no recourse to public funds.

Actions:

To review all existing protocols in the light of operational experience – By May 2017

To complete a new protocol for no housing duty owed cases including refusal of offers and intentional homeless families – By June 2017

To complete a new joint protocol for adult cases who may lack mental capacity or may trigger services under the Care Act – By June 2017

Action 2: To develop a ‘one council’ accommodation finder service for individuals and households who are homeless and require help with obtaining accommodation regardless of which legislation duty applies (Children, Housing, No Recourse, Adult Care Legislative duties)

Actions

1. To scope a one council accommodation finding service for homeless individuals and families who may be owed a duty under children and families law and Adult social Care law – By March 2017

2. To decide on staffing implications and budgets to cover costs and

20

budget holder – May 2017 3. To operate a new service from June 2017

9 Working with DCLG to develop a new P1E reporting framework

There will be 2 aspects of this work:

1) To develop and test the new core reporting requirements for the new Prevention and Relief duties and how these will impact on the other reporting requirements of the P1E

2) To work with DCLG on developing a new statistical model for collecting information on homeless presentations and causes based on the model of ‘Horizon Scanning’ to a) predict trigger points and causes and allow early intervention, and b) to record and measure the effectiveness of different interventions and c) to track individuals and households through the system to record levels of repeat homelessness. This includes fully participating in the DCLG ideas “Policy Lab”

Preparation and development work with DCLG Nov to end January 2017

Help DCLG to develop the new model so it can be shared with other successful trailblazers by middle January 2017

Manually record and pilot new recording system from February 2017 until new IT software developed and live

Work with Northgate IT provider to develop new reporting software – February 2017 until implementation then on-going work to support the new P1E throughout 2017 and 2018

Test new P1E IT system from May 2017

Work with other trailblazers and all software providers to help them prepare their systems for the new Act implementation – on-going

Housing Solutions Manager

May 2017

21

10 Anticipating and tackling problems that may undermine the successful implementation of the new prevention model

Action 1) Tackling potential recruitment and retention of staff problem

Disseminate learning to local authorities across England for this critical issue

A common problem facing Housing Solutions Services in London and across many parts of England is the inability to recruit experienced staff leading to delays in implementing changes. Furthermore there is often a difficulty in retaining staff. When the new legislation is fully implemented with new burdens money there is a very real risk of service failure as every council will be recruiting for new staff with a postcode lottery of experienced staff moving to the authorities that pay the highest salary. This was a common implementation learning problem in Wales and impacted on:

1 – The ability of Councils to fully spend the 1st year Transitional Funding

2 – Impacted on the full delivery of the new legislation

3 – Continues to impact through difficulty in retaining staff in some authorities where pay levels are lower

Actions

Southwark will therefore pilot a new recruitment model to tackle this and to be able to share this learning across councils to help them plan their recruitment strategy. A number of options or combination of options will be explored. These are:

1. Option 1: Develop recruitment along the principles of the Government’s 3% apprenticeship model and the Council’s existing Graduate Apprenticeship scheme, linked into the concept of a Housing Academy.

2. Option 2: Recruit a pool of staff based on their competencies and ability to carry out tasks rather than their exiting experience. The model is intended to work on the basis of:

a. The pool will look to recruit local people where possible b. People will be recruited on a generic training job description

Housing Solutions Manager

January 2017 and on-going throughout 2017

22

with common competencies c. The team would undergo intensive training into all the areas of

work. Training would be a mix of classroom and in role training

d. As vacancies occur people who have met delivery standards and are ready will be able to move out of the pool into vacant full time posts

3. Option 3: A sub version of the pool would be to recruit a small pool of pool of Para Legal Graduates to train up on the more technical legal aspects of the work The Council would then explore the ability to offer Legal Training Contracts for a percentage of Para Legal Graduates who remain with the service for a period of time anticipated to be 18 months. The training contracts will potentially cover legal work across Council services

Actions: 1. To work up all 3 options by March 2017 2. To agree which options should be pursued and obtain approval to

recruit by April 2017 3. Complete recruitment by end of June 2017

11 Anticipating and tackling problems that may undermine the successful implementation of the new prevention model.

Action 2) Tackling any potential negative impact of introducing Universal Credit on landlord confidence to let properties

Disseminate learning to local authorities

Southwark Council is a early full implementation of Universal Credit for all household groups (Commenced in November 2016)

This provides the council with a unique opportunity to develop processes and safeguards to ensure that UC is successfully implemented and landlord confidence remains to let to households who will require UC to cover all or some of their housing costs. This learning will be essential to share with other local authorities as the full implementation of Universal Credit possibly posses the biggest risk to the success of the new

Group Services Manager

January 2017 and on-going throughout 2017

23

across England for this critical issue

prevention focused legislation through the HRA.

Work with Housing Benefit and the DWP to develop a framework and procedures to minimise the risk of non payment of benefit for applicants on or switching over to UC – on-going work from January 2017 throughout 2017

To cover applicants in TA and applicants in mainstream PRS tenancies

12 Ensuring as the service develops in is in line with service users expectations and shaped by their views.

Southwark Council will use 1) The Report from Shelter Cymru on service user views of the operation of the new prevention duty and 2) The Shelter ‘Equal Ground’ framework for making sure services are responsive to service users needs. Recommendations from these 2 reports will be used to frame Southwark’s strategy for involving service users in planning the service and making sure it is responsive to their needs. These documents have been chosen to guide the Council as

1 They are relevant and based on the operation of a prevention duty model

2 The are based on extensive consultation with service users

Actions:

1. To develop a service user strategy for consultation and feedback – By March 2017

2. To develop a Service User consultation and service design panel or group. This could be a virtual panel, and, or a small consultation focus group. Includes:

a. Developing scope and terms of reference for the group b. Support for the group to do their work c. System for recovering expenses

Group Services Manager

April 2017

24

The group would formally commence in April 2017 and meet bi monthly throughout 2017

3. To commission a ‘mystery shopper’ review of the service quality to provide a check of the service at 9 months and 18 months into the new model.

13 Checking and monitoring performance of the Trailblazer Pilot

Action 1: To work with the independent evaluation consultants commissioned by DCLG as part of the Trailblazer program

Timescale – On-going

Action 2: To work with DCLG in their monitoring of the Southwark’s Trailblazer Pilot

Timescale On-going

Action 3: To work with the comparison authority chosen by DCLG to compare performance with and without the trailblazers funding

Timescale – On-going

Action 4: To develop and pilot a series of new performance measure indicators and targets to monitor performance and the effectiveness of the pilot

Action: develop and implement a suite of new performance indicators and targets by April 2017 to coincide with the new financial year

Group Services Manager

On-going