Craven Rough Sleeper Hub

Craven Rough Sleeper Hub

Supported Accommodation, Day Services & Outreach Support for rough sleepers, people at risk of rough sleeping and are unable to access mainstream housing, across the Craven District

Service Description

Table of Contents

Who are Horton Housing?

What is Craven Rough Sleeper Hub?

What do we hope to achieve at Craven Rough Sleeper Hub?

Who is Craven Rough Sleeper Hub for?

What’s it like at Craven Rough Sleeper Hub?

What support does Craven Rough Sleeper Hub offer?

What can clients expect from Craven Rough Sleeper Hub?

What is expected of clients?

How much does Craven Rough Sleeper Hub cost?

How can people apply for support and/or accommodation from the Craven Rough Sleeper Hub?

Contact Details

What’s important to us about how we run Craven Rough Sleeper Hub?

Equality and diversity - what we believe

How do we check the quality of our services?

Who are Horton Housing?

Horton Housing is a voluntary sector, not for profit organisation. At Horton we aim to meet the housing and support needs of some of the most socially excluded and vulnerable people in our community. To achieve this, we have developed a range of services to offer both quality and choice. Craven Rough Sleeper Hub is one of the housing related support services we provide.

What is Craven Rough Sleeper Hub?

Craven Rough Sleeper Hub provides a “hub” based at Pinder House in central Skipton for people who have a high level of housing need, in particular those currently or at risk of rough sleeping, and with an unsettled lifestyle, and other support needs. There are three parts to the service:

Day Services - offers a lifeline to people who are rough sleeping, or in need of housing or living in poor accommodation. It is a warm, safe, sociable place, but also a point of contact for getting help with housing and other problems. Advice and all kinds of practical help and support are on offer under one roof, in easy-access, comfortable surroundings. Day services are delivered by Craven Rough Sleeper Hub staff, as well as other local specialist services, with whom we work in partnership. See separate timetable for specific details of services available.

Outreach Support – supports people in the community, who are rough sleeping or who are at risk of rough sleeping, regardless of tenure

Supported Accommodation – ten units of self-contained bedsit accommodation at Pinder House in central Skipton. The hostel is staffed 24/7. All accommodation is fully furnished. The accommodation is delivered under the principles of Housing First, details of which are below, however some level of engagement with support is required. Clients will set the initial level engagement.

There is no time limit on services, although it is hoped that people in our supported accommodation will be ready to move on to permanent housing after a maximum of two years.

What do we hope to achieve at Craven Rough Sleeper Hub?

We aim to:

Provide a central “hub”, delivering a range of high quality and accessible support services to people who are rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping, and unable to access or sustain mainstream accommodation due to support needs.

Provide services which are accessible and responsive to individuals’ needs and wishes.

Improve and maintain our clients’ housing status, health, and quality of life.

Support and encourage clients to develop new and existing skills and gain confidence in their ability to manage their own homes independently.

Our objectives are to:

provide high quality accommodation and support in a caring and culturally sensitive way.
provide high quality, appropriate facilities and support in an accessible, informal style to inspire confidence in people to use the facilities of their choice;
provide resettlement support services and assist people to obtain and maintain tenancies and settle back into the community;
provide a range of flexible support services for people who find difficulty in accessing mainstream services;

assist socially isolated and excluded people with practical solutions to improve their quality of life;

ensure that immediate needs are met, such as access to welfare benefits, food, clothing and health care.
tailor our support to each individual’s needs and personal choices and support them in achieving their goals.
provide training and activities that will enable clients to become ‘Tenancy Ready’.
enable clients to maintain their tenancies and/or successfully move on into homes of their own.
support clients to comply with statutory orders and the requirements of criminal justice system.

identify and liaise with any additional source of support which may be required and make referrals or assist the client with accessing other relevant specialist support services.

provide a known and trusted environment as well as a fixed point of contact for clients in crisis;

focus on the needs of the most vulnerable people including people with mental health problems, alcohol and drug use problems and issues around anti-social behaviour; and

remain a key resource in the network of services available to people who are homeless or poorly housed in the Craven District.

Our intended outcomes are that clients will have:

Explored housing options or secured better quality accommodation.
Developed basic skills/independent living skills and taken steps towards a more settled way of life.
Improved their income and money management skills.
Made links to specialist services to address wider support needs.
Explored educational and employment options.
Reduced any involvement with the criminal justice system.
Improved their ability to manage physical and mental health issues.
Gained increased social contact and be less excluded from mainstream services and the local community.

Who is Craven Rough Sleeper Hub for?

Craven Rough Sleeper Hub is for people who are all of the following:

Aged 18+
Living in the Craven District
Rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping with one or more additional needs that put their health and well-being at risk. For example:

Physical health problems
Mental health issues
Substance misuse problems
Learning difficulties
Physical or sensory disabilities
Personality disorder
Involvement with the criminal justice system/offending and/or challenging behaviour
Chaotic lifestyle
Vulnerable due to age, including frail elderly people and young people at risk
Vulnerable to exploitation/safeguarding issues

If a client has any special needs, for example accommodation with wheelchair access or adapted shower facilities, please tell us during the referral and assessment stage and we will try to accommodate those needs wherever possible.

Please note that we do not provide a service that includes bathing, cleaning, shopping or other tasks generally referred to as “personal care”. If this is required, we will provide support to access this from specialist services.

If applying for our accommodation, clients will need to provide proof of income and ID, and must be eligible for Housing Benefit. Support will be provided in obtaining this through our support and day services on the day of application if this is not already in place. Priority for accommodation will be given to rough sleepers, and people at risk of rough sleeping who are unable to access mainstream housing. Length of time on the waiting list will also be considered. Please note our accommodation is for single people only. We do not provide accommodation to couples or families. Please see our Selection & Allocation Policy for more information on how we allocate our accommodation.

What’s it like at Craven Rough Sleeper Hub?

Craven Rough Sleeper Hub has many facilities all under one roof. These include:

supported accommodation
lounge and dining area
laundry
clothing store
hot drinks
telephone
internet and email access
mailing address
TV and books in the lounge
health and specialist support services
training courses
safe storage of small items for people who are homeless
games and activities

We have a timetable of services, which provides more detail on the above. Some of the services are open access, and others are through referral and assessment only.

The staff office can be found on the immediate left on entering Pinder House.

Everyone is offered a Needs and Risk Assessment. This helps us to find out what help and support clients need. It also gives us the opportunity to explain what we can provide.

If clients have any special requirements or needs we will see if we can meet them as part of the assessment.

Supported Accommodation

All properties are at Pinder House in central Skipton.
All properties are self-contained; there is a communal door, but tenants have their own front door key.
The properties are fully-furnished and equipped but people can bring their own belongings and personalise their home.
Clients are responsible for their own cooking and cleaning (with support from staff if needed).
The accommodation is close to local shops, doctors and public transport.
We do not provide permanent housing, but as part of support we will help people find move-on accommodation.
Accommodation is provided on the principles of Housing First. Further information on Housing First is detailed below. Whilst this is the case, some level of commitment and willingness to engage with support is required.

Formal support visits will usually take place at least twice a week, although the frequency and duration of visits will vary according to individual support needs and wishes. Support will also be available at any time through the day services at the Craven Rough Sleeper Hub.

Support visits will generally be between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. If support is necessary outside these hours, it will be considered on an individual basis. Support is also available from Evening/Night Wardens, based at Pinder House outside of normal working hours.
Support Plans will be reviewed monthly and packages of support will be reviewed after six months.

Length of stay in the supported accommodation is dependant on need, and there is no maximum time limit, however this is subject to engagement and progression towards developing independent living skills. Our aim will be for tenants to be ready for independent living, and support them to move-on within two years.

What support does Craven Rough Sleeper Hub offer?

Support is tailored to individual needs and we work this out with people who access the service. We try to create as few barriers as possible for people accessing the services, and to offer responsive and flexible services. If people need our services, they just need to ask.

We offer:

accommodation with support to develop independent living skills;
advice on finding or moving to better quality or more appropriate accommodation;

support and advice on welfare benefits, debt, utility bills and budgeting;
specialist support and health services;
access to other services/information, and use of telephone, e-mail and the internet;
practical help in moving and setting up home, provision of household goods and advice about home management, including ‘Tenancy Ready’ training;
practical help and advice in improving personal safety and welfare, including addressing offending behaviour;
practical advice and support in accessing local health services and managing physical and mental health, and substance misuse issues;
support to make links with the community and cultural services;
help and support with access to education, training, volunteering and employment opportunities
liaising with relatives and significant others involved to improve support networks.

During the year there are trips, short holidays and other social events, for example, quizzes, bingo, film afternoons, theme days, barbecues and walks.

What can clients expect from Craven Rough Sleeper Hub?

Easy access

Clients are free to come and go as they please at the times the Hub is open, and ask for help from the staff team at any time. We aim to be as accessible as possible, providing flexible and responsive services specific to the individual needs of those accessing the service. We aim to remove as many barriers as possible for rough sleepers, and homeless people with complex needs.

Support

People can use the service on an informal and practical basis or to get formal, ongoing support. Staff will discuss individual support needs with everyone accessing the service, and tailor support to their needs.

If clients decide to do a support plan with us, we’ll look at it with them again from time to time, in case their needs have changed.

Confidentiality

Clients have the right to privacy and confidentiality and we will explain our Confidentiality Policy. Clients also have the right to see any written information about them, subject to our Confidentiality Policy.

Fairness

Clients will be treated fairly and in a non-discriminatory way. Everyone is able to use the services on an equal, inclusive and fair basis.

Clients' meetings

We hold regular meetings and everyone is welcome to attend. We discuss things like the activities we are planning, how the service is run, information sharing and anything else you may wish to raise.

Surveys

We value hearing the views and opinions of stakeholders and clients on the service at any time and welcome input on this. We carry out satisfaction surveys every year.

Supported Accommodation:

We operate our accommodation on the principles of Housing First, which is an evidence-based approach to successfully supporting homeless people with high needs and histories of entrenched or repeat homelessness to live in their own homes. The original philosophy of Housing First is to provide a stable, independent home and intensive personalised support and case management to homeless people with multiple and complex needs. There are no conditions around ‘housing readiness’ before offering accommodation, rather, secure housing is viewed as a stable platform from which other issues can be addressed. The key principles of Housing First are:

People have a right to a home
Flexible support is provided for as long as is needed
Housing and support are separated
Individuals have choice and control
An active engagement approach is used
The service is based on people’s strengths, goals and aspirations
A harm reduction approach is used

More information on Housing First is available at

Clients accommodated in Pinder House supported accommodation can also expect the following:

An Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement, which sets out the rights and obligations of ourselves and the tenants.
Their own front door key and will be free to come and go as they please.
Visitors are welcome, as set out in the house rules. Tenants are responsible for the behaviour of their visitors.
Tenants will have their own named Support Worker who will meet with them on at least a twice weekly basis but they can ask for support at any time.

Tenants will have a support plan, agreed between them and their Support Worker. It will include the goals that they want to achieve and will be reviewed at least monthly or when needs significantly change.

A Client Agreement will set out our obligations to clients, and their responsibilities to us with regard to support.

A 24-hour repair service is available. Our aim is that emergency repairs will be responded to within 24 hours, urgent repairs within 3 working days and routine repairs will completed within 28 days.
Tenants will have the right to challenge decisions, whether in the assessment process, support plans, or elsewhere. We have an appeals procedure for people who disagree with the outcome of their assessment or other decisions.
We will hold regular tenant consultation meetings, where tenants can feedback and assist us with the development and future direction of the scheme.

We have policies and procedures to make sure that our staff are well trained and professional, so that they provide a good service and clients/tenants are safe in their care. All of our policies are available on request.

What is expected of clients?

Clients also have some responsibilities.

Craven Rough Sleeper Hub aims to be a safe and welcoming place for everyone. We ask that clients accessing the service treat people using, visiting or working at the service with respect for their individuality and human rights.

House Rules

We ask all clients to keep these rules.

No alcohol or drugs to be used or brought on to the premises.
No violent or aggressive behaviour.
No harassment or abuse towards clients, staff, volunteers, visitors, neighbours or members of the public.
No illegal activities.
No dogs must be brought onto the premises.
Comply with health and safety procedures.

If any of the above rules are broken clients may be asked to leave. In serious cases, we may exclude people for a period of time. If people are excluded and feel they have been treated unfairly they have the right to appeal.

In our supported accommodation, tenants will also be responsible for:

Following the House Rules and Visitors’ Policy
Paying rent on a weekly basis
Paying utility bills or service charge, whichever is applicable.
Being considerate to neighbours, which includes keeping the communal areas and exterior of the premises tidy, not creating noise nuisance and not behaving in an anti-social manner.

Tenants will also be expected to meet with their support worker regularly in order to:

Discuss support needs and contribute to their support plan.
Agree the actions that need to be put in place to achieve the goals set out in the support plan and work in a positive way towards achieving them.
Discuss and complete Tenancy Ready training.

We reserve the right to withdraw services if staff or neighbours are subject to threats or acts of violence or behaviour that could be considered as threatening, intimidating or anti-social. For those in our accommodation, this could result in action being taken to terminate their tenancy.