Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) Partnership Wednesday 13th June

1. Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) PartnershipWednesday 13th June

2. Welcome & purpose of today

3. Agenda for today 2

4. What have we been doing Setting up the partnership (kick-offs, service visits, introductions etc.) Information sessions, conferences and events on the HRA – consistent messaging Facilitating forums and workshops Researching and collating emerging good practice, issues and challenges Engaging and aligning with partners on their HRA work, and MHCLG Critical friend support and review Developing tools, products and materials Sharing learning and facilitating knowledge share 3

5. What have we been seeing • Varied approaches to triage and accessing services inc. hand-offs between teams • Flexibility around assessments and issuing personalised plans • Aligning statutory and (previously) non-statutory services • Increasing caseloads and bureaucracy • Differing experiences for officers • Progress on partnership working (but still more to do) • Importance of monitoring & evaluation • Still need the prevention and relief options. And time! 4

6. Current focus areas and themes Preparing for duty to refer in October Monitoring and evaluation framework Service user involvement Understanding and advising on emerging good/poor practice and early experiences Developing and documenting baseline of your current service 5

7. Introducing 'action learning'

8. Action learning: the process • Tool designed for practitioners to learn from other practitioners. Intention to use regularly • Uses the combined wisdom and skills of a diverse group of people to work through real challenges and issues and support one another to take action • Combines 'learning' & 'doing' • Allows you to build connections with the other authorities and provide peer support on the common issues you are facing with the HRA • Discussions confidential but main themes will be captured and used within the partnership Member presents issue/challenge/idea Group questions & discussion Identify and document actions 7

9. Principles and 'ground rules' • Non-directive and non-judgmental • Supportive and confidential • Focus is on listening and questioning, would discourage taking notes (facilitators will do this) • Based on principle people have their own solutions and make own decisions on actions they will be held accountable to (by their peers) • Purpose of discussion is to understand the issue the presenter is facing, not to give advice • Important to reflect on the learning process after • Actions will be captured and used in ongoing work and future meetings of the group 8

10. Action Learning Set 1

11. Action Learning Set 1 (40 mins) Exercise Instructions Example Issues/Challenges • Increasing caseloads and effective case management • Managing the change and supporting/ motivating officers • Updating allocations policy with new duties • Consistent messaging across local services about the HRA • Aligning statutory and (previously) non-statutory services e.g. outreach and rough sleeping services, single pathways • Meaningful prevention/relief steps to include in plans that make them personalised – need for creativity • Monitoring and evaluation to test current service models • Social housing tenants served with notice – when to trigger relief duty (and potentially TA) • Case management systems enabling vs. hindering service • Simplifying processes for service users and officers • Implementing a person-centred approach when the legislation is constraining/ prescriptive Introductions. Someone volunteer to present an issue or challenge Presenter presents (informally) their issue to the group, uninterrupted Questions from the group Facilitator summarises Presenter identifies actions and reflects on learning 10

12. Action Learning Set 2

13. Action Learning Set 2 (40 mins) Exercise Instructions Example Issues/Challenges • Increasing caseloads and effective case management • Managing the change and supporting/ motivating officers • Updating allocations policy with new duties • Consistent messaging across local services about the HRA • Aligning statutory and (previously) non-statutory services e.g. outreach and rough sleeping services, single pathways • Meaningful prevention/relief steps to include in plans that make them personalised – need for creativity • Monitoring and evaluation to test current service models • Social housing tenants served with notice – when to trigger relief duty (and potentially TA) • Case management systems enabling vs. hindering service • Simplifying processes for service users and officers • Implementing a person-centred approach when the legislation is constraining/ prescriptive Someone volunteer to present an issue or challenge Presenter presents (informally) their issue to the group, uninterrupted Questions from the group Facilitator summarises Presenter identifies actions and reflects on learning 12

14. Lunch

15. HRATraining Development

16. Action Learning Set 3

17. Action Learning Set 3 (40 mins) Exercise Instructions Example Issues/Challenges • Increasing caseloads and effective case management • Managing the change and supporting/ motivating officers • Updating allocations policy with new duties • Consistent messaging across local services about the HRA • Aligning statutory and (previously) non-statutory services e.g. outreach and rough sleeping services, single pathways • Meaningful prevention/relief steps to include in plans that make them personalised – need for creativity • Monitoring and evaluation to test current service models • Social housing tenants served with notice – when to trigger relief duty (and potentially TA) • Case management systems enabling vs. hindering service • Simplifying processes for service users and officers • Implementing a person-centred approach when the legislation is constraining/ prescriptive Someone volunteer to present an issue or challenge Presenter presents (informally) their issue to the group, uninterrupted Questions from the group Facilitator summarises Presenter identifies actions and reflects on learning 16

18. Reflections & close

20. Action learning sets: guidance for facilitators Indicative Timings (30 mins) • Facilitator's role is to guide the process and timing, capture notes and help the group stick to the principles of action learning (non-directive, non-judgemental, understand not advise) • Today is the first go at this so learning informally about the process is more important than strict adherence • Will be difficult for groups to maintain the non-directive approach (listen and support without directing a course of action) without a facilitator • Encourage members to reflect on their learning  • Where necessary, facilitators can demonstrate useful questions which enable the presenter to gain a deeper understanding of their issue (what, how, clarify) • Facilitators should stop the group from descending into advice giving and leading questions, reminding them they are to ask questions which enable them to understand the presenter’s issue, the presenter of the issue decides their own actions • If time allows (40 mins per slot), another member of the group can present an issue or challenge Someone volunteer to present an issue or challenge Presenter presents (informally) their issue to the group, uninterrupted – 5 mins Facilitator summarises issue – 2 mins Questions from the group – 15 mins Facilitator summarises discussion – 2 mins Presenter identifies actions and reflects on learning - 6 mins

21. Template for note capture