Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan minutes: August 2019

Attendees and apologies

• John Mills, ALACHO (Chair)
• Martin Smith, Tayside, Fife & Central Hub Rep
• David Kemp, East Hub Rep
• Jacqueline Fernie, West Hub Rep
• Allan Jones, North and Islands Hub Rep
• Kathy Cameron, COSLA
• Zhan McIntyre, SFHA
• Tim Pogson, SHN
• Andrea Elliot, South West Hub Rep
• Ruth Robin, NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland
• Ewan Aitken, Cyrenians
• Maggie Brunjes, GHN
• Yvette Burgess, Housing Support Enabling Unit
• Marion Gibbs, Scottish Government
• Kevin Wilkie, Scottish Government
• Michaela Martincova, Scottish Government

Apologies

• Gary Fairley, Midlothian Council

Items and actions

1. Introductions, minute and actions

The chair welcomed everybody to the meeting and noted apologies as recorded above.

• Jacqueline Fernie (West Hub) and David Kemp (East Hub) were welcomed as new members of the group.
• Confirmed that Gary Fairley (Director of Finance at Midlothian Council) had also become a member of the group.

•  A representative from Health and Social Care Partnership is still being sought by the sub-group. One last attempt to appoint an HSCP representative, with preference of a Director of HSCP, will be made.

Action 1: Ruth Robin to discuss a suitable HSCP representative with Housing Associates.

Action 2: Kathy Cameron to investigate whether an HSCP representative can be identified through COSLA.

Terms of Reference

Terms of Reference (ToR) document was reviewed now that the group had been together for one year.  Membership was updated. Members suggested further amendments to the ToR around ‘What we will do’ - role of the health sector, principal stakeholders and ‘Actions’ - RRTP annual progress updates.

Action 3: All to communicate any suggestions for ToR amendments to the Homelessness Team via eRDM Connect.

Minutes

The minutes of the last meeting on 21 May 2019 were agreed. 

Action log 

Open actions:

• Homelessness team to identify good practice within RRTPs.  
• Homelessness Team have started capturing some good practice from LAs. More time will be dedicated to take this forward from September with a view of having a draft version for the next sub-group meeting in November. Sub-group members were invited to share any good practice for capturing within the ‘What Good Looks Like’ document.

Action 4: Sub-Group members to share details of good practice happening locally with Homelessness Team. 

2. Scottish Government RRTP Update

Continuing assessment of 2nd RRTP iterations. Main focus is on financial information in order to determine a quantum of how much the transition to rapid rehousing and HF across all 32 LAs will cost. Confirmed that the review of 2nd iterations should be completed by the end of September. 

The importance of a synergy between the timescales of RRTP reporting and other strategic local authority documents such as SHIP and LHS was highlighted.

Discussion around timescale, frequency and format of LAs’ RRTP progress updates with a consensus that Year 1 reporting would be an anomaly due to funding time frames. Reporting should focus on two main areas: capturing the RRTP implementation progress; and the use of RRTP funding. Suggestion that RRTP reporting in Year 1 would concentrate on RRTP implementation progress with Year 2 and 3 reports concentrating on both areas. RRTP progress updates could be also included as part of the Self-Assurance Statement produced by LAs at the end of October. This would fit with timescales for Ministerial Annual report which is due in Scottish Parliament in November 2019.

Action 5: Kathy Cameron to discuss the timescale, frequency and format of LAs’ RRTP progress updates for Year 1, 2 and 3 with COSLA colleagues. 

Action 6: Homelessness team to draft a paper with options for RRTP progress updates for Year 1, 2 and 3.

3. RRTP Funding Support

Minister has increased the funding for the implementation of RRTPs from £15m to £24m over 3 years. Joint SG-COSLA letter was issued on 17 July 2019 confirming the funding allocations per LA based on a three year average of homelessness assessments.

The Homelessness team is continuing discussions with COSLA to agree a methodology for funding distribution for Year 2 and 3, with a view of gaining agreement by December 2019. Recognition that the desire of the sector is that the distribution formula will not be used for year 2 and 3 funding allocations. 

Concern about not ring-fencing the RRTP funding has been raised, highlighting that the key for resolving this might be the relationship between Head of Finance and Head of Housing. 

National benchmarking in a number of areas (HF, flipping of properties, housing support) have been highlighted as a key aspect of rapid rehousing and HF followed by a discussion around an element of risk due to specific local challenges. Suggestion to break down costs associated with housing support rather than use benchmarking, and look what contributes to good outcomes of the target group (e.g. skilling up, recruitment, retention).

4. Roundtable updates

Housing Options Hubs

Each Housing Options Hub provided a short written summary in advance of the meeting and provided a short verbal update to the group on the main points from written paper.   

Kathy Cameron, COSLA

CIH event to be held on 26 September to launch the ‘Domestic Abuse: good practice guide for social landlords’ developed as part of the CIH’s ‘Make a Stand Campaign’. Engaging with SG on funding aspect of RRTP implementation for Year 2 and 3.

Zhan McIntyre, SFHA

Annual Housing Management Conference to be held on 24 and 25 September. Progressing update on the Section 5 Protocol which should be finalised in September. ALACHO and SFHA agreed on joint work around RRTPs.

Ruth Robin, NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland

Intention to build a proposal to bring health along to RRTPs. Utilising the Quality Improvement approach across territorial Health boards (IJBs) and HSCPs and working to empower them to link with homelessness. 

Maggie Brunjes, GHN

Presented the HF Overview. HF National Governance group developing a National Framework for HF which would include HF costs. 103 tenancies housed via HF at the end of July. Exploring venues for social investment as a mechanism for HF. Look at the potential for hosting an event on HF for local authorities and partners who are looking to commence HF.

Yvette Burgess, Housing Support Enabling Unit

Annual event on 6th November in Glasgow with one of the workshops focusing on HF.

John Mills, ALACHO

RRTP ALACHO workshop held in August. Looked at reprioritisation of key actions in RRTP for Year 1 and 2 focusing on prevention, housing support and SA. Homelessness statistics for 18/19 discussed during the workshop as well. Focusing on LAs fulfilling their statutory duties as the homelessness trend is on rise and making sure that elected members are on board with RRTP. Engagement with RSLs and IJB is improving across LAs. Issue of sustainment of accommodation and support as we move to rapid rehousing.

Action 7: Jacqueline Fernie to share the report on the impact of homelessness on children via eRDM Connect. 

5. Implementation of SHORE standards

Chair provided an update on recent developments within the housing sector following the SPS announcement regarding the suspension of Throughcare support service for prison leavers. The first meeting to commence the review of the implementation of the SHORE standards has been arranged for 27th August. By the end of 2019, position statement will be developed reviewing how SHORE Standards are being implemented by SPS and LAs since their first publication in December 2017. The review will likely be based locally with each of the prisons in Scotland and will aim to look at what can be achieved in the absence of the Throughcare support service and to look at the viability of establishing a national Housing Options service within all Scottish prisons. Changes to local connection were raised as a potential issue.

Action 8: John Mills to share Fife’s Impact Assessment report with the  sub-group via eRDM Connect. 

6. RRTP Monitoring

Health Monitoring

Ruth Robin updated the sub-group on the Quality Improvement approach work that is being progressed to support the implementation of RRTPs within HIS. Updated the group on development of the work to measure impact on health and social care to ensure alignment with wider RRTP monitoring. Currently examining the cost of homelessness to health services in Scotland, arrived at figure of £900m p.a for acute services only. 

The sub-group agreed to Peter Knight, Information Services Division attending the next meeting in November to outline ISD Scotland’s plans for their new health and justice programme.

Action 9: Ruth Robin to invite Peter Knight to sub-group meeting on 19 November.

Housing Monitoring

Tim Pogson presented the group with a draft paper monitoring the RRTP implementation in Tayside, Fife and Central HO Hub, using a set of housing indicators presented to the sub-group at their last meeting. Similar monitoring reports can be produced on an annual basis across the 5 Housing Options Hubs. Issue with capturing RSLs and lets to homeless in individual LAs as only national data are available. SHN is liaising with Care Inspectorate to identify common approaches and possibly additional indicators suitable for RRTP monitoring.  Agreed that Tim should present this work at the Housing Options Hub Quarterly meeting on 10 September.

Action 10: Homelessness Team to invite Tim to HO Quarterly meeting on 10 September.

7. AOB

Concerns raised about discontinuity between EEESH/2 and RRTP implementation due to a potential risk of losing energy inefficient housing stock. Confirmed that the Homelessness Team will continue to conversations with SG colleagues to ensure a joint up approach.

Next Meeting:

Tuesday, 19 November 2019, 10:30 – 12:30
Atlantic Quay, Glasgow