Agenda and minutes

The Chair to note any apologies for absence.

There were none.

Members to state any interests.

There were none.

The Chair to note public address requests.

The public can speak on any agenda item for a maximum of three minutes per speaker per item.  You are not required to register your intention to speak in advance but should arrive at the meeting a few minutes early, complete a Public Address Protocol and notify the Scrutiny Officer of your intention to speak.

There were none.

The Scrutiny Panel to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 24 January 2019.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 24 January 2019 were signed by the Chair as a true and accurate record.

Chris Luke of Midland Heartreferred to salient points in written responses.  He highlighted causes of homelessness; commenting that it was more than just a housing problem, drug misuse and mental health issues and there was a need a pathway to address this.  There is a need for multiple interventions, without it people cannot sustain independence.

Midland Heart operates in Stafford, Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell, Coventry and Northampton.

The Scrutiny Panel made comment, asked questions and heard:

·         Rough sleepers have clear needs and often have barriers to re-housing, for example rent arrears, anti-social behaviour. 

·         Rough sleepers with mental health problems need to get treatment quickly.

·         In response to a question why Oasis House should be extended; Chris Luke advised that people should be able to move onto independent living and sustain it.  Currently there are 48 units at Oasis House and there is a need to extend it

·         In response to a query about what mental health intervention takes place with rough sleepers, Chris Luke advised that access to mental health service is at point of crisis; there needs to be proactive access with all those involved in support and treatment.  There is a need to find the cause of the crisis.  It is crucial that intervention takes place as early as possible.  All services need to play an active part.

·         It is incredibly challenging regarding entrenched rough sleepers, there are communities of rough sleepers.  A multi-faceted approach is needed.  Often communities are forming around drug use.

·         There may be charitable agencies that people are willing to engage with.  All need to work together.

·         Midland Heart operates a small Housing First service.  There have been successes in other counties with Housing First.

·         Housing First will work with complex customers.  In-depth support.   .

·         In response to a query about female homelessness, there are multiple pathways, for example, specialist domestic violence services; there is a Hub in Birmingham. 

·         There is a need for a female only hostel.

·         It was noted that women have longer life span than men but this is reversed in rough sleeping situations.

·         Preparing for independent living – units that are “step down” units – run off own meters, unfurnished – gain skills to succeed.  There is a need for step down services.

·         There is a need to tell people not to give money to those begging – there is a need to get the message out to the public.  From public’s perspective, they see it as a housing issue. 

·         Midland Heart’s role in Northampton in future is to operate Oasis House, extend it and the available units; and to make positive moves to  the right service for individual’s needs.

·         The Scrutiny Panel heard that homelessness is a complex problem.  The Council ran an all-weather winter shelter and extended the outreach service, there has been better engagement than ever before.  Of the 46 nights that the winter shelter was open, 122 individuals used it, 112 for one night.   It met the crisis gap for a number of people 2/3 of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5a

The Scrutiny Panel to  review the evidence received to date.

The Scrutiny Panel considered a precis of the evidence it had received to date.

The Scrutiny Panel made comment:

·         It was commented that successful gathering of evidence.  A lot been done with extra out-reach too.

·         There is a need for communication between Agencies and groups.  It is really important to feed some of the discussions that are taking place into any unitary discussions.  This was suggested as a potential recommendation of the final report.

·         Public Health at NCC has a Rough Sleepers’ Policy, Officers do a lot of work, for example immunisation for rough sleepers.   They are actively working with a Policy to help rough sleepers.  A potential recommendation of the final report was suggested:  To send a copy of the final report to the Health & Wellbeing Committee  

The precis of the evidence was noted.