Committee details

About Scrutiny Panel Meetings

 

Scrutiny Panel meetings are usually held in public. They give elected members, not on the Cabinet, an opportunity to examine, discuss and make recommendations about significant issues and decisions.

 

SCRUTINY PANEL 3-  HOMELESSNESS (PRE DECISION SCRUTINY)

 

1.    Purpose/Objectives of the Review

 

• Pre-Decision Scrutiny: To review how the Borough Council and its partners prevent homelessness and  respond to those without homes in the borough

 

Key Lines of Enquiry

 

Ø    To gain an understanding of the work currently being undertaken by Northampton Borough Council (NBC), partnerships, statutory and voluntary organisations to address homelessness

Ø    To assess the extent of homelessness and rough sleeping in the borough assess the initiatives currently in place to tackle homelessness

Ø   To examine the Council’s Severe Weather Provision

Ø   To gain an understanding of the effect on the health, wellbeing and the safety of homelessness people, including rough sleepers

Ø    To gain an understanding of the causes and barriers to support  homelessness

Ø    Identify any specific groups  that are not  accessing services

 

2.   Outcomes Required

 

·             To reduce homelessness in the borough of Northampton

·             An understanding of the local authority homelessness role and the services provided in Northampton

·             A review of existing homelessness services in Northampton, in order to assess their quality and effectiveness and identify any significant gaps in service

 

 

 

 

3.   Information Required

 

·           Background data 

·           Background reports

·           Best practice data

·           Desktop research

·           Evidence from expert internal witnesses

·         Evidence from expert external witnesses

·         Site visits (if applicable)

 

4.   Format of Information

 

·                     Background data, including:

 

Ø    Presentation to set the scene:  To identify the prevalence of the problem locally

Ø    Relevant national and local background research papers

Ø    Definitions – Homelessness and Rough Sleepers

Ø    Homelessness Legislation

Ø    Causes of Homelessness, including Rough Sleeping

Ø    Relevant Council Policies and Strategies

Ø    Statistics:

 

Rough sleeper data

Homelessness data

 

Ø    Relevant Legislation:

 

Welfare Reform Act 2012

Localism Act 2011

Homelessness Act 2002

The Health and Social Care Act 2012

 

Ø    Relevant published papers on homelessness and rough sleeping

 

·                     Best practice external to Northampton

 

·                     Internal expert advisors:

 

 

Ø    Cabinet Member for Housing, NBC

Ø    Housing Options and Advice Manager, NBC

Ø    Head of Revenues and Benefits, LGSS

Ø    Cabinet Member for Community Safety, NBC

Ø    Chair of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) and the Community Safety Team

Ø    Case Managers, Anti-Social Behaviour Unit

 

·                     External expert advisors:

 

Ø    Head of Protecting Vulnerable Persons, Northamptonshire Police

Ø    Director of Public Health, Northamptonshire County Council

Ø    Manager, Hope Centre

Ø    Manager, Maple Access

Ø    Manager, NAASH

Ø    Drug and Alcohol Challenge Officer, the Bridge

Ø    Operations Manager, Midland Heart Housing Association

Ø    Service Manager, Salvation Army

Ø    Chief Executive, Central Northamptonshire CAB

Ø    Emmaus, Homelessness Charity

Ø    Shelter

Ø    Crisis

Ø    Healthwatch Northamptonshire

 

·                     Site visit to temporary accommodation(s) and Oasis House

 

5.   Methods Used to Gather Information

 

• Minutes of meetings
• Desktop research
• Site visits
• Officer reports
• Presentations
• Examples of best practice
• Witness Evidence:-

 

Ø  Key witnesses  as detailed in section 4 of this scope

 

6.   Co-Options to the Review

 

·         Senior Officers, Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and Homeless Link to be approached suggesting that they are co-opted to this Review for its life.

7.  Community Impact Screening Assessment

 

• A Community Impact Screening Assessment to be undertaken on the scope of the Review

 

8.   Evidence gathering Timetable

 

May 2016 – March 2017

 

·         26 May 2016                         - Scoping meeting

·          21 July                                 - Evidence gathering ·          22 September                      - Evidence gathering

·          24 November                       - Evidence gathering

·          26  January 2017                - Evidence gathering ·          30 March                             - Approval final report

Various site visits will be programmed during this period, if required.

 

Meetings to commence at 6.00 pm

 

9.                                              Responsible Officers

 

Lead Officer              Phil Harris, Head of Housing and Wellbeing

Co-ordinator              Tracy Tiff, Scrutiny Officer

 

10.            Resources and Budgets

 

Phil Harris, Head of Housing and Wellbeing, to provide internal advice.

 

11.       Final report presented by:

 

Completed by March 2017.  Presented by the Chair of the Panel to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and then to Cabinet.

 

12.       Monitoring procedure:

 

Review the impact of the report after six months (approximately November/December 2017)