Homelessness Collaboration

Aims and Purpose:

The Homelessness Collaboration Project provides a means by which organisations that work with homeless and vulnerably housed people in Exeter can work collaboratively together for the benefit of their clients.

It aims to achieve this through:

• sharing information and promoting best practice
• committing to working together in the most effective and efficient way
• discussing issues of mutual concern
• feeding into other forums and strategies
• informing both local and national policy
• developing practical ways of meeting need through new projects or areas of work
• developing joint working to minimise duplication of effort and competition and
• making the best use of resources

Click here for the full terms of reference.

Background:

A number of organisations and projects have come into existence over the past 15 years to help meet the needs of homeless people. Across the city a range of services are provided, including provision of accommodation and support, advice and advocacy, food, clothing, washing facilities, assessment and referral, specialist health care, life skills training and confidence building activities. These services have been funded by a variety of sources but it has become likely that funding opportunities are to diminish over time. Therefore, a more collaborative approach, which makes best use of existing and future resources, is seen to be one of the ways forward to ensure these services continue to be provided to those who need them.

Seven organisations that work with homeless and vulnerably housed people in Exeter initially met to explore ways that they could work more closely together. These organisations were:

•     Exeter City Council
•     Community Housing Aid (Formerly 'Exeter Homeless Action Group' or EHAG)
•     Big Issue
•     Clock Tower Surgery
•     St Petrocks Centre
•     Street Homeless Outreach Team (SHOT)
•     Exeter Shilhay Community's Meaningful Occupation Project (MOP)

ECI was asked to facilitate the process because it has a great deal of experience in working with homeless people and developing projects, but it is not currently directly providing services to this client group. ECI is therefore able to take the role of independent facilitator in bringing member organisations together, assisting and promoting open communication, collaborative working and collective commitment to the best interests of the service users.

Initially the project concentrated on building positive relationships between the organisations, sharing information and planning the way forward.

ECI conducted a survey of 200 people in Exeter who were homeless or vulnerably housed, to find out their views about the services provided in the city. They were asked to comment on existing services and also on what services they would like to see in the future. Huw Vasey, a PhD student from the University of Exeter helped to draft the questionnaire and provided the analysis of the resulting data. He produced a report, published in January 2008, in which 11 recommendations for future services are set out.

Click here for the report on the Views of Homeless and Vulnerably Housed People in Exeter.

The report informed the latest draft of Exeter City Council's Homelessness Strategy and the Homelessness Collaboration group has committed to taking forward the actions identified.  

Having made significant progress in building trusting relationships and opening up the possibilities for working more closely in partnership, the project was widened its membership beyond the seven original organisations. It is open to all organisations that provide services for homeless and vulnerably housed people in Exeter, designed to either prevent homelessness or to provide practical advice, support, referral or other services that enable people to secure and sustain appropriate housing.

Members currently include the original seven organisations listed above plus:

• Bournemouth Churches Housing Association
• Carr-Gomm
• Esther Community (Keychange Charity)
• Homemaker South West
• Young Devon

One of the actions progressed by the project has been the production of the Street Sheet by St Petrocks, a pocket-sized guide to services in Exeter for homeless and vulnerably housed people. Click here to view the most recent Street Sheet.

Free Food in Exeter - This leaflet provides details of organisations that provide food, shelter and support in the evening and at weekends. Click here for the Free Food leaflet.

Laura has also recently conducted a series of interviews with Homelessness Collaboration Service Users and has created this report. Please take the time to read through by clicking on this link.

Laura Callaway has completed a document discussing the feasibility of a Night Shelter for Exeter.  This came about in response to repeated concerns about a lack of accommodation immediately available in the city, voiced by the church groups that provide food, blankets and a listening ear to Exeter's homeless and vulnerably housed.  The report can be viewed by clicking here.

Please contact Matt Bell on 01392 205800 or email matt@eci.org.uk for further details or to give your comments on this timely issue or for more detials.

The project is currently funded by Exeter City Council until March 2012.