COVID19 and homelessness services Rick Henderson Tasmin Maitland

COVID-19 and homelessness services Rick Henderson & Tasmin Maitland, Homeless Link Jessie Seal & Kassahun, NACCOM 13 th May 2020 www. homeless. org. uk #Homeless. Covid 19 Let’s end homelessness together

Accommodation for people with NRPF during the pandemic What are the options and what needs to happen next? Jessie Seal – Policy and Campaigns Coordinator Kassahun – Expert by Experience and Community Reporter Paul Catterall – Network Development Worker

NACCOM is a membership network – we work to develop the capacity of our members and campaign nationally for an end to destitution • • • 112 member organisations across the UK 62 member organisations provide direct accommodation to destitute people Over 3200 people were accommodated by members last year

No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)? NRPF refers to people with Leave to Remain who are subject to No Recourse to Public Funds conditions and others without Leave to Remain who are unable to access public funds. This includes: people who have been refused asylum, people who have had their Leave to Remain revoked and others who are undocumented migrants.

What is the picture nationally? • Very mixed responses across the UK • Still no clear guidance on what ‘alternative funds and powers’ can be used to accommodate people with NRPF • Councils have utilised different powers to accommodate people with NRPF • Some positive examples of local housing teams and voluntary sector organisations working together to protect individuals and wider public health during the pandemic

Support for people during the pandemic? Pre-existing routes to accommodation • Home Office support (Section 4 or Schedule 10) • Local Authority support (Section 17, Care Act support) New routes to accommodation • Emergency accommodation for people who are rough sleeping (or at risk of) as set out in the letter from the Minister of Homelessness

What needs to change? • To solve street homelessness – No Recourse to Public Funds must be lifted for everyone, regardless of immigration status.

NACCOM Network Development… • • • No 2 projects are alike! Some projects are general homeless projects All full members work with NRPF (People seeking asylum, EU and Non-EU nationals) Some host, some run night shelters & others housing Some provide a range of other wrap around support services including drop in’s, I. A & G, legal support & integration, ESOL etc. Some cross subsidise NRPF bed spaces through renting to refugees/other migrants or by providing accommodation for LA clients (Sec 17 Children’s Act & also Care Act 2014)

12 Night Shelters 27 Hosting Org 30 Housing Schemes 225 Houses & Flats 28 (12. 5%) from HA’s 11 members working with a total of 15 HA’s 12 England, 1 NI, 1 Wales & 1 Scotland 3211 people accommodated across the whole network. 1111 of which have NRPF 632 of those with NRPF Moved on: 10% some form of Leave To Remain. 44% HO or LA support. 27% not known. 20% negative. We are a very diverse network ranging from projects with a single house to organisations with 35 houses

• • • NACCOM members house both the unsuccessful and the successful. Many house the successful because: a) they are at risk of homelessness & b) to help cross subsidise provision for those who are initially unsuccessful in claiming asylum. Experience shows that when a person's basic needs of food & shelter are met, they are better able to engage and be helped to overcome poor asylum decisions. We believe that forced destitution is inhumane and part of the hostile environment. 40% of those originally rejected are successful when supported.

To find out more about NACCOM visit www. naccom. org. uk Follow us on @NACCOMNetwork Facebook and Twitter

COVID-19 and homelessness services www. homeless. org. uk #Homeless. Covid 19 Let’s end homelessness together

Current guidance & updates 13 May 2020 Public Health England Guidance for Day Centres and Hostels – unpublished since 25 March No update – use relevant general PHE guidance on cleaning, PPE, social distancing, shielding etc. Care homes as the most relevant setting for which there is guidance MHCLG Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation: COVID-19 emergency support fund Deadline for bids: 21 May 2020 “The fund will help ensure that: • Safe accommodation services can continue operating and keep bedspaces open for victims and their children fleeing from abuse during COVID-19 emergency. • Safe accommodation services can help more victims access these life-saving services. ” www. homeless. org. uk Let’s end homelessness together

Current guidance & updates 13 May 2020 Updates to wider Government guidance for businesses and individuals No specific impact for the homelessness sector at this point, however as employers, landlords, support workers etc, updates may affect you/your work. Hospital discharge Appendix on homelessness and Homelessness Reduction Act duty to refer www. gov. uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19 -hospital-discharge-servicerequirements Business closure exemptions were already in place for homelessness services: cafes or other food services, community centres and places of worship, hotels providing emergency accommodation. Links in our FAQs: www. homeless. org. uk/covid 19 -homelessness www. homeless. org. uk Let’s end homelessness together

Current guidance & updates 13 May 2020 Government advice on home moves “Guidance for social landlords Some applicants and tenants may be anxious about moving at this time. It will be important to ensure that they are not put under undue pressure to move, if they are not ready or able to do so. ” www. gov. uk/guidance/government-advice-on-home-moving-during-the-coronavirus-covid 19 -outbreak www. homeless. org. uk Let’s end homelessness together

Current guidance & updates Police enforcement and fines Reports of people sleeping rough being fined, despite specific exclusion The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020: “Restrictions on movement 6. —(1) During the emergency period, no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse. … (4) Paragraph (1) does not apply to any person who is homeless. ” www. legislation. gov. uk/uksi/2020/350/regulation/6/made College of Policing updated briefing 28 April “Note: Restrictions on movement don’t apply to homeless people. You can, however, enforce restrictions on gatherings” www. college. police. uk/Documents/COVID-19 -Policing-Brief-Health-Regs-280420. pdf www. homeless. org. uk Let’s end homelessness together

Current guidance & updates Keep the people you work with informed of developments Not everyone has access to news, some people will need a short update / conversation Filtering all this information can be stressful – break it down Government FAQs: www. gov. uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-whatyou-can-and-cant-do www. homeless. org. uk Let’s end homelessness together

Day Services Homeless Link meetings Ø Thursday 21 st May at 4. 30 pm / Friday 22 nd May at 9 am Ø Closed sessions for day service providers only Ø Checking in: Ø are services closed / delivering off-site / adapting delivery on-site Ø plans for next steps, involvement in multi-agency work locally etc Ø Didn’t receive the email? Want to check in but can’t make these dates? Contact me: tasmin. maitland@homelesslink. org. uk www. homeless. org. uk Let’s end homelessness together

Emerging and ongoing questions & concerns Ø Absence of Covid-19 health guidance for homelessness settings Ø MHCLG messaging making a distinction between people ‘known to local authorities’ before 26 March and those new to the streets Ø Lack of clear pathways to housing for people new to the streets/at risk Ø NRPF access to housing and subsistence payments Ø Lack of street outreach and basic provision (food, showers, toilets, laundry) in many areas Ø How to reduce potentially higher risk for staff & residents from BAME backgrounds Ø Risk of infection in hostels with shared facilities Ø Lack of women-only accommodation Ø Managing safety in projects where people are not observing social distancing / isolation Ø Finding alternative accommodation where people evicted or abandoned Ø Police enforcement and fines Ø Lack of access to treatment services and rapid scripting in some areas Ø Lack/loss of access to mental health support Ø Charities delivering extra services without contracts or payments from LAs Ø Increasing homelessness – job loss, rent arrears, evictions from insecure housing Ø Transition / exit / recovery planning www. homeless. org. uk/covid 19 -homelessness Let’s end homelessness together

Homeless Link Communities of Practice Contact the Partnerships Team to register Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 18 May Oxford 1 June Wiltshire 8 June anna. suswillo@homelesslink. org. uk Kent 18 May greg. headley@homelesslink. org. uk Liverpool 9 June North East 11 June sirea. jabar@homelesslink. org. uk Sandwell June tbc Birmingham June tbc steven. barkess@homelesslink. org. uk www. homeless. org. uk/communities-of-practice Let’s end homelessness together

Homeless Link training COVID-19: guidance for hotel staff & volunteers Series of short webinars on Dual Diagnosis, Trauma Informed Care, Drug Awareness, Safeguarding & Professional Boundaries Online | Free www. homeless. org. uk/covid-19 -guidance-for-hotel-staff-volunteers Mental Health First Aid: guidance for hotel staff & volunteers Live webinar session offering Mental Health First Aid guidance for hotel staff and volunteers Thursday, 21 & 28 May 2020 | Online | 2: 15 pm - 3: 15 pm | Free www. homeless. org. uk/mental-health-first-aid-guidance-for-hotel-staff-and-volunteers Webinar: Modern Slavery, Homelessness, and Covid-19 Thursday, 14 May 2020 | Online | 2. 30 pm-3. 45 pm | Free Webinar: Digital inclusion – helping people get online Thursday, 28 May 2020 | Online | 2. 30 pm-3. 45 pm | Free www. homeless. org. uk/events Let’s end homelessness together

Homeless Link training Wellbeing at work - addressing the needs of your team Friday, 15 May 2020 | Online | 10. 00 am-11. 00 am | Free Drugs and Alcohol: providing support to people using substances during COVID-19 Tuesday, 19 May 2020 | Online | 10: 00 am-11: 30 am Tech Tuesday: In-Form Classic - Sessions and Actions Tuesday, 19 May 2020 | Online | 2. 00 pm-3. 00 pm | Free Using effective time management to balance priorities and manage wellbeing Friday, 22 May 2020 | Online | 10. 00 am-11. 00 am | Free PIE at home – creating a healthy remote working space Friday, 29 May 2020 | Online | 10. 00 am-11. 00 am | Free Outreach skills and COVID-19 Tuesday, 2 June 2020 | Online | 10: 00 am-11: 30 am Tech Tuesday: In-Form 101 – an introduction to the In-Form system Tuesday, 2 June 2020 | Online | 11. 00 am-12. 00 pm | Free Tech Tuesday: In-Form Lightning – an introduction to Rent Management Tuesday, 2 June 2020 | Online | 2. 00 pm-3. 00 pm | Free www. homeless. org. uk/events Let’s end homelessness together

COVID-19 and homelessness services www. homeless. org. uk #Homeless. Covid 19 Let’s end homelessness together

What we do Homeless Link is the national membership charity for frontline homelessness services. We work to improve services through research, guidance and learning, and campaign for policy change that will ensure everyone has a place to call home and the support they need to keep it. Homeless Link Minories House, 2 -5 Minories, London EC 3 N 1 BJ 020 7840 4430 Twitter: @Homelesslink Facebook: www. facebook. com/homelesslink www. homeless. org. uk © Homeless Link 2020. All rights reserved. Homeless Link is a charity no. 1089173 and a company no. 04313826. Let’s end homelessness together