Ennis Town Council

Homeless Unit

Homelessness Action Plan - Joint Action Plan for 2001-2003

Introduction and Background

Homelessness - Joint Action Plan for Clare

Homelessness - An Integrated Strategy

This Joint Action Plan arises from the publication by the Government in May 2000 of the national strategy on Homelessness entitled "Homelessness - An Integrated Strategy".

The Government report recognises that the needs of homeless people are so diverse and complex that no one agency acting in isolation can meet these needs. It provides for a sharing of responsibility between the local authorities and the health boards, with the local authorities being responsible for the provision and maintenance of accommodation and Health Boards being responsible for health and in-house care needs. The report calls for the development of a 3-year action plan that will be jointly drawn up by the local authorities, the health boards and the voluntary sector through the Homeless Fora process.

Homelessness - Definition

Homelessness is defined in Section 2 of the Housing Act, 1988, as follows: -
"A person shall be regarded by a Housing Authority as being homeless for the purposes of this Act if -

  1. there is no accommodation available which in the opinion of the Authority, he, together with any other person who normally resides with him, or who might reasonably be expected to reside with him, can reasonably occupy or remain in occupation of, or
  2. He is living in a hospital, county home, night shelter or other such institution and is so living because he has no accommodation of the kind referred to in paragraph a..."

This definition includes: -

  • Persons living in temporary insecure accommodation. This will include people with no permanent address, moving from place to place and home to home.
  • Persons living in emergency Bed & Breakfast accommodation and hostels/Health Board accommodation because they have nowhere else available to them.
  • Rough sleepers.
  • Victims of family violence.

Research on Homelessness

Prior to the publication of this report the question of homelessness in the Ennis area was the subject of a report jointly commissioned by two voluntary bodies active in the area. These bodies are Respond! and the local chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. This earlier report was researched and compiled by Mr. Padraic Kenna and concentrated particularly on the greater Ennis area. This research has been useful in the compilation of this Joint Action plan by the statutory Housing and Health authorities in the area.

National Research

Research in this country has indicated that homeless people have a significantly higher level of chronic illnesses then the rest of the population. Studies indicate that approximately 40% of homeless people experience psychological problems such as alcoholism and mental illness. The main recommendations from the research concentrated on the need from specialised services for the group, provision of outreach, easier access to medical cards, greater integration of services and increased accommodation options available to homeless persons.

Homelessness Forum

In line with the recommendations contained in the national strategy a Homelessness Forum was established by the Council's Strategic Policy Committee on Housing and Social Policy. The Forum consists of representatives of all statutory and voluntary bodies engaged locally in the housing and homelessness areas. Details of the organisations who have participated in and contributed to the work of the Homelessness Forum are given in Appendix 1 at the rear of this plan. The Forum met for the first time on 25th September 2000 and has met regularly since then. The Forum operates under the auspices of the Strategic Policy Committee and its purpose is to devise a plan to deliver and oversee homeless services in County Clare, as a whole.

Role of Forum

  1. Monitor, review and report on progress of action plans.
  2. Identify gaps in current service provision.
  3. Set quality standards/performance indicators in relation to service delivery.
  4. To develop and implement action plans for homeless services in accordance with the National Strategy.
  5. Carry out research as necessary pertaining to homelessness in County Clare (e.g. health status causes of homelessness).

Clare in Context

Clare is a predominantly rural county, with a number of growing urban centres particularly Ennis and Shannon with little obvious evidence of homelessness. Proximity to Limerick City, where there is a developed infrastructure for the delivery of services to the homeless, is significant. This infrastructure provides a response to some of the homeless needs arising in Clare. Proximity to Galway City at the North of the county is also but less significant.

Why Now?

The motivation for the preparation of this joint plan arose from the earlier initiatives by the local chapter of the Society for St. Vincent de Paul and Respond! It subsequently became a requirement with the publication of the national strategy on homelessness by Government in May 2000.

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Methodology used in the Preparation of the Joint Action Plan

Homelessness - Joint Action Plan for Clare

Options

The possibility of engaging a consultant to prepare the draft Action Plan was considered but not pursued. It was felt that the knowledge and understanding to be gained by the local practitioners themselves engaging in the work will be beneficial in the longer term. This knowledge and understanding is retained by proceeding in this manner.

Early in the course of the discussions at the Homelessness Forum it was agreed that it was necessary to scope the scale of the homelessness issue in Clare. This was deemed necessary in order to profile those identified as "homeless" in order to determine the appropriate response for each person. This in turn will determine the range of accommodation types and units required and the locations within the county where they are needed.

The main source of relevant information and data was the information in possession of the statutory and voluntary bodies and the research data from the earlier study by Respond!/St. Vincent de Paul. This data was of limited use in that it was not in a suitable format and was not available in any one organisation or location. The Forum agreed that this data deficit could be remedied and up to date information assembled by means of a survey of the people who could be loosely described as "homeless" in the county.

Clare Homelessness Survey

The Forum agreed that a survey of homelessness would be carried out and that all relevant agencies and practitioners in the general area would participate in the survey. The survey was carried out on 10th November 2000 and was very successful in that there was a high level of participation. In all 220 agencies and practitioners were surveyed and 175 survey sheets were returned.

Survey Results

A summary of the results of the survey are given below. The persons identified as requiring accommodation in the survey can broadly be placed in the following categories for the purpose of analysis.

  • 76 persons or 43.5% were accommodated in Mid-Western Health Board hostels or homes
  • 47 persons or 27% were members of the Travelling Community, mainly on the roadside
  • 13 persons or 7.5% were living in unfit accommodation
  • 13 persons or 7.5% were involuntarily sharing accommodation
  • 10 persons or 5.5% were in rented accommodation
  • 6 persons or 3.5% were or had been "sleeping rough"
  • 6 persons or 3.5% were living in mobile homes
  • 4 persons or 2.25% were juveniles due to leave care in 2000

In all 70% of those identified were either in Health Board facilities or are members of the Travelling Community. The third largest group were those in unfit accommodation, those involuntarily sharing, those living in mobile homes and those in rented accommodation which in combination represented 22% of the total. In general the results of the survey therefore confirm that there is not a serious problem with "street homelessness" in the county. There were only 3.5% or 6 persons in this category. It did demonstrate, however, as did earlier research by St. Vincent de Paul and Respond!, a need for a hostel type facility in Ennis.

Elderly

A demographic analysis of the elderly population in the Mid West region shows us that in the 1996 census 11.8% of the population were over 65 years, compared with a national average of 11.4%. It is projected that by the year 2011 this figure will reach 15%. There is, therefore, a need to plan for the provision of Social Housing to deal with an ever increasing elderly population.

Children in Care

Young people leaving care are considered amongst the most vulnerable in society. High in the category of significant risks is that of homelessness. According to a Focus Ireland report "Out on their own - young people leaving care in Ireland" a significant number of children leaving care end up homeless within 2 years.

Furthermore, the data available for young people leaving care shows significant mental health and learning difficulties which impact on the ability to find accommodation and in particular to keep it. Family support does not exist in most cases.

Victims of Domestic Violence

From the research carried out by the Clare Haven House Services Ltd. it has been established that homelessness arises as a result of domestic violence. The action plan, therefore, recognises and makes provision for the needs of this particular group.

This information informed the preparation of and forms the basis for the Joint Action Plan.

Methodology for Joint Action Plan

The methodology used in formulating this plan has been to focus on a strategy of the actions necessary to deal with the issues identified in the survey. It is also necessary and intended to be flexible in dealing with new issues which arise in the future.

For each identified action contained in this plan the following will be specified:

  • objective of the action
  • specific aim(s) of the action
  • target group(s)
  • time-scale for implementation of the action
  • Resource provider(s) for the action
  • Lead Implementation agency
  • performance indicators and targets to be used to measure and review the effectiveness of the action

Monitoring Implementation of the Joint Action Plan

The on-going monitoring of the implementation of the plan will be carried out by the Homelessness Forum. The Forum will operate under the auspices of the Council's Strategic Policy Committee on Housing & Social Policies.

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Values & Strategies

Homelessness - Joint Action Plan for Clare

Key Value

The plan will seek to ensure that all actions arising from the plan are implemented in a manner that values and respects the dignity of the person to whom the service is being provided.

Key Strategies

The following strategies are central to this Action Plan.
Strategic Statement.

The purpose of services for Homeless Persons in the Mid-West is to provide a "person centred" service of the highest quality to highly vulnerable and marginalised individuals in an appropriate accommodation setting. It is recognised that good quality accommodation is fundamental to the Health and Social care needs of Homeless people.

In developing an approach it is recognised that the needs of homeless persons are so diverse and complex that no one agency acting in isolation can meet these needs. Partnership and innovation will be required if objectives are to be met. In seeking to meet the current needs of the homeless population it is envisaged that a framework and understanding will be developed that will prevent homelessness and social exclusion in future years.

The strategic intent requires that the focus of the services be pivotally placed on the individual homeless person. The objective of the services is to effect a continuous lifecycle model of provision of a continuum of support. The ability of all services to respond to identified and targeted need in a responsive way will be a prime determinant of the effectiveness of the services.

Strategy - Continuum of Support Model

The strategy model adopted in the plan is the Continuum of Support Model, which is referenced in full in Appendix 2. The components of the model are:

  • Preventative Support
  • Anticipatory Support
  • Accommodation and On Site Supports
  • Community Support

Strategic Objectives

The statement of Purpose and Intent is an expression of the strategic vision envisaged for the services to homeless persons. The Objectives of the Strategy which bring a focus to the vision are as follows

  • To develop inter-agency working between all statutory and voluntary agencies
  • To ensure that all homeless persons receive their services in an integrated and appropriate accommodation setting
  • To put in place a "care plan" and "key worker" system to ensure comprehensiveness and continuity of service
  • Enhancement of the policy of relocating those, currently in a hostel setting, to a community based setting appropriate to their needs
  • To improve accessibility by providing "outreach services", where necessary
  • To ensure that all persons who are inappropriately placed in residential settings will be relocated to more appropriate support settings, on condition that the necessary health and welfare supports are committed
  • To provide appropriate multi-faceted and multi-agency, interventions to those presenting with complex needs to enable the individuals or families to remain in their home and avoid future eviction
  • To develop common operational standards for all service providers
  • To improve the quality of service for homeless persons by providing appropriate training and education
  • To develop information systems to monitor effectiveness of services and act as aid to policy development
  • Service Delivery should focus on returning homeless persons to independent living where appropriate and possible
  • To create an awareness internally and externally of the diverse nature and needs of the homeless population
  • To maximise the use of all housing options available including voluntary housing, Social Housing Options (including standard local authority housing) and private housing in dealing with homelessness and prospective homelessness
  • To prevent homelessness arising by early identification and intervention in cases where people are considered vulnerable, by personnel from the statutory or voluntary agencies
  • To promote and seek to implement a situation whereby the perpetrators and not the victims of domestic violence leave the family home as the preferred resolution of domestic violence situations

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Key Actions Planned

Homelessness - Joint Action Plan for Clare

Action 1 - Provision of Dedicated Homeless Unit

An adequately staffed inter-disciplinary homeless unit, to facilitate and ensure ongoing inter agency co-operation between the statutory and voluntary agencies, will be put in place under the direction of the Homeless Forum.

Objective:

To ensure that there is ongoing inter-agency co-operation and support between the statutory bodies and the voluntary bodies working in the homelessness sector.

Aims:

  1. To put in place and maintain a dedicated structure capable of monitoring the implementation of the actions contained in the Joint Action Plan and identifying weaknesses in the overall services to the homeless.
  2. To develop and agree the basis on which all homeless services will be delivered in the county and to consistently work towards implementation on the agreed basis.
  3. To agree and plan the sources of funding for all the homeless services and actions.
  4. To develop and put in place an integrated data-base on all homeless or potential homeless persons across all service providers.

Target Group(s):

All groups identified as homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Timescale

To put the structure and unit in place during the first year of the plan.

Resource Provider(s)

Infrastructure/Building

In the longer term it is envisaged that the accommodation for the unit will be provided in one of the hostel facilities to be provided. Funding for the office accommodation will therefore be provided from the voluntary housing Capital Assistance Scheme. In the interim temporary accommodation will be provided by either the Council or the Mid-Western Health Board.

Staffing & Management

Clare County Council and the Mid-Western Health Board will provide staff on the basis of funding from the relevant Government Departments i.e. the Department of the Environment & Local Government and the Department of Health & Children. Ideally the staffing for the unit will include:

  1. Co-ordinator of services who will oversee the implementation and co-ordination of the plan.
  2. A Resettlement Officer, to be employed and paid for by the Council.
  3. A Community Welfare Officer, employed by the Mid-Western Health Board, with the cost shared between the Council and the Health Board. Specialist Health Board staff will provide services to the unit as required.
  4. Administrative and Secretarial support will be provided jointly.
  5. Designated Psychiatric Social Worker
  6. Designated Public Health Nurse

The staff employed by the voluntary agencies in the hostel facilities will also provide services to the unit.

The cost of the integrated database system will be met by a combination of funding from the Department of the Environment & Local Government and the Department of Health & Children.

Lead Implementation Agency

Clare County Council and the Mid-Western Health Board jointly.

Performance Indicator(s)/Target(s)

  1. Level of staffing/Six
  2. Time-scale for establishment of unit/End of 2001
  3. Provision of integrated Data-base/Period of Plan

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Action 2 - Provision of Hostel Accommodation

During the period of the Action Plan, Clare County Council will facilitate the provision by voluntary bodies of hostel facilities in the Ennis and Shannon areas. The scale and location of the facilities will be determined following the formal public planning consultation process.

Ongoing support will be provided for the new facility for victims of domestic violence provided by Clare Haven Services Ltd. in Ennis. The plan recognises and has regard for the developed services provided for persons with addiction problems in the Bushy Park Treatment Centre in Kilmaley.

Further research will be carried out to evaluate the need for similar facilities in the West Clare (Kilrush) area. The homeless forum will also assess the need for specialist hostel type facilities in the county in year 1 and year 2 of the plan.

Objective:

To provide facilities capable of dealing with all emergency cases arising in the county thus ensuring that no person indigenous or transient has to spend a night in the street because of a lack of appropriate facilities.

Aims:

  1. The provide a facility capable of dealing with emergency cases arising in the greater Ennis area thus ensuring that no person indigenous or transient has to spend a night in the street because of a lack of appropriate facilities in the town.
  2. To provide a facility capable of dealing with emergency cases arising in the Shannon area thus ensuring that no person indigenous or transient has to spend a night in the street because of a lack of appropriate facilities in the town.
  3. To deal with all cases of "street homelessness" in the greater Ennis and Shannon areas.
  4. To support the provision of suitable emergency accommodation and supports for victims of domestic violence.
  5. To provide voluntary bodies and statutory agencies with the facilities capable of dealing with all incidents of homelessness which arise from time to time in the county.

Target Group(s):

  • Street homeless living in or passing through the towns and county.
  • Persons becoming homeless as a result of a domestic or other emergency.

Timescale:

The facilities will be provided within the period of the Joint Action Plan i.e. 2001-2003. It is planned to have the Shannon facility in place during 2001 and the Ennis facility in place by mid 2003.

Resource Provider(s):

Infrastructure/Building

Both projects will be funded under the voluntary housing Capital Assistance Scheme through the Council.

Staffing & Management

The staffing and management functions in both facilities will be discharged by the Voluntary bodies in consultation with the Housing and Health Authorities. Section 10 funding will be provided by the Council to meet the ongoing costs of existing and proposed facilities, on the basis of the total number of units available rather than the occupancy rates.

Where necessary and appropriate medical and psychiatric assessments will be made by qualified Health Board personnel on referral by the hostel management or the Resettlement Officer.

The Resettlement Officer will facilitate assessment of and "move on" to independent accommodation. This will be done in consultation with and support from the relevant personnel in the Health Board and the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs.

Lead Implementation Agency

  • Ennis - Clare Haven Services Ltd.
  • Ennis - St. Vincent de Paul
  • Shannon - Respond!

Performance Indicator(s)/Target(s)

  1. Timescale for establishment and opening of 2 hostels/Shannon at end of 2001 and Ennis by mid 2003.
  2. Degree to which occupants are appropriately resettled/No long-term occupants of over 1 year
  3. Timescale for resettlement/3 - 6 months.

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Action 3 - Provision of Sheltered Accommodation

The "Homelessness - An Integrated Strategy" report identified the "key difficulty in tackling homelessness is the scarcity of more appropriate housing and states that "a greater variety of types of accommodation are needed to cater for the varying needs of homeless persons".

The availability of appropriate housing is limited and greater effort is required in the development of housing options. Improved housing can improve health and allow for better and more appropriate use of health services.

A range of sheltered and independent accommodation will be provided, preferably by voluntary housing organisations, in the locations where a need for this type of accommodation was identified in the homeless survey. The target will be to provide up to 130 units of accommodation, with each location receiving some units, on the basis of the need identified.

The locations are:

  • Broadford (4),
  • Bodyke (4),
  • Clonlara (4),
  • Clarecastle/Ennis Area (38),
  • Cooraclare (4),
  • Ennistymon/Lahinch (8),
  • Feakle (4),
  • Kildysart/Labasheeda (4),
  • Kilkee/Kilrush (12),
  • Killaloe (4),
  • Kilmaley (6),
  • Lisdoonvarna (6),
  • Miltown Malbay (6),
  • Newmarket-on-Fergus (6),
  • Quin (4),
  • Shannon (8),
  • Sixmilebridge (4),
  • Tulla (4).

This is not an exclusive list of locations and other locations where need is identified will be added during the course of the plan.

To set up a support service network for all schemes of voluntary housing provided in this manner, ensuring that all occupants have easy and regular access to essential health and welfare services.

Objective:

  • To provide an integrated housing and support services infrastructure delivering an adequate number of units of sheltered accommodation in specific locations where need for this type of accommodation exists.
  • To ensure Homeless elderly people are provided with accommodation and care appropriate to their age and health status.
  • To ensure that Homeless people with general mental health and addiction problems can access appropriate accommodation options with appropriate support in place.
  • To ensure that preventative measures are put in place to prevent young people becoming homeless or re-entering homelessness.

Aims:

  1. To provide accommodation in their own local areas for homeless people or those at risk of becoming homeless.
  2. To organise, facilitate and support voluntary bodies in local communities to meet need in their own areas.
  3. To ensure that essential health and welfare services are available to the residents in these facilities. To ensure that the necessary ongoing support is available to the voluntary groups.
  4. To promote voluntary housing by community groups and increase awareness of the source of funding available for voluntary housing projects.
  5. Sheltered housing for elderly homeless persons will be jointly planned by the Local Authorities in consultation with the Health Board and voluntary service providers. Due to the changing demographics of the elderly population further assessments of need will be considered. Outreach supports such as nursing, home help and care taking will be provided by the Health Board. Critical to this is the employment of a designated Public Health Nurse for County Clare.
  6. In relation to young people an assessment of need and further research will be carried out and the situation will be monitored and reviewed under the general direction of the Homelessness Forum.
  7. "Wet Hostel" type facilities will be considered following further assessment of this type of need.

Target Group(s):

Persons living in unfit accommodation or inappropriately accommodated and generally persons requiring sheltered or special category accommodation.

Timescale:

It is planned that the target of 130 units of accommodation will be provided or commenced within the period of the plan.

Resource Provider(s):

Infrastructure/Building

The Council will provide funding for infrastructure using the voluntary housing funding available to meet such need.

One model to be used to achieve this is that the Council will identify and purchase suitable sites, transfer them to the voluntary groups who in turn will provide and manage the accommodation.

Staffing & Management

The Health Board will provide funding for the necessary "in House" care staff and provide the necessary "outreach" services as required. The voluntary body will provide the necessary management staff and services for each completed facility.

Lead Implementation Agency

  • Clare County Council (with the voluntary sector)
  • Mid-Western Health Board (health and welfare services)

Performance Indicator(s)/Target(s)

  1. number of units provided/130 in 3 years
  2. number of sites purchased/18 in 2 years (end of 2002)
  3. number of identified locations covered/18 in 3 years

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Action 4 - Implementation of Traveller Accommodation Programme

The Council will implement the adopted Traveller Accommodation Programme as expeditiously as possible. The Homelessness Forum has agreed that this course of action is the most appropriate and effective means of dealing with homelessness amongst the Travelling Community.

Objective:

To deal comprehensively with homelessness arising in the Traveller Community in the county.

Aims:

The provision of adequate and appropriate accommodation for the Traveller community over the five year period of the Traveller Accommodation Programme, 2000-2004.

  • Target Group(s): Traveller Community.
  • Timescale: The period of the Traveller Accommodation Programme i.e. 2000-2004.
  • Resource Provider(s):
  • Infrastructure/Building
    Clare County Council with capital funding from the Department of the Environment and Local Government.

Staffing & Management

Clare County Council has already established a dedicated Traveller Accommodation Unit with staffing and office facilities to implement the programme.

Lead Implementation Agency

Clare County Council and the Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative

Committee Performance Indicator(s)/Target(s)

The monitoring of the implementation of the Traveller Accommodation Programme is being carried out by a dedicated group i.e. the local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee.

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Action 5 - Creation of Pool of Private Rented Accommodation

The Council shall seek to identify units of rented accommodation in the urban centres and will enter into long-term agreements with the owners to lease or rent accommodation. The accommodation will be used as both an emergency response where homelessness arises or as initial "move on" accommodation for households leaving the hostel facilities.

Objective:

To ensure that in addition to the proposed hostel facilities to be provided under the plan that there is a pool of suitable rented accommodation available on a permanent basis to deal with homeless people and to facilitate the transition from short-term hostel type accommodation to more conventional accommodation.

Aims:

  1. To secure, through advertising and personal approaches, an adequate pool of private rented units of accommodation to permit emergency and "move-on" provision of accommodation.
  2. The provision of some conventional accommodation as a means of dealing with housing issues for homeless or potentially homeless people.
  3. To assist in ensuring that the proposed hostel facilities are only used as short-stay solutions.
  4. To carry out research on the feasibility of introducing and supporting a "Boarding Out" type scheme for elderly people similar to those in other counties. The focus will be to facilitate elderly people with accommodation difficulties remain in their own local area in conjunction with local householders prepared to let a room in their own home.

Target Group(s):

Residents of the hostel facilities and emergency cases presenting and generally those at risk of becoming homeless because of any acute or moderate accommodation problem.

Timescale:

Commenced during 2001 and added to during the course of the plan.

Resource Provider(s):

Infrastructure/Building

The cost of renting the accommodation shall be funded by way of (i) Section 10 funding from the Department of the Environment & Local Government and (ii) contributions from the occupants of this type of rented accommodation. Other units may be funded by the SWA Rent Supplementation administered by the Mid-Western Health Board.

Staffing & Management

The resettlement staff in the homeless unit in consultation with the staff in the proposed hostel facilities will secure and manage this action.

Lead Implementation Agency - Homelessness Unit

Performance Indicator(s)/Target(s)

  1. Number of units of accommodation secured/Not possible to set a target
  2. Number of households accommodated/Not possible to set a target
  3. Completion of "Boarding Out" feasibility study/Second year of plan.

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Action 6 - Action on Prevention of Homelessness (Support) Preventative Support

The proposed homeless unit will seek to minimise the level of homelessness arising in the county by being proactive with "at risk" groups and ensuring that there is engagement with the necessary support and counselling services (health, psychiatric, counselling or financial) before an accommodation problem arises.

Objectives:

  • The overall objective of preventative strategies is to highlight and address issues of policy and practice, to reduce the incidence of homelessness and put in place measures to break the cycle of homelessness
  • To prevent homelessness arising by minimising evictions from existing accommodation due to behavioural problems or non payment of rent.
  • To develop a Health Promotion plan for Homeless persons, which will target reducing behavioural health risk factors.
  • Put in place strategies for known at-risk groups such as those leaving custodial or health-related care.
  • To put in place an information and research strategy in relation to homeless services.

Aims:

  1. To ensure that persons do not become homeless solely because of a lack of support services which might deal with the risk of eviction or voluntary move on from adequate accommodation.
  2. To secure early identification of "at risk" cases, thus facilitating early intervention by the necessary service providers, thereby putting the emphasis on preventative measures to tackle homelessness.
  3. Develop a multi-agency code of practice to deal with rent arrears and anti-social behaviour in Clare.
  4. Ensure after care plans are put in place for children leaving care and those leaving long term institutions.
  5. Discharge policies from Accident & Emergency and Prisons to be put in place.
  6. To put in place an information and research strategy that will inform the Homeless Forum on the future needs for the county of Clare.
  7. To develop a culture of Homeless Proofing of all polices to assess their impact on "Homelessness"

Target Group(s):

Persons at risk of becoming homeless because of behavioural, financial or other issues which could be remedied or managed.

  • Timescale: During the entire period of the plan.
  • Resource Provider(s):
  • Infrastructure/Building - The various services involved will include the Housing Authorities, MABS, St. Vincent de Paul, Health and Welfare Services. There will not be a need for specific office accommodation.

Staffing & Management

The preventative actions will be co-ordinated by the staff in the proposed homelessness unit but will be delivered mainly by staff in MABS and the Housing, Health and Psychiatric Services.

Lead Implementation Agency

  • All agencies participating in the Homelessness Forum
  • Performance Indicator(s)/Target(s)
  • Level of homelessness/reduced level

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Action 7 - Action on Improvement of Existing Accommodation

It emerged from the Homeless Survey that many of the people at risk of becoming homeless, if not actually statutorily homeless, are at risk because of unfit and inadequate accommodation. This action therefore is to maximise the use of available schemes for the improvement of unfit and inadequate dwellings thus reducing the number of people at risk.

Objective:

To prevent avoidable homelessness due to the inadequacy of existing accommodation and to become proactive in identifying "at risk" persons vulnerable to this form of homelessness.

Aim(s):

  1. To prevent homelessness arising by the use of the Improvement Works in Lieu of Local Authority Housing (IWILL's) in appropriate cases.
  2. To prevent homelessness arising by the use of the Essential Repair Grant Scheme and the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme in appropriate cases.

Target Group(s):

Persons at risk of becoming homeless because of deficiencies in existing accommodation.

Timescale:

During the lifetime of the plan.

Resource Provider(s):

Infrastructure/Building Clare County Council will provide funding for the IWILL and the Essential Repair Grant Scheme. The Mid-Western Health Board will provide funding for the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme.

Staff Management

The administration of the above mentioned schemes will be carried out as at present by the Council and the Health Board. Identification of at risk cases will be the responsibility of all personnel in the statutory and voluntary bodies who work with vulnerable or at risk persons.

Lead Implementing Agency

Clare County Council and the Mid-Western Health Board jointly.

Performance Indications/Targets

A reduction in the level of cases of homelessness arising because of inadequacy and unfitness in existing accommodation.

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Action 8 - Provision of Anticipatory / Community Supports

Research in Ireland conclusively shows the need to develop an integrated and co-ordinated approach to service delivery because of cross-functional responsibilities. Services and structures are required which anticipate the needs of Homeless persons in the county. By anticipating their needs, proactive support structures and service programmes will be planned and implemented in the light of individual needs. This action will provide these supports and structures.

Objectives:

  • To anticipate the needs of homeless persons, by developing proactive support structures and service programmes which can be planned and implemented.
  • To provide an effective range of services to ensure that a person does not re-enter the cycle of homelessness.

Aims:

  1. The ultimate aim of homeless services is to enable homeless persons to live integrated, participative and inclusive lives within their community.
  2. To ensure that the model for engagement with a Homeless person will be on the basis of setting up a "care plan" / key worker system in hostels.
  3. Put in place an outreach psychiatric social work service in Clare, which will play a key role in the homeless unit.
  4. Each sector team will develop policies to ensure outreach services are provided as necessary to homeless persons and accessibility to existing services is improved.
  5. Designation of Psychiatric Social Worker post in the Homeless Unit.
  6. An increased level of support will be provided for addicts, drug users and their families.
  7. A multi-agency response be put in place to deal with cases that the local authority are investigating regarding allegations of anti-social behaviour relating to drugs use.
  8. The Health Board addiction services will develop an outreach element to their service that will work with homeless people.
  9. To ensure that Community Welfare Officers continue to play a significant role in supporting care plans for individuals in the community by way of financial supports, advice and advocacy.
  10. A comprehensive Public Health Nursing service is critical to any form of anticipatory care. Public Health Nurses will play a key role as part of a multidisciplinary team in the provision of outreach services to homeless persons and in the formulation of care pathways to facilitate seamlessness.
  11. To ensure access to General Practitioner Services which is regarded as critical to Healthcare.
  12. To improve access to Mental Health Services on the principle of continuum of care.
  13. To provide homeless people with an addiction problem with a range of services both residential and community based that addresses all their needs in a holistic manner.
  14. To improve access to Community services based on the principle of a continuum of care (Appendix 2).

Target Group(s): All groups identified as homeless or at the risk of becoming homeless timescale:

During the lifetime of plan

Resource Provider(s): Department of Health and Children

Lead Implementation Agency Mid-Western Health Board in consultation with Clare County Council and voluntary agencies.

Performance Indicator Targets

  1. Specialised CWO, PHN, Psychiatric Social Worker, Outreach Worker put in place/First two years of the plan.
  2. Number of homeless persons linked to key workers.
  3. Assessment of GP services carried out/Lifetime of plan.

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Implementation

Homelessness - Joint Action Plan for Clare

It is recognised that implementation of the specific actions and strategies contained in the plan is vital. This will only be secured if ongoing co-operation between the various statutory agencies and voluntary bodies is secured and maintained.

The Homelessness Forum, acting under the auspices of the Strategic Policy Committee will discharge the overall role of monitoring the implementation of the plan. The Homelessness Forum will carry out an annual review of progress on implementation of the action plan. This will focus on each planned action.

Each organisation with responsibilities under the plan shall be responsible for planning and delivering their part of the programme. Each organisation represented on the Homelessness forum will be required to adequately train and inform its own staff of their responsibilities under the plan and to ensure that adequate resources are available to achieve the plan targets.

While the responsibility for specific individual actions rests with individual service providers there is a key need that services be delivered in a co-ordinated fashion. The role of ensuring ongoing co-ordination is a shared role and rests with all organisations, with the staff in the homelessness unit and with the Homelessness Forum itself.

  • Formal Adoption by Health & Housing Authorities
    The two statutory bodies, Clare County Council and the Mid-Western Health Board have formally adopted this plan on 11/6/2001 and dd/mm/yyyy respectively.
  • County Development Board - County Strategy
    The Joint Action Plan will be submitted to the Clare County Development Board to be used when the County Strategy is being compiled. The Plan will have particular reference as regards the social inclusion measures in the strategy.
  • Planning Authority - County Housing Strategy
    The Joint Action Plan will be used to advise on and inform the provisions of the County Housing Strategy, which will be adopted by the Planning Authority, Clare County Council, in August 2001. The Housing Strategy will have regard to the need to reserve units of housing in private projects for persons with special housing needs.
  • Commitment of Voluntary Bodies
    The voluntary bodies associated with the formulation of this plan are committed to it's implementation.

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Financial Requirements for the Action Plan

Homelessness - Joint Action Plan for Clare

Some of the resources required to implement the action plan are available to the statutory and voluntary bodies at present while some will require significant additional resources, particularly where new infrastructure and/or services are proposed. It is not possible to detail precisely the costs that will be incurred in delivering the plan because of a variety of factors. It is not possible to estimate site costs, construction costs etc. before specific locations and start dates are identified and known. This is not necessary, as the major infrastructure costs will be funded from existing capital sources, particularly the voluntary housing schemes. It is not possible to break down the cost of the plan on a year by year basis, as it is not possible to predict when the major facilities proposed will be provided. Each project will have to go through the formal planning process. A general estimate of the likely costs is possible and the predictable financial requirements are estimated and detailed in Appendix 3.

Staffing Costs of Homelessness Unit

The cost of the proposed staffing structure envisaged for the homeless unit will be the salaries and associated costs of a Homelessness Co-ordinator, a Community Welfare Officer, a Resettlement Officer, a designated Psychiatric Social Worker, a designated Public Health Nurse and appropriate administrative and secretarial support. An office facility and associated costs will be incurred also. These will be ongoing costs from the time when the unit is set up.

Management and Staff Costs for Hostel

Section 10 costs will be incurred for the two hostel facilities and the Clare Haven Services Ltd. facility and will be based on accommodation capacity rather than occupancy rates. The cost will depend on the number of units available. In the Shannon facility there will be eight units. The number of units in the Ennis facility is yet to be determined and agreed. For estimation purposes the plan assumes that this facility will also contain eight units. It may be larger or smaller.

There will also be Section 10 costs involved in the private rented accommodation identified and secured. It is not possible to make an informed estimate of the number, size or cost of these premises at this stage. "In houses" care staff costs will be estimated and agreed with the relevant voluntary agencies. Funding will be provided from section 10 and section 65 grants. Then funding will be provided on the basis of a contract of services.

Both the above will be ongoing annual costs.

Capital Infrastructure Costs

As all the capital funding will be provided from separate capital streams, particularly the voluntary housing schemes, it is not necessary at this stage to include even rough estimates under this heading. The maximum capital funding per unit of accommodation under the Capital Assistance Scheme at present is £53,000 (1-2 bedroom units) or £63,000 (for 3 plus bedroom units). This is subject to a co-financing requirement of 5%. Therefore 2-3 bedroom units costing £55,790 will qualify for and require maximum funding of £53,000 per unit. Equally 3 plus bedroom units costing £66,316 will qualify for and require maximum funding of £63,000 per unit. It is proposed to provide 130 units and the total investment will depend on the number and size of units provided. The total capital funding requirement will, at current rates, therefore be in the range £6.89m to £8.19m. This excludes the cost of Communal Facilities where the maximum provision per unit at present is £3,500 per accommodation unit. Assuming that all projects fully avail of this source of funding, the capital cost of communal facilities, at current rates, would be £455,000.

"In House" Care Staff in hostels

The estimated cost of care staff will be agreed with the relevant service providers and resource requirements will be forwarded to the Dept of Health and Children for their attention.

Outreach Health Services

Funding requirements to strengthen the outreach community services as outlined in the plan will be forwarded to the Dept of Health and Children.

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Executive Summary of Key Actions

Homelessness - Joint Action Plan for Clare

  1. Action 1 - Provision of Dedicated Homelessness Unit An adequately staffed inter-disciplinary homeless unit, to facilitate and ensure ongoing inter agency co-operation between the statutory and voluntary agencies, will be put in place under the direction of the Homeless Forum.
  2. Action 2 - Provision of Hostel Accommodation During the period of the Joint Action Plan Clare County Council will facilitate the provision by voluntary bodies of hostel facilities in the Ennis and Shannon areas. The scale and location of the facilities will be determined following public planning consultation. Further research will be carried out to evaluate the need for a similar facility in the West Clare (Kilrush) area.
  3. Action 3 - Provision of Sheltered Accommodation A range of sheltered and independent accommodation will be provided, preferably by voluntary housing organisations, in the locations where a need for this type of accommodation was identified in the homeless survey. The target will be to provide up to 130 units of accommodation, with each location receiving some units, on the basis of the need identified. To set up a support service network for all schemes of voluntary housing provided in this manner, ensuring that all occupants have easy and regular access to essential health and welfare services.
  4. Action 4 - Implementation of Traveller Accommodation Programme The Council will implement the adopted Traveller Accommodation Programme as expeditiously as possible. The Homelessness Forum has agreed that this course of action is the most appropriate and effective means of dealing with homelessness amongst the Travelling Community.
  5. Action 5 - Creation of Pool of Private Rented Accommodation The Council shall seek to identify units of rented accommodation in the urban centres and enter into long-term agreements with the owners to lease or rent accommodation from them. The accommodation will be used as both an emergency response where homelessness arises or as initial "move on" accommodation for households leaving the hostel facilities.
  6. Action 6 - Action on Prevention of Homelessness (Support) The proposed homeless unit will seek to minimise the level of homelessness arising in the county by being proactive with at risk groups and ensuring that there is engagement with the necessary support and counselling services (health, psychiatric, counselling or financial) before an accommodation problem arises.
  7. Action 7 - Action on Improvement of Existing Accommodation It emerged from the Homeless Survey that many of the people at risk of becoming homeless if not actually statutorily homeless are at risk because of unfit and inadequate accommodation. This action therefore is to maximise the use of available schemes for the improvement of unfit and inadequate dwellings thus reducing the number of people at risk.
  8. Action 8 - Provision of Anticipatory / Community Supports Research in Ireland conclusively shows the need to develop an integrated and co-ordinated approach to service delivery because of cross-functional responsibilities. Services and structures are required which anticipate the needs of Homeless persons in the county. By anticipating their needs, proactive support structures and service programmes will be planned and implemented in the light of individual needs. This action will provide these supports and structures.

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Appendix 1

PARTICIPATING AGENCIES ON HOMELESSNESS FORUM

Organisation: Mid-Western Health Board

Service Represented:
  • Community Welfare Services
  • Public Health Nursing
  • Elderly Services
  • Psychiatric Services
  • Disability Services
  • Child Care Services
  • Garda Síochána - Law enforcement
  • Clare County Council Social/Voluntary Housing
  • Ennis U.D.C. Social Housing
  • Kilrush U.D.C. Social Housing
  • County Development Board Social Inclusion, National Anti Poverty Strategy and County Strategy
  • St. Vincent de Paul Support Services
  • Respond! Social Housing
  • Probation Services Supervising offenders in the community, offenders under service orders, offenders released conditionally from custody and providing a counselling service to offenders and their families.
  • Clarecare Support Services such as Social Workers, Counselling, Homehelp, Mediation, Thrift Shop
  • Clare Haven Services Ltd. Help and Support for women who experience domestic violence.

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Appendix 2

Continuum of Support Model

Structuring the range of services delivered to a homeless person on the basis of a model of continuous support across the individual lifecycle offers the most appropriate means of identifying areas for change and improvement. The model delivers a 'support continuum' structure to eliminate gaps in service delivery and ensure appropriate support at various points on the 'support continuum'. The components of the model are:

  • Preventative Support
  • Anticipatory Support
  • Accommodation and On Site Supports
  • Community Support

Gaps in service provision or interventions affect the proper functioning of a continuous system of support. The objective of structuring services within a support continuum framework is to ensure relevant and timely assessment, intervention and service provision, in an appropriate setting across the life cycle and across conditions.

  • Preventative Support:

    The Mid-Western Health Board and Clare County Council recognise that there are a range of preventative measures, which can reduce the incidence of homelessness and impact positively on the health and quality of life of this marginalised group.

    The objective of preventative strategies is to highlight and address issues of policy and practice to reduce the incidence of homelessness and put in place measures to break the cycle of homelessness.

    Critical to this process is support for people who are at risk of being homeless.

    Change Strategies for consideration here are:

    • All services to homeless people should be co-ordinated and planned in an integrated way through housing Fora
    • Access to comprehensive health promotion programmes
    • Education in schools on the subject matter of homelessness and leaving home
    • Greater emphasis on and improved support for young people leaving care
    • Improved interagency co-ordination and support for existing tenants who risk losing their home because of relationship breakdown, rent arrears or nuisance to neighbours
    • Improved mediation services for young people in dispute with parents
    • Development of comprehensive 'care plans' for homeless persons leaving hospitals
    • Support for people on a pre-release programme in the Justice system
    • Information on service entitlements needs to be developed and circulated
    • Development of the culture of "Homeless Proofing" all policies
    • Information systems need to be put in place to provide management information for policy development
  • Anticipatory Support:

    Services and structures are required which anticipate the needs of homeless persons. By anticipating their needs, proactive support structures and service programmes can be planned and implemented in the light of individual needs.

    The objective of anticipating support will be to ensure homeless persons have access to a seamless co-ordinated service, which is responsive to their changing needs. Research has shown extensively that homeless persons who move from area to area get "lost" within the various support systems and the only contact points emerge as acute episodes.

    The following model, Figure 1, which is based on Liaison Pathways and Key Worker / Care Plan concepts will address the critical issue of a seamless service.

    Figure 1[image?]


    Further strategies to meet the objective of anticipatory support include:
    • Developing a case conference model/protocol for complex cases
    • Access to GP services with subsequent monitoring mechanisms put in place
    • Ensuring that people with addiction problems, who are homeless can have immediate access to appropriate services, including detox and treatment services
    • Discussion with Prison Services on the issue of continuation of treatment in prison, where necessary
    • Develop outreach health services for the Homeless
    • Improving access to Mental Health Services across the sector teams
    • Introducing an integrated data-base across all service providers
    • Development of a research model that will measure improvements in Health and Social Gain
    • Development of sensitivity training for staff, internal and external in dealing with Homeless people
  • Accommodation and On Site Support:

    Current research indicates that service provision should be focused on the eventual re-settlement of homeless people. Care and support options are viewed as a continuum responding to people's different needs but are critically dependent on the availability of a variety of accommodation models as described below in Figure 2. Ultimately, access to permanent housing is the most important of these provisions, as people will not progress through the various systems without it. The key difficulty in tackling homelessness is the scarcity of more appropriate accommodation which include:

    Figure 2 [image?]
    • Sheltered Housing for the Elderly
    • Sheltered Housing for Persons with Mental Health problems
    • Sheltered Housing for Persons with Disabilities
    • Foyer Accommodation for young persons leaving care or at risk of becoming homeless
    • Half Way Houses / 'Move On' Accommodation for people coming from After Treatment Programmes, High Support Hostels, Emergency Accommodation
    • High Support Hostel for persons with acute addiction problems
    • Emergency Accommodation / Hostels where they are not available

    Research will indicate that Homeless men and women do not have different illnesses than the general population but their living conditions, their poverty and the complex nature of their lives affect their ability to cope with health problems. There are many known personal and institutional barriers to Homeless people accessing health care services and the service providers in the Mid-West will indicate the second key issue in this element of the strategy is the need for the provision of outreach health services, when necessary, to the various accommodation outlets, especially into the high and medium accommodation levels. These outreach services will allow a continuum of support to address all health and care needs.

    Strategies to meet the above objectives.

    • Assess and develop appropriate accommodation models
    • Assess the needs for "In House" creche facilities to allow residents attend training/self development courses
    • The provision of "on site" Health Educational and Personal Development courses for residents
    • Provision of in-house training for Hostel Staff
    • Access to out of hours GP services
    • Develop the concept of "Care Plan" / Key Worker System within hostels
    • Resource the service providers so that they can support the overall needs of the resident on site
    • Develop service arrangements with all hostel providers
    • Provide outreach Health and Welfare services in the following areas:
      • Mental Health
      • Public Health Nursing
      • Community Welfare Service
      • Other Health services as required
    • Community Supports

      The main aim of Homeless Services is to enable homeless persons to live integrated, participate and inclusive lives within their own community.

      The objective is to provide an effective range of services to ensure that a person does not re-enter the cycle of homelessness.

      This concept must begin with the inclusion of resettlement programmes in each centre that will carry through to supporting persons adapting to an independent life style.

      The implementation of this policy will involve, moving inappropriately placed persons to more suitable accommodation, based on their needs and providing necessary supports, as required.

    Strategies to support this objective will include:

    • Employment of Resettlement Workers
    • Development of outreach mentor programmes
    • Provision of outreach Health Services, when required
    • Development of comprehensive statistical information to monitor levels of persons re-entering cycle of Homelessness
    • Create linkages with FAS, VEC etc re provision of and accessible to relevant training and youth services
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