- Description
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Our aim
People sustaining independent lives in housing which is right for them
How we will achieve this
- By providing people with effective advice and assistance about all their available options, empowering them to make informed and realistic decisions so that they resolve their housing issues in a way that is right for them
- By helping people sustain their homes, intervening early to address their immediate and underlying needs to prevent crises, homelessness and its associated problems
- By working in partnership with other services to make sure that people get the right help at the right time
- By providing people with a range of options leading to better and more sustainable housing solutions
- By effective and efficient delivery of services and making best use of Highland’s social rented housing stock
What we will do
We will provide anyone who has a housing problem or need for housing, with an opportunity to explore their options with a trained Housing Options Officer.
All clients and partner services will be treated with courtesy, dignity and respect.
Clients will be empowered to make informed choices and decisions.
Our service will be person-centred and tailored to the needs of the individual and will provide high quality, personalised, realistic, practical advice and support. Everyone will receive a service appropriate to their needs in which:
- All their needs - housing, support and other factors (e.g. which may prevent them from accessing and sustaining a suitable solution, or from sustaining their current housing) will be identified and their circumstances considered
- All their options will be identified, explained and discussed
- They get a plan setting all their options and advice on how to take these forward
We will provide a comprehensive personalised service by considering and advising people about suitable options in social renting; private renting; home ownership, and about their options for managing wider issues they may be facing.
We will actively signpost and, where appropriate, refer and directly liaise with other services and agencies which can: prevent homelessness; help people with any underlying issues which could result in them becoming homeless and assist them with successfully keeping their homes in the long run.
Our key focus is on identifying opportunities for early intervention and preventing homelessness. People who are at risk of homelessness will get prompt and easy access to help and advice to help prevent them becoming homeless and to remain in their own home. For those who are homeless, we will help them to find somewhere to live
Where we believe someone to be homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, they be able to complete a homeless assessment with us. We will continue to work with these clients to prevent issues escalating and provide them with a Housing Options Service so that they can continue to review their choices and secure a satisfactory housing outcome.
Our advice will be as simple and straightforward as possible and provided in accessible formats including through self-service tools for people who want to use them.
We will aim to provide service continuity by giving everyone a dedicated case worker.
Our underpinning principles
Personal
We will:
- offer personalised housing advice to those in housing need. By building up a picture of each client’s situation and suggesting appropriate solutions, our advice will be realistic with solutions aiming to be successful in the long run (‘sustainable’). It will be tailored to individual needs
- be responsive to changes in people’s circumstances
- treat people sensitively and be skilled in understanding situations
Empowering
We will aim to guide, support and encourage options while leaving the final decision-making firmly in the hands of the person it will affect the most – the client. This is so that people feel they have control over the decisions that affect them and their families. Feeling empowered can motivate people to action and bring a sense of satisfaction.
Consistent
We will provide everyone with a high quality service which is consistent with legal duties, national guidance and local policies.
Proactive
We will adopt a problem solving and outcome focused approach and our emphasis will be on people’s particular needs and the best outcome for them.
Resourceful
In some locations it will be harder to find options and some people will find it harder to access housing than others. We will use innovation, creativity and flexibility to find practical options and ways of preventing people experience acute housing need. Sometimes this may involve recommending suitable interim solutions to meet immediate needs whilst the client, with help from ourselves, work towards achieving their housing aspirations.
Responsible
Our homelessness duties are an integral part of our Housing Options service. We will:
- support the statutory rights of people who are homeless or potentially homeless by helping them achieve sustainable housing solutions whilst ensuring that public resources are used effectively and efficiently as possible and in a way that ensures statutory rights are maintained
- support people’s right to make a homeless application
Skilled staff
We will:
- support our staff, and provide them with resources, so that they have the skills, knowledge and attitudes to deliver a quality, person-centred, comprehensive service. They will have good ‘people skills’ and will be able to sensitively understand client’s needs and issues
- work towards embedding a homeless prevention culture across the organisation and with our partners
Continuous improvement
We will continuously improve our service and will support processes which will help us do this
Proactive engagement
We will:
- take a proactive approach and encourage people, including harder to reach groups, to contact or engage with us before crises occur
- work to address lower levels of need to prevent these worsening or becoming acute. (e.g. ageing or ailing home owners; private renting tenants; and those who are roofless)
Holistic service
The causes of housing need are complex and interrelated. We will:
- think and act holistically – thinking long-term towards ways in which people can successfully get and sustain their homes
- be outward facing by linking with and working together with others who can address the root causes of people’s housing need, their underlying issues and improve their opportunities (e.g. such as services who can assist with: health issues; advice about jobs, education and training to develop their skills; managing money; transitioning to independent living and developing life skills and, benefits whilst working or not)
Partnership and collaborative working
We will:
- work in partnership with services with different areas of expertise to meet needs holistically.
- actively foster successful partnership working
- link together resources from a wide range of sources to address shared problems and meet shared outcomes
- use effective referral pathways and mechanisms
Prevention and early intervention
We will help people address their immediate and underlying needs and promote and support early intervention to prevent problems escalating, later crises and homelessness and support people to continue staying in their homes successfully
Approachable and respected
We want people to:
- trust and respect us and have confidence in our advice
- continue to seek our advice at an early stage if they are facing issues again
- recommend our services to others who may be having issues. This is particularly important for people living in private tenancies or homes they own and who may be more remote from services which could help them continue living successfully in their homes
