Rough Sleeping Estimates 2020 Verifiers Training Welcome! We will - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Rough Sleeping Estimates 2020 Verifiers Training Welcome! We will start just after 2pm Your microphones are muted and cameras off Please change your Chat panel to All panelists and attendees Lets end homelessness together
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Welcome! We will start just after 2pm Your microphones are muted and cameras off Please change your Chat panel to ‘All panelists and attendees’
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Bianca Claydon, Homeless Link
…and why are Homeless Link involved?
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the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) to support Local Authorities across England to collate data on the number and demographics of people sleeping rough on a ‘typical’ night.
Oct - 30th Nov
all Local Authorities across England carry out their approach in accordance with the guidance
publish/share them until MHCLG do – around Feb 2021
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https://www.homeless.org.uk/facts/homelessness-in-numbers/how-many-people-sleep-rough-in-england
There are three approaches to choose from:
➢ LAs choose the approach to fit the local geographical context ➢ The chosen process should most accurately reflect rough sleeping in their area ➢ All count-based estimates are verified, in person, by a Homeless Link verifier
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In order to be verified by Homeless Link, at least
collection of rough sleeping figures.
✓ Community groups ✓ Faith groups ✓ Soup kitchens ✓ Volunteers from the public
An independent partner would be someone who is not commissioned or funded by the local authority.
Independent partners: Not an independent partner:
Police Statutory organisations MHCLG The Homeless Link Verifier Outreach team (if commissioned by the local authority)
Where the approach involves no independent partners , or only those that are part of / commissioned by the local authority, Homeless Link will not be able to verify the process.
www.homeless.org.uk Let’s end homelessness together People sleeping, about to bed down (sitting on/in or standing next to their bedding)
(such as on the streets, in tents, doorways, parks, bus shelters or encampments). People in buildings or other places not designed for habitation (such as stairwells, barns, sheds, car parks, cars, derelict boats, stations, or “bashes”).
Definition since 2010
www.homeless.org.uk Let’s end homelessness together People who are: ➢ in hostels, shelters, squats, campsites, Traveller sites, organised protest sites ➢ sofa surfing ➢ sleeping on public transport ➢ sleeping in locations not visible during a count-based estimate ➢ known to sleep rough sometimes, but not seen/known to have bedded down on that night The purpose is to record a single night snapshot. Not all forms of homelessness are included. Not every individual seen by services during Oct-Nov will be included.
…and who are the verifiers?
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and check that people counting have followed the published guidance
remotely by Homeless Link
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are in line with the aims and mission of Homeless Link
unable to attend due to a serious unforeseen circumstance, inform the Local Authority and Homeless Link at the earliest possible opportunity
sleeping sites, resulting in a less accurate final figure
You must read and follow the Code of Conduct
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▪ The pandemic has affected the way we work ▪ Our guidance draws on the latest government advice at the time of writing. If this changes, new advice will take precedence ▪ Everyone must follow the general infection control principles to help prevent the spread of the virus ▪ Smaller teams during the count: 2-3 per team Reasons counts may be unable to go ahead: ➢ A number of volunteers have to self-isolate ➢ Lockdowns ➢ Staff sickness ➢ Staff isolation
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▪ People housed in COVID-19 emergency accommodation (Everyone In), will not be counted in the snapshot estimate ▪ This data is being captured elsewhere by local authorities and MHCLG
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Please make sure that you…
www.homeless.org.uk Let’s end homelessness together 1. Know who the Count Coordinator is and contact them a few weeks in advance to confirm your attendance and contact details for the night 2. Remind the Coordinator that you need to be back at base ahead of the counting teams 3. Check in advance that they are involving at least one independent partner 4. Read the key documents in the Rough Sleeping Estimates Toolkit 2020 5. Double check details – date (night of into morning of), time, meeting point, travel arrangements 6. If verifying away from your local area – book accommodation/travel 7. Ensure you are familiar with the social distancing and self isolation guidance prior to the count. You should not attend the count if you are displaying any COVID-19 symptoms.
By phone, ask:
www.homeless.org.uk Let’s end homelessness together 1. Who did the LA approach for intelligence and information on rough sleeping hotspots and choosing the night of the count? 2. How has the Coordinator decided which areas to cover? 3. What has been done around intelligence and access relating to areas that are difficult
4. What has been put in place to respond to rough sleeping on the night (e.g. access to a hub, B&B, other accommodation)? If not available, what is the plan for support or if they find someone who wants help? 5. Have there been any incidents or any activity (on the part of the Police, voluntary sector or local authority) that might affect the final figure?
To discuss with the Count Coordinator:
www.homeless.org.uk Let’s end homelessness together 1. Does the briefing to counters include a health & safety briefing and the definition of rough sleeping? Does the briefing discuss COVID-19 related adjustments and risk management actions 2. Does the briefing include clear messages about whether to wake people, if accommodation is available, how to count people in tents, what to do with under-18s? 3. What safety considerations are there? (e.g. use of mobile phones, clear instructions to counters, organisation of count teams, check-ins during the count, communication with the police) 4. Is the Coordinator clear that, if rough sleepers are supported with any intervention on the night of the count, they will still be counted as bedded down and recorded within the single figure?
Please arrive promptly, they should not begin without you!
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to count base early
might be asked to clarify points from the guidance e.g. tents, waking people
counters.
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staff leading each team, reading the map and identifying potential sleep sites
Rough Sleeping Count Form
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❑ Did they make any decisions not to count anywhere e.g. due to safety concerns? ❑ Were there any issues identifying people sleeping rough? ❑ Were there any incidents or activity that might have changed patterns of rough sleeping? ❑ Were the safety guidelines followed? ❑ Was the figure what they were expecting?
if not possible, what the next steps will be (e.g. they will check potential duplicates and then confirm the number)
back from the count e.g. taxi to home/hotel. You must confirm this in advance.
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LA was in on the ‘typical’ night
project manager
the count: verifiers@homelesslink.org.uk
count itself not being in accordance with the guidance, or about the single figure, record this on the Count Verification Form and contact me
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base
If they are not providing transport and cannot arrange a lift, Homeless Link will reimburse your travel but you might need to take taxi fare for the night
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relevant software (Microsoft, Teams, Zoom, or Skype)
influence the meeting
form
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unsure or disagree
definition or to ensure that decisions are led by evidence
verifiers@homelesslink.org.uk
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www.homeless.org.uk Let’s end homelessness together A group of counters return and report a row of tents in their patch. They have included 5 people on their form because they spoke to them a few times earlier in the week. They didn’t make contact with people in the tents during the count because they were worried one person might become aggressive. ➢ Tents cannot be counted as a proxy for people ➢ Information gathered outside the count can’t be used in place of seeing, or making contact with, people on the night ➢ People in tents don’t have to be seen but they must speak to the counting team in
➢ If the team knew that there was a safety risk, this should have informed the choice
have been appropriate if there was clear evidence who was in the tent but it wouldn’t be safe to make contact during the night.
www.homeless.org.uk Let’s end homelessness together All count teams are back at the base and forms have been reviewed. One of the counters goes home, and calls shortly after to say they have seen 2 more people bedded down who weren’t there earlier during the count. ➢ The count has to have a finish time ➢ The extra 2 people can’t be included as the count has ended ➢ The people might already have been included in the count at a different site ➢ It may be that the count started too early if people were not yet bedded down
www.homeless.org.uk Let’s end homelessness together A group of counters return from their patch, including members of the local
any rough sleepers on the patch. The outreach team, who are familiar with the area, expected to see one particular client at his regular site. The outreach team ask if they can go
rough sleeper has bedded down. ➢ The count team could go out again to revisit the sleep site if they are able to return before the last count group return ➢ Remind the counters that unless an individual is seen bedded down they cannot be counted ➢ Has there been any pre-count activity e.g. by police or street cleaning moving rough sleepers on or clearing sleeping sites? ➢ Recommend that next year’s count is conducted at a different time, perhaps later to give a better chance of counting people when bedded down (e.g. 2-4am)
www.homeless.org.uk Let’s end homelessness together A count team return and say that they found an individual sleeping in his car. He told them that he had an argument with his partner and would return home the next morning. You are asked whether the individual should be counted. ➢ The rough sleeping definition includes people in cars ➢ Even if he is only there for one night, he was found to be rough sleeping
➢ Include the individual in the final figure
www.homeless.org.uk Let’s end homelessness together A individual identified during the estimate meeting is found to hold a current tenancy. ➢ Look at what evidence there is to suggest that the individual was rough sleeping rather than in their property on the night of the estimate. Were seen bedded down? Were they with known associates/friends? ➢ If the individual was seen bedded down on the night of the estimate they should be included in the final estimate figure. ➢ Check the definition of rough sleeping and take into account the time they were seen as they might be involved in street activity but not sleeping rough
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Individuals have been housed in this style of accommodation. A partner agency asks if these individuals should be counted towards the snapshot figure. ➢ These individuals will not be counted towards the final snapshot figure ➢ Only those individuals found rough sleeping on the ‘typical’ night or those individuals thought to be rough sleeping will be counted towards the final figure ➢ This information is collected separately.
www.homeless.org.uk Let’s end homelessness together You notice mild symptoms that could be COVID-19. You are unsure if you have COVID-19
You are unsure if you are still able to attend the count but you want to be able to verify the count. ➢ You must not attend the count, even if symptoms are mild ➢ Instead, you must follow Govt guidance
➢ You must also follow Govt guidance on testing ➢ Please notify verifiers@homelesslink.org.uk as soon as you are aware of symptoms as we may be able to rearrange another Verifier to attend the count instead
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