To receive an update on homelessness in RBWM.

Tracy Hendren, Head of Housing and Environmental Health, provided an update on the homelessness and rough sleeper action plan. She said that the strategy was updated last year along with the action plan but would need to be reviewed on a regular basis. The Homeless Forum had recently had its first meeting with over 30 partner agencies being involved. The Forum was used to decide which agency would be leading on the actions in each of the priority areas. The meeting was a success and there was a positive approach to how services would be delivered. The next meeting of the Forum was due to be held in February and Tracy Hendren would be able to bring an update back to the next meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

The Rough Sleeper Pathway had been launched in December 2019, and was a three stage pathway to help people off the streets. The first stage was an initial assessment of what the needs of the individual were, the second stage was about providing intense support and accommodation, while the third stage was focussed on independent accommodation with support provided for the first six months. Tracy Hendren gave the Board some positive figures from the pathway:

·         38% of those on the pathway had got ID.

·         44% had been supported with welfare support or universal credit.

·         40% had been supported to register with primary care services.

·         45% had been supported with budget advice.

All of those on the pathway were given an initial assessment on their health and wellbeing needs.

As a result of the pathway, an alternative giving scheme had been set up in RBWM, which was designed to be a mechanism that residents could use to donate directly to organisations which help rough sleepers. Each time the scheme had been ready to launch, a new lockdown had been introduced which had proved to be challenging. There were currently window displays for the scheme at Maidenhead and Windsor libraries where residents were able to tap and donate. Four shops across the borough, in Maidenhead, Windsor, Eton and Ascot were also part of the scheme. Donations would be able to help rough sleepers with literacy, finance and budgeting advice. The income level of the scheme would be reported on a quarterly basis to the Board along with feedback from the rough sleeper pathway.

Councillors Cannon, Bond and Rayner joined the meeting.

The Chairman said that it was pleasing to see the strategy and asked how the scheme would provide evidence that it was working and had helped rough sleepers.

Tracy Hendren explained that a number of other local authorities were also part of the scheme and it was important that RBWM was providing the right level of support for rough sleepers. Shop owners were often unaware of how they could help rough sleepers, this new scheme ensured that donations would be used for the right purpose.

Councillor Stimson said that getting people back to work if they had lost their jobs was very important and that support was needed in this area. She mentioned the Kickstart scheme which had been working with the Maidenhead Chamber of Commerce to provide job opportunities for those that needed them.

Tracy Hendren said that this was something they would like to work with and that the pathway had provided support to some rough sleepers who had gone back into education or had been given job opportunities.

The Chairman passed on his thanks to Tracy and her team for all their work. He suggested that it would be good to bring this item back to the Board regularly.