Homelessness etc. Statisticsafter 2012
Duncan Gray & Dr. Andrew Waugh
21.03.2013
What we’ve achieved in 2012-13
•Moved homelessness statistics toquarterly reporting
•Passed our UKSA Assessment
•Establishing data sharing agreementwith SHBVN
Key Developments
Date
What happened
Spring/ Summer 2012
Housing Options impact onapplications
31st December 2012
Priority need test abolished
1st April 2013
Data needs to be in place tosupport Scottish HousingRegulator Charter Return(ARC)
30 June 2013
New support duty comesinto force
Monitoring TemporaryAccommodation
Why introduce the HL3?
Why SG got involved?
–We can clearly define data specification
–Give guidance to LAs to standardisecollection
–Calculate SHR indicators on homelessnesson a consistent basis
–Provide an automatic reporting system backto LAs
The HL3
•Three stages
–Is accommodation required?
–Was accommodation offered?
–Was accommodation taken up?
•Meeting on 12 Feb.
•Specification released following meeting.
•Voluntary but with strong incentives.
Incentives
Monitoring HousingOptions Work
Context
The History
•Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, wrote in aletter to Inside Housing this week that it is ‘simplynot credible’
•“The Committee also considers that the ScottishGovernment should consider the development of ameasurement tool for homelessness preventionwork”
•Collection is led by LA demand. A number alreadyhave systems in place..
Development
•Some questions influenced from the Englishpro forma in the P1E, but case level
•Happens upstream of homelessness.Therefore needs to sit outwith homelessnessrecording (the HL1).
•As far as possible, we want to measureoutcomes, not activity.
•Final consultation Jan/ Feb 2013.
The PREVENT1 Return
•Application Details
•Household Characteristics
•Reasons for application
•Prevention Activity
•Outcomes
Consultation - 2013
•Followed discussion in Stats User Groupin Dec 2012
•Specific questions:-
–Name of return;
–Points of detail on draft sections.
–Data interchange format.
–Need for guidance.
–Voluntary or Mandatory?
–When able to provide?
•Responses from 18 councils and 3 voluntary bodies
Consultation councils
-Name of return: No strong views
-Detail: Most had specific comments on detail.
-Format: Most CSV, some XML, [Excel!]
-Guidance: Yes, majority similar to HL1.
-Voluntary: Most would prefer mandatory.
-When: Ranges from 1 – 6 months after specfinalised. [One council – only after HL1reviewed]
Consultation: voluntary bodies
•Shelter/ SCSH [now Homeless Action Scotland (HAS)]
•Scottish Refugee Council
Shelter and HAS
–Points of detail on proforma.
–When/ what to record
Scottish Refugee Council
–More general points on homelessness andrefugees
Possible (minor) HL1 changes
•Ethnicity: Allow additional categories forconsistency with PREVENT1
•Support: Possible changes to the codesavailable for support needs questions
•Outcomes: To measure non-permanentaccommodation currently in HL2
Timetable for changes
Dataset
Changes Agreed
Go live Date
HL3
Feb 2013
Voluntary initially
Mandatory from ?
HL2
n/a
Retired from ?
PREVENT1
HSUG
15 April 2013
Voluntary initially.
Mandatory from ?
HL1
HSUG
15 April 2013
Continue as mandatory
Make changes from ?
To be agreed by HomelessnessStatistics User Group
Other Work
•Monitoring of the Scottish Welfare Fund(£33 million per annum)
•XML Data Specification at:
•Upload system to be in place by 30 June2013
The End
•www.scotland.gov.uk/homelessstats