A Quality audit of the stages

Outline of section

1. Referral | 2. Introduction | 3. Assessment | 4. Housing options | 5. Resettlement planning/support planning | 6. Referral on (multi-agency working) | 7. Gearing up for change | 8. Preparation for the move | 9. The move | 10. Settling in | 11. Post move-on support | 12. Flying solo! | 13. Evaluation | 14. Safety net | And... auditing the ethos!

1. Referral

AIMS:

• To ensure the service is accessible to the client group
• To talk through with the client what the resettlement service provides
• To ensure that the client has the necessary motivation to begin the resettlement process.

QUESTIONS TO ASK:

Does the service have clear written aims and objectives?

Does the service have clear written referral criteria, procedures and allocations policies?

Are these available to all prospective referral agencies and applicants?

Does the service provide written explanations to unsuccessful applicants, giving the procedure, grounds and time scales for appeals or reapplication?

back to index

2. Introduction

AIMS:

• To welcome the client to the service
• To give out information the client needs to know immediately
• To begin the relationship on a positive footing.

QUESTIONS TO ASK:

Are there clear timescales and agendas for induction to the service?

Are clients provided with clear, written, key information, such as:

• user participation forms/complaints procedures
• equal opportunities policies/harassment policies
• what clients can expect of the service/ what is expected of them
• times, phone numbers, etc., for accessing the service (and any in-house Services)
• occupancy agreements/the tenant's guarantee
• essential Health and Safety information, such as fire procedures.
• is clients' written consent requested for any liaison with third parties, e.g. benefits, statutory agencies, etc?

back to index

3. Assessment

AIMS:

• To assess the housing and support needs of client
• To identify relevant skills the client already has
• To promote self assessment and self awareness
• To identify the best available option for the client.

QUESTIONS TO ASK:

Does the service conduct a needs assessment which identifies:

• crisis intervention: an assessment of the immediate circumstances leading to the client accessing the service
• what coping skills and support networks the client possesses
• what independent living skills the client has:

accessing services

dealing with authority and bureaucracy

benefits and budgeting,

housekeeping and hygiene

• health, including:

mental health,

sexual health

substance use

healthy diets

• activities, such as:

employment

training

education

leisure

Does the process involve the client in self assessment?

How could it?

Does the assessment take into account the client's own aspirations?

back to index

4. Housing options

AIMS

• To identify a range of move-on accommodation
• To provide a fair and accountable allocation proposal/decision.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Does the assessment include any grounds for housing priority/ barriers to rehousing?

Does the assessment include any grounds for accessing special needs housing?

Does the service give the client access to local authority, housing association and private rented sector property lists, application forms, allocations policies, etc?

Does the service encourage user involvement in the housing options?

Does the service have a move on strategy?

Does the service offer its own move on accommodation, and are there clear, accessible, written procedures for allocations?

Are the housing options chosen realistic in terms of availability, household type and needs, likely timescale, etc?

back to index

5. Resettlement planning/support planning

AIMS

• To identify/clarify goals and determine the most effective means of achieving them
• To set milestones in the process.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Does the service offer minimum standards for the frequency of planning/review meetings?

Are the outcomes of meetings recorded, including the who, when and how for any action agreed?

Does the client receive/countersign a record of the meeting? Can the client bring their own issues to the agenda? Are targets/goals that are set 'SMART'? i.e. Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timescaled

Are agendas/timescales for the following meeting set each time?

back to index

6. Referral on (multi-agency working)

AIMS

• To co-ordinate with other agencies to provide a housing and care package which meets the needs of the client
• To link the client effectively to appropriate statutory services and/or voluntary agencies.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Does the service provide access to/liaise with other statutory services, such as:

• Social services
• Community mental health teams
• Community teams for learning disabilities,
• probation service etc

Does the service provide access to/liaise with other voluntary agencies, in appropriate areas of concern?

Does the service provide joint three-way planning between the agencies and the client?

Are staff trained in the roles, responsibilities and services of other agencies?

Does the service take account of informal support networks, such as family and friends?

back to index

7. Gearing up for change

AIMS:

• To provide practical information about many issues concerned with taking on your own tenancy
• To ensure the client's interest is maintained
• To continue to work on tenancy and lifeskills
• If the client is going to receive support from someone else after the move, it is very important that there is a good hand over period where both workers meet the client and talk this through.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Does the service maintain contact/planning with the client during the waiting period?

Does the service address other support issues/client aspirations during the interim period?

Are support/action plans flexible enough to allow for changes of circumstances/relapse during the interim period?

Does the service have a good handover procedure to another worker/service?

back to index

8. Preparation for the move

AIMS

• To ensure property is ready for the move
• To ensure that there are clear boundaries around what support the housing provider will be offering, and the support from the resettlement services
• To ensure the client is ready for the move.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Does the service enable clients to plan inventories of furniture, equipment, etc.?

Are there storage arrangements/facilities?

Does the service enable clients to access assistance towards 'move-on': e.g. community care grants, the social fund, charitable sources, rent deposit schemes, decoration grants, community furniture schemes, etc?

Does the service enable clients to get best value for money e.g. company accounts, wholesale prices?

Does the service enable clients to ensure all utilities are connected, e.g. gas, electricity, water?

back to index

9. The move

AIMS

• To ensure practical support on the day
• To ensure emotional support on the day.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Does the service offer/enable the client to access practical assistance on the day?

Does the service take into account the role of statutory, voluntary, and informal support networks to offer practical and emotional support on the day?

Does the move include an 'induction' to the new property, including practicalities (meters, stop taps, smoke alarms, fuse boxes) and paperwork (tenancies, housing benefit, council tax)?

back to index

10. Settling in

AIMS

• To support the client through change in lifestyle
• To help the client start to develop new local networks
• To ensure as far as possible, that the client has other contacts in the area.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Does the service establish regular contact with the client after the move, on a tapering basis?

Does the service offer a 'crisis intervention' contact during the initial period of independence?

Does the service enable clients to develop new local networks, such as:

• Doctors, dentists, opticians - Post office, chemist, library
• Housing office, repairs, refuse
• DSS, housing benefit
• Any statutory or voluntary agencies involved - Leisure centres, sports and social clubs.

See the section on the local environment in Theory.

back to index

11. Post move-on support

AIMS

• To help develop clients' independence in their accommodation
• To provide tenancy support when problel11sarise
• To continue to develop with the client the resettlement plan/care plan.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Does the service maintain contact with the client beyond the move?

Are there minimum standards for the frequency of contact? Is contact planned, agenda-ed and recorded as per 'Resettlement planning', and 'Gearing up for change'?

Are there arrangements in place for contact in a crisis?

back to index

12. Flying solo!

AIMS

• To assess, negotiate and plan when tenancy can be maintained without support.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Are milestones set with the clients' agreement towards when the tenancy can be maintained independently? Are alternative or ongoing statutory, voluntary or informal support networks established prior to withdrawal?

Are arrangements in place for the formal notification to the housing provider of the closure of the support package from the resettlement service?

Does the withdrawal allow for changes of circumstances, failure of the tenancy, or contingency plans for support in specific areas? (See Safety Net).

back to index

13. Evaluation

AIMS

• To ensure that the client can effectively evaluate the resettlement service provided
• To ensure that the results of the evaluation informs the resettlement process.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Does the service complete a written evaluation of each client case, regardless of the outcome of the case?

Are evaluations used as a basis for reviewing the service's policies and practice?

Are clients asked to complete exit interviews, customer satisfaction surveys, etc?

Are clients' views used as the basis for reviewing the service's policies and practices?

back to index

14. Safety net

AIMS

• To provide an accessible route back into the resettlement process if tenancy fails
• If possible to deal positively with handing the tenancy back.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Does the service allow clients to re-enter at the appropriate stage of the process?

Are there any barriers to re-entry (e.g. rent arrears, tenancy breaches)? Is this information given clearly to clients? If it is possible, was the tenancy closure positively dealt with?

back to index

And... auditing the ethos!

This could be seen as a part of the evaluation, but having given it such significance at the outset, we should make it an item in its own right. Again, it's relatively easy to audit the service's ethos in theory: displays of multi-cultural images, positive images of gay men, minicom services and wheelchair access may suggest a strong commitment to Equal Opportunities, but do not give much insight into actual working practice.

More important are the views of the service users - whether through complaints and suggestions schemes, tenants' and service users' groups, exit interviews or customer satisfaction surveys.

The only real way to know is to get the answers to the questions:

• Do service users feel that the service enabled them to plan their own move, or were choices made for them?
• Do service users feel that they were treated with individual respect at all times?
• Do service users feel that their confidentiality was respected at all times?

back to top