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Referrals and barriers to accommodation
This page examines good practice in referrals into accommodation and the barriers to achieving this.
Referral mechanisms and issues
The Homeless Link good practice in tackling rough sleeping through street outreach services report found three key areas of best practice when referring into accommodation:
Relationships with hostels – where priority rights to hostel accommodation are not present, success on placing rough sleepers often depends on the relationship between services and hostels. By developing a trusting relationship, individual outreach workers can make the referrals they need.
Advance preparation of referrals – it is very important to have accommodation available for rough sleepers when they require it. This is particularly important for entrenched rough sleepers who have been persuaded to leave the streets after intense outreach work. In some areas, services have successfully prepared referrals in advance, which are reviewed by providers, so that a rough sleeper can come in at a point that he or she is ready.
Speed of engagement – rapid access to suitable accommodation is necessary to prevent people becoming entrenched in a street lifestyle. Without early intervention, rough sleepers may develop support needs such as health problems or substance misuse. Early engagement by outreach services can be pivotal in ensuring these problems are abated.
Self-referral
Service users have stated that self-referral would be an empowering tool that would encourage their movement in to accommodation. However, outreach teams have the ability to ensure that the scarce resource of hostel bed spaces is taken by appropriate, genuine rough sleepers.
Commissioners, outreach service providers and hostel providers should examine the most appropriate procedure for accessing bed spaces and if self referral can be a part of this.
Barriers to referring
Distance to services
In rural regions, a lack of accommodation in the area can result in a person staying on the street; large distances to support services and even a lack of adequate public transport can result in lower levels of engagement. This is particularly pertinent for those accessing drug and alcohol services. Within urban settings, rough sleepers may be reluctant to access services in another part of the city especially if high transport costs are involved.
Hostels not accepting the assessments of street outreach teams
Some hostels will not accept the validity of the outreach worker’s assessment leading to delays in acceptance and duplication of activity. This duplication can be frustrating for the client and may discourage them from further engagement.
Hostels not accepting referrals late at night
The Homeless Link good practice in tackling rough sleeping through street outreach services report found that some hostels were not accepting referrals after 9 pm. Cooperation between hostels and outreach teams is crucial and good partnership agreements can facilitate the best use of local resources. When negotiating referral arrangements with accommodation providers, it is essential to consider which times that outreach workers will wish to place clients.
Night centres can be valuable in areas with medium to high levels of rough sleepers, particularly if there are high concentrations of individuals who have dropped out of the hostel system.
Checklist
Checklist for working with accommodation services
Has an audit been made of current statutory and non-statutory provision within the local authority and local area?
Is there a robust system in place that allows rough sleepers to be quickly verified and assessed to establish if they have a priority need for accommodation?
Are there details available for services which specialise in high support needs? (e.g. substance use, mental health, dual diagnosis)
Can clients with low support needs be referred to, and supported by, other forms of accommodation? (e.g. Bed and Breakfast)
Have partnership agreements been made with local hostels? Can referrals to these hostels be made in advance? Do partnership agreements accept outreach worker assessments? Can referrals be made at a later date?
Is self-referral a suitable option? How can this system be monitored to ensure only genuine rough sleepers are self-referring?
What are the distances to services? Are there good transport links to these to support clients?
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