Homeless services
The Homeless Services team undertakes the statutory function of preventing and relieving homelessness on behalf of the City of Wolverhampton Council. The team provide advice and support to help people to keep their home, explore other housing options, such as housing associations and the private rented sector and help customers to access the rent deposit scheme as well as the housing register.
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What the team does
The Homeless Services team advises and supports people if they are already homeless, or likely to become homeless within the next 56 days. It assesses the circumstances of those who approach the services as homeless.
The team supports customers to find safe, suitable and affordable housing as quickly as possible, by carrying out investigations in line with homeless legislation, the Homelessness Reduction Act, and the Code of Guidance and Allocations Policy.
This could be by helping customers to stay in their existing accommodation or by providing alternative housing.
The team provides advice and guidance to help customers. This may include:
- signposting or referring customers to relevant professional and/or support services who may be able to help
- negotiating with family and friends or the existing landlord so that customers can remain in their home
- liaising with other agencies in public, private and the third sector to help resolve a person’s homelessness situation
Where we are satisfied that a homeless applicant is eligible and either homeless or threatened with homelessness, we will:
- assess customer needs
- draw up a personalised housing plan based on the assessment, which identifies the necessary steps to prevent or relieve homelessness
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How this benefits customers
Homeless Services makes a significant contribution towards meeting the City of Wolverhampton Council’s statutory duties for housing, including homelessness. Its work ensures we can support some of the most vulnerable customers to avoid street homelessness and into suitable housing.
The team also works with other partners to reduce the risk of homelessness and mitigates the impact on households, other agencies and services.
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What customers can expect
We respond to customers who present as roofless, at risk of domestic abuse, violence or exploitation the same working day. We respond to new customers within two working days. We respond to ‘duty to refers’ – the rules that set out when a public authority must refer a person who is homeless or at risk of homelessness to a local housing authority – within five working days.
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How we measure success
The team records every approach to the service, including those who are not owed a homeless duty, but are given advice. All outcomes are recorded for customers, which shows most applicants owed the main housing duty are accommodated in secure and settled accommodation for at least 12 months.
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How we continue to improve
Using Power BI, we monitor our data, including the number of approaches, the number of homeless duties owed and the number of households in temporary accommodation.
These figures are used to review and sometimes change internal processes, create pathways with partner agencies when specific trends are highlighted, or particular cohorts of customers are disproportionately affected, such as the joint working with the Resettlement team at the City if Wolverhampton Council, the 16/17 year old pathway, the Duty to Refer process, referrals into AFEO.
Complaints, MP and Councillor enquiries and reviews of homeless decisions by customers are all reviewed and used for continuous learning.
Feedback from the team is welcomed and it is consulted about any changes made to processes.
The team regularly reviews changes in legislation and keeps up to date with the Code of Guidance and case law. It seeks independent legal advice from Shelter to ensure best practice.
Homeless Services Officers engage in reciprocal learning with one another to discuss complex cases and peer review each other’s cases.
Homeless Prevention Assistants shadow homeless assessments and face-to-face visits for their career development and to ensure they are fully aware of the service provided to customers, to assist them at first point of contact.
- How the team's work fits within the Consumer Standards