With East Cambridgeshire setting a high standard in tackling homelessness, the District Council has been asked to host the National Practitioner for Department of Communities and Local Government’s (DCLG) Housing Gold Standard.

Steve Tong, the Practitioner for the East of England and Kent, will be based in the Housing Options team for three days a week where he will help authorities work towards the Gold Standard.  

He will also be assisting East Cambridgeshire with their goal of reaching Gold Standard status by September 2016 – a standard which is currently held by only two authorities in the UK.

The Gold Standard – funded by the DCLG - sets the bar for local homelessness services, protecting the country’s most vulnerable when they face losing their home.

Cllr Mike Rouse, Housing Service Delivery Champion at East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “During the last two years, the Housing Options team at the District Council have had a great success in preventing homelessness through new initiatives and early intervention to help our residents. The success we have seen has put us in a position where we want to be the very best and to achieve the DCLG’s Gold Standard by September 2016.
 
“When the Standard was launched the Housing Minister said it would showcase the very best services across the country and ensure that homelessness remains the last possible option. Preventing homelessness has many benefits from relieving our budget by reducing the need for emergency accommodation and reducing the disruption for families who find themselves in difficulties. With Steve Tong’s help we hope to take our Housing Service to even greater heights as we work to support our residents.”

The Gold Standard is assisted by the National Practitioner Support Service which was set up specifically following the Government’s ‘Making every contact count’ report. Its purpose is to develop and administer the framework for providing continuous improvement in front line housing services through the development and delivery of the Gold Standard Challenge.  

The challenge is a local authority, sector led, peer review scheme designed to help local authorities deliver more efficient and cost effective homelessness prevention services. The 10 Local Challenges are as follows:

• To adopt a corporate commitment to prevent homelessness which has buy in across all authority services
•  To actively work in partnership with voluntary sector and other local partners to address support, education, employment and training needs
• To offer a Housing Options prevention service to all clients including written advice
• To adopt a No Second Night Out model or an effective local alternative
• To have housing pathways agreed or in development with each key partner and client group that include appropriate accommodation and support
• To develop a suitable private rented sector offer for all client groups, including advice and support to both client and landlord
• To actively engage in preventing mortgage repossessions including through the Mortgage Rescue Scheme
• To have a homelessness strategy which sets out a proactive approach to preventing homelessness and is reviewed annually to be responsive to emerging needs.
• To not place any young person aged 16 or 17 in bed and breakfast accommodation
• To not place any families in bed and breakfast accommodation unless in an emergency and for no longer than 6 weeks.

For more information call 01353 665555 or visit: www.eastcambs.gov.uk.