Decision details

For Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) to enter into a contract with Cheltenham Borough Homes (CBH) to pilot a new initiative (up to 31st March 2022) that offers a bespoke, trauma-informed approach to support former rough sleepers to sustain tenancies within CBC’s housing led accommodation through developing a better understanding of past life experiences and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

CBH are currently accommodating 6 entrenched rough sleepers with complex needs in CBC-owned accommodation as part of a new Housing-led approach and are keen to explore additional ways to bring about more successful engagement with the clients placed in this accommodation.

This approach provides people with self-contained accommodation with wrap-around support provided by P3 via a jointly commissioned enhanced housing support service.

It is believed that the root cause of some of the behaviours exhibited by entrenched rough sleepers result from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). This understanding can be used to focus support on increasing resilience and improving life outcomes (including tenancy sustainability) to pilot a new initiative provided by CBH that offers a bespoke, trauma-informed approach to better understand the past life experiences of rough sleepers.

This initiative will provide additional intensive support to clients who are entrenched in rough sleeping and are not engaging with the current support offered, and will help broker possible bespoke solutions and pathways. This will be in addition to the housing management provided by the CBH tenancy teams, and will complement the support already being provided by P3.

This project will also provide an opportunity to develop new partnerships for the benefit of the individuals engaged in this project.

All cases will be regularly reviewed on a monthly basis to not only understand the progress made but also to understand the cases that have not worked out, and why. The outcomes and qualitative information arising from this pilot will help to inform future commissioning decisions.

Funding of £18,108.99 is required for this project. This funding will come from MHCLG’s windfall payment to CBC of £60k which is to be used specifically for rough sleepers, and which must be spent by 31st March 2022. It represents the remaining, unallocated element of this windfall funding.

This work also supports a key outcome of Cheltenham Borough Council’s housing, homelessness and rough sleeping strategy 2018-2023 to tackle homelessness and to undertake activities to reduce rough sleeping.

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