Event Details

Key Speakers

	Petra Salva, Chief Executive, No Second Night Out
	Alex Bax, Chief Executive, London Pathway
	Paul Marriott, Chief Executive, DePaul UK
	Jenny Edwards, Independent Consultant, Taproot Consultancy; Former Chief Executive, Homeless Link
	Geoff Fimister, Social Policy Officer, Citizens Advice Bureau
	Mark McPherson, Director of Practice and Regions, Homeless Link

Overview

Government figures (February 2012) revealed that 2,181 people were recorded by local councils across the country as sleeping rough on any one night, up from 1,768 one year ago, with the proportion of people originating from Central and Eastern Europe rising steadily. Furthermore, homelessness in the UK has risen by 23% in the past 12 months, and London in particular faces tough challenges with 3,975 of rough sleepers being counted in the Capital, a rise of 27.4%. Research carried out for Crisis suggests cuts to housing benefit and housing budgets, alongside reforms in the Welfare Reform and Localism Bills will cause homelessness to increase further.

Tackling homelessness and rough sleeping is not just about providing homes but about dealing with the broader multitude of causes such as drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness and family breakdown. After years of stable or falling homeless numbers, 2010 marked a turning point in statistics prompting the Government to attempt to urgently address this multi-faceted problem.

With the establishment of the Ministerial Working Group, a range of Government Departments are now able to not only collaborate to better prevent rough sleeping, but more critically, to address the underlying causes of homelessness with a focus on people living on the streets and in temporary or insecure accommodation. The Group launched its first report on homelessness in July 2011; “Vision to End Rough Sleeping: No Second Night Out Nationwide”, setting out six commitments that the Government and its partners have made to deal with homelessness. Additionally, the Government has invested £400 million over four years in the Preventing Homelessness Grant to support the work of local authorities and the voluntary sector, with the Government set to allocate an extra £18.5 million in funding to local authorities to help prevent single homelessness.

This special symposium provides an opportunity to discuss the latest strategies for tackling homelessness and address underlying issues around poverty, equality and social justice. The symposium will explore models of good practice and offer a key insight into practical preventative measures and response plans.

Delegates will:

• Explore innovative solutions for tackling homelessness and rough sleeping
• Assess the impact of national and local strategies and how best to work in partnership to face current and future challenges
• Consider initiatives to support those at risk of homelessness and discuss strategies to prevent repossessions and evictions
• Assess ways in which service provision can be targeted and improved to address rough sleeping
• Discuss routes out of homelessness especially for those with complex needs

Programme

Who Should Attend?

• Local Authority Housing Officers and Managers
• Homelessness Assessment and Prevention Officers
• Central Government Departments and Agencies
• Housing Associations
• Housing Strategy Officers
• Housing Supply Officers
• Supported Housing Teams
• Tenants and Residents' Associations
• Registered Social Landlords
• Councillors
• Local planners and Consultants
• Representatives of Community Organisations
• Legal Professionals
• Local Strategic Partnerships
• Neighbourhood Renewal Teams
• Sheltered Housing Scheme Managers
• Children and Young Peoples Services
• Social Services
• Social Exclusion Officers
• Mental Health Advisors and Practitioners
• Anti-Poverty Campaigners
• Asylum Team Managers
• Welfare Rights Organisations
• NHS Trust and PCT Practitioners
• Developers and Landowners
• Regeneration and Economic Development Officers
• Sustainable Development Officers
• Regional Development Agencies
• Regulatory Bodies
• Citizens Advice Bureau
• Education Providers
• Police Service
• Equality and Diversity Practitioners
• Third Sector Representatives
• Businesses and Employers
• Academics and Researchers

“…the streets of London and our other cities are not paved with gold. Those arriving from beyond our shores to try and carve out a future in England should come with a thought-through plan to avoid the risk of sleeping on the streets. This country has some of the best homelessness services for those who become destitute in the world, but rough sleeping is still on the rise, and I want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to prevent anyone spending a second night on the street.”
— Housing Minister, February 2012

“£100 million [Empty Homes Fund] has to go a lot further than the old way of using it. We are looking for innovative schemes, using it through social enterprises, using it to train, using it to get people who are homeless off the streets. There are all sorts of ideas, we can stretch this funding a really long way, but it has got to be done intelligently”
— Housing Minister, Conservative Party Conference, October 2011