Effective Action

Helping local authorities and service providers to end rough sleeping.

This guidance series is designed to promote and share good practice from across the homelessness sector. It emphasises the importance of homelessness prevention and the localism agenda, and promotes innovations such as No Second Night Out and the lessons learned through Places of Change. New guidance will be published here at regular intervals.

Commissioned by DCLG and developed with the support of members to ensure it is strategically relevant and, most importantly, useful to organisations working to end homelessness.

Managing Volunteers in Homelessness Services

This guidance is for organisations that plan to recruit or want to improve the way they manage volunteers. It aims to ensure that volunteering is the best possible experience for service users, the volunteer and the organisation.

Working with refugees

Refugees have the same entitlements as UK nationals, but the process of receiving a positive decision and accessing mainstream housing and benefits can be problematic, with a high risk of homelessness. This guidance will help agencies to anticipate these issues and support clients both before and after receiving refugee status.

Removing barriers: Reducing exclusions from homelessness services

Our Survey of Needs and Provision (SNAP) 2012 suggested that projects are becoming increasingly difficult to access.This guide looks at why people are excluded from services and aims to offer solutions for commissioners and providers on how to respond more effectively to minimise unnecessary exclusion for homeless people from services.

Jobcentre Plus and support for homeless people: know the direction of travel

This revised guidance contains details of practical steps that homeless men and women and agencies supporting them can take to ensure that they get the most out of the new flexibility Jobcentre Plus has to offer.

Adopting the No Second Night Out standard

This guide is to support local authorities and their partners to develop a service offer for people new to the streets that meets the No Second Night Out standard. As well as the learning from the London Pilot we have where relevant included other examples and resources.

Providing Advice and Assistance to single homeless people

This template letter should be used by local authorities as a basis for the advice and assistance they give to single homeless people and whether they have made an application or not.

No Second Night Out - the approach for areas with low numbers

Additional guidance specifically addressing the needs of areas with low numbers of rough sleepers to adopt the No Second Night Out standard.

Guidance on the Entitlements of EEA Nationals

A summary of the entitlements available to EEA Nationals, to enable agencies to support this group to make informed decisions.

Thinking about setting up a service?

How to take a strategic approach to developing a service, from establishing need in your local context to assessing risk and practical requirements.

The Response and Offer for EEA Nationals

This guidance is to support local authorities and their partners to develop a strategic response and offer for European Economic Area Nationals who are rough sleeping.

Reconnecting Rough Sleepers

This practical guide to reconnecting rough sleepers is intended to support local authorities and their partners to develop this part of the service offer for people new to the streets with connections in another area as part of the No Second Night Out standard.

Responding to the cuts: a survival guide for frontline services

This good practice note is to share real responses and suggest solutions for homelessness services in how to respond to reduced statutory and charity funding. It is focused solely on responses for services facing SP and Homelessness Grant cuts.

No second night out: the role of day centres

<p> Day centres work with clients at all stages of housing need and, as a result, are well placed to play a crucial role in the implementation of the Government strategy Vision to End Rough Sleeping: No Second Night Out nationwide. This resource is a supplement to Homeless Link&#39;s main guidance on adopting the no second night out standard, recognising the distinctive role that day centres play.</p>

Evaluating the extent of rough sleeping

This toolkit has been developed to help local authorities, in partnership with other local agencies, to evaluate the extent of rough sleeping. It contains guidance on carrying out an estimate and a count.

Preparing for winter: a guide for day centres

A practical guide to preparing frontline services in order to manage risk and maximise engagement during cold weather, including information on healthcare, engagement, resources and service provision.

Severe Weather Emergency Protocol and extended cold weather provision

Read about good practice from across the country and see example protocols and supporting paper work to help you develop suitable responses during the cold weather period.