Reducing evictions and abandonments: information and good practice seminar - Crewe YMCA

Thursday 27 January 2011

"I found this day extremely useful and informative"
Delegate
This free event was aimed at sharing good practice in reducing evictions and abandonment from homelessness services and was attended by 51 people representing 30 organisations across the West Midlands and North West.
 

Programme

The programme of the day was as follows. Presentations can be viewed by clicking on the relevant title.
 
10.30 - 11.00: Registration and refreshments
11.00 - 11.10: Introduction to the day - Paul Connery, North West Regional Manager, Homeless Link
11.10 - 11.30: Staying in: research into evictions and abandonment - Lisa Reed, Head of Innovation and Good Practice, Homeless Link
11.30 - 11.45: Better move-on outcomes - Gill Brown, Chief Executive, Brighter Futures
11.45 - 12.00: Reducing evictions and abandonment at Wirral Ark - Anne O'Marah and Kevin Hogan, Wirral Ark
12.00 - 12.20: Break
12.20 - 13.00: Group discussion (see flipchart for discussions)
13.00 - 13.45: Lunch
13.45 - 14.10: Practical findings from five pilot projects - Joanne Crellen, Innovations Project Manager, Homeless Link
14.10 - 14.30: Panel session
14.30: CLOSE
 

Feedback from the day

"Really useful – thanks." Delegate

Feedback from the event was very good, and included the following highlights:

  • 97% of delegates said it was a good opportunity to obtain information about reducing evictions and abandonment
  • 95% said it was good for learning about models of good practice 
  • 97% reported it was good for gaining new ideas.

Providers outlined specific changes they intend to make following the event, which include

  • Reviewing working structures and policies
  • Promoting and re-iterating the need for more positive outcomes and changing own attitude as opposed to blaming the residents
  • Changes to interaction with customers - rethink house rules
  • Training to staff – will discuss different ideas with SMT
  • Pass onto all staff; look at rules for rules sake
  • Improve service delivery and encourage staff attitude change
  • Change some work practices – make support work less formal
  • Improve our working practices – set targets and challenge attitudes.

Further support

If you would like us to hold an event in your area, please contact us.

Throughout 2011 we want to spread learning and tools as widely as possible across England in order to see a reduction in people being evicted or abandoning services. For this reason, we have put together of an offer of direct support for any homelessness service provider or commissioner who wants to reduce their levels of unplanned moves. See our offer of support here.

We have collated all of the tips, ideas, tools and guidance into a new resource: our reducing evictions and abandonment toolkit. The toolkit is aimed at both providers and commissioners, and includes resources and examples from other services to help you understand the causes of evictions and abandonment in your area and give you ideas and means to reduce them.
 
We have also created a dedicated good practice page on our website including tips for frontline workers and case studies of effective services outlining how providers and commissioners have achieved a reduction in unplanned moves.