Bristol - rough sleeping champions

Information and promotion of services have been provided through Housing Options Packs available to customers face to face or via the Bristol City Council website, including downloadable fact sheets. These provides general advice and specific advice for young people, women, and on the issues of mental health and substance misuse.

 

Housing advice for others is a triage system used in respect of new callers to quickly establish the present situation regarding homelessness, priority need and eligibility.

 

Clients will be offered an appointment for a diagnostic interview on the same day wherever possible to discuss their situation. All emergency cases who are homeless on the day will be seen on that day. During the diagnostic interview, the client's situation is discussed and a registration form is completed to identify if the client is eligible for assistance, is homeless or threatened with homelessness, or if there is reason to believe that client may have priority need. During the interview, once this is established, an assessment is made regarding whether he/she may have priority need. Advice is obtained from the Health and Housing Team when necessary. Information may also be obtained from reference sources. However each case is assessed on its merits and how the client presents is an important part of the assessment.

 

Where it is decided that there is reason to believe that the client is eligible and homeless, and has priority need, every effort will be made to prevent homelessness by prioritising him/ her for any hostel vacancies or other accommodation that may be available. Where it is possible to do so this happens on the same day or before the client becomes homeless. Where this is not possible, the case is referred to the Homelessness Team for an assessment under the Homelessness legislation. In such cases, bed and breakfast accommodation is normally provided for the client. Every effort is then made to secure hostel accommodation as soon as possible.

 

The use of external mediation services has been found to be ineffectual so mediation is carried out by internal Housing Advisers.

 

Within the Housing Advice & Options Service there is a very well established Welfare Rights and Money Advice Service (WRAMAS). Bristol City Council is currently working with them to formalise a referral system to link debt advice to the prevention of homelessness and to help sustain accommodation secured by the Pathways.