Partnership self assessment framework

The toolkit is free to download. We have also produced guidance on how to use the toolkit and how to get the most out of the process.

This self-assessment tool aims to:

• Guide local areas in assessing the strength of local partnerships to combat homelessness and rough sleeping and help to identify a series of actions to take forward
• Strengthen partnership working between people who are experiencing homelessness or facing the prospect of homelessness, local authorities, the voluntary, community and faith sectors, health and criminal justice partners, local citizens and businesses, and local political leaders
• Aid continuous improvement through regular audits of the work completed (supported by suitable and relevant evidence)

In July 2022, Homeless Link received new funding from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC). This would build upon many years of pioneering and supporting partnership approaches across England by continuing to develop and enable stronger local strategic partnerships using a partnership approach to address barriers in local systems. The Government’s new Ending Rough Sleeping for Good Strategy launched in September 2022, re-enforced this commitment. This funding included the creation and development of a new Partnership Self-Assessment Framework & Toolkit.

The Partnership Self-Assessment is an opportunity for strategic leaders to better understand local challenges and will form the basis of Local Action Plans to strengthen local collaborative working at both strategic and operational levels. Self-assessment and subsequent action planning will require input from all relevant partners to ensure it is locally driven, locally owned, and has cross-sector buy-in to encourage participation from all relevant agencies.

Good partnership working that involves experts by lived experience will lead to the delivery of better services and in turn, better services will positively impact on people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This is about taking a localised approach: by working effectively in partnership, local areas can better understand local homelessness related challenges which will enable more targeted and effective support that can be offered locally.