Support moving into Supported Housing
How we work with support agencies
We've made an agreement with support agencies working with homeless clients to help them when they're moving from street based agencies and supported accommodation in Medway.
Key partners who work with homeless people in Medway met in March 2018 to discuss good practice and guidance on how to best support those making the move into housing.
How we aim to support people moving into Supported Housing
The aim is to support clients transitioning from homelessness into supported accommodation by cooperation between agencies, including shared training where appropriate.
Guidance for agencies
The Medway Rough Sleeper task and finish group has adopted this agreement and encourages all partner agencies to work to the guidelines below.
Regular meetings and updates
Street based agencies and supported accommodation providers to meet at least twice a year to discuss any developments around client needs and changes in service.
Sharing information safely
All partners should commit to sharing information in accordance with GDPR by:
- using appropriate consent forms that are signed by clients using the service
- sharing information about clients in a safe way that helps make services accessible to everyone
Following our code
We encourage all organisations working with the homeless to be signed up to the Medway Homelessness Charter and work by its code.
Improving communication
We should commit to improving communication by encouraging supported accommodation providers to regularly send staff to street kitchens to improve communication at street level.
Supported accommodation providers should lead in communicating any discussion about reducing support from a street based agency once a client has moved into supported accommodation.
Identifying support needs
All agencies should commit to three-way meetings when clients move from the street into supported accommodation.
This involves a meeting with the client and a representative from each agency when a client is due to move to independent accommodation to identify what support they might need.
Ensuring clients are kept safe
All agencies working with vulnerable people to commit to protecting them from abuse.
They can do this by:
- having procedures in place to quickly and effectively report safeguarding concerns to the appropriate statutory bodies
- training all staff and volunteers to recognise and report these concerns
Stopping provisions
All agencies must agree to never request to stop basic provision for a particular client (unless they're the agency offering the provision).
This agreement has been signed by AMAT, Medway Street Angels, One Big Family, Pathways, Time for the Homeless, West Kent Communities, Street Angels.