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Homelessness Strategy
The Homelessness Act 2002 required all Local Authorities to publish a Homelessness Strategy based on a comprehensive Review of Homelessness every five years. The Council commissioned Grant Thornton consultants to assist to undertake a comprehensive review of homelessness services and the Homeless Strategy (2003-2008) in January 2007.
The review was conducted over a four month period from March 2007 and comprised of a desk top review, direct consultation with individual stakeholders, focus, groups of service providers, and residents and two postal surveys.
In brief, the Homeless Review recommendations can be broadly summarised as follows:
· Strengthen the Council’s Homelessness and Housing Advice Team
· Introduce a housing options based approach to Homelessness
· Improve access to information on housing and support services
· Strengthen partnerships between the Homelessness and Housing Advice Service and Health, Social Care and other Advice and Support services
· Ensure that Registered Social Landlord property lettings via Wirralhomes meet the Council’s priority need groups
· Establish key Performance Indicators and targets to measure the effectiveness of services provided
· Establish a single body responsible for strategic planning of homelessness with representatives from Regeneration, Adult Social Services and Children and Young People’s Departments, Health and service providers and partners.
The findings and recommendations of the Review will inform the development of the new Wirral Homelessness Strategy (2008-2010) which will be available in July 2008. (See download - Wirral Homelessness Review).