H Grant Shapps set out a cross-Government commitment ensuring that anyone at risk of homelessness gets help at the earliest possible stage to prevent them from losing their home. Making Every Contact Count provides commitments from government on how it will stop the slide towards homelessness in its tracks and ensure there’s a strong safety net of support. Ideas include giving councils, charities, health services and the police a blueprint to work together to ensure that families and vulnerable people at risk of homelessness are offered help early, no matter who they turn to first.
It sets out the government’s commitment to helping them achieve:
- earlier support for young people, former prisoners, and patients with mental health, drug or alcohol problems
- better cross-service work between the voluntary sector, councils, health services and the justice system
- financial advice and jobseeking support through the voluntary sector, Jobcentre Plus and the work programme
- new funding mechanisms, including the government’s new payment-by-results scheme
- a new homelessness ‘gold standard’ that all local services should aim to achieve, setting the benchmark for services across the country.
Mr Shapps announced a further £3.5 million for more homelessness help and to roll out the ‘No Second Night Out initiative‘ across the country. The initiative has been extended from London to eight more areas – Manchester, Plymouth, Great Yarmouth, North Devon, Taunton, Gloucestershire, Chichester and Worcestershire.