Helping Homeless Service Users: Homeless Connect

Join the Money Guiders NI Network for an information session with Homeless Connect

About this event

This session will look at the support Homeless Connect offer to service users that are facing homelessness or in temporary accommodation through practitioners. We will learn how staff can refer to this service and the eligibility criteria to avail of it.

The first support service we will cover is The Starter Pack project that was launched in 2015. At the time, households moving from homelessness in to settled accommodation often lacked many basic household items and in many cases lacked the financial resources to be able to obtain them. This could have the effect of making the transition from homelessness more challenging and to difficulties with tenancy sustainment. The Starter Pack project was designed to ensure that households moving in to settled accommodation would have the basic household items to help them set up a new home.

Our experience in running the project has shown us that Starter packs are essential in helping to ensure a good start or even a restart after time spent without a home. This is achieved by providing essential household items to those moving into a new tenancy. This will make a house feel like a home.

The project is funded by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE)Any household moving in to a new tenancy is eligible to claim a Starter Pack as long as they have not previously received one.

The starter pack contains:

Electrical items:

Microwave, Slow Cooker, Kettle, Toaster, Iron

Bedding:

Double Duvet, Double Duvet Cover, Mattress Protector, Double Bed Sheet, Pillows (2)

Crockery & Cutlery

Set of Glasses (4), Set of Cutlery (16 piece), Dinner Set (including mugs), Saucepan Set

Miscellaneous

Ironing Board, Mop & Bucket, Hangers, 3 Bulbs (long life), Dustpan & Brush, 1 pack of Tea Towels, 1 x Bath Towel, 1 x Hand Towel, 1 x pack of Dish cloth

Homeless Connect conduct outcome reporting for the funders of this project the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) which takes place when a client is 6 months in tenancy and 1yr in tenancy. Results have found that 89-92% are still in tenancy. This helps to reduce the likelihood of future homelessness.

Homeless Connect will also cover the Getting Started Box that contains ambient food and Cleaning materials we found when starter packs were delivered to a client’s house that some did not have food in the cupboards. The packs contain: Tea, Coffee, Sugar, cereals, rice, pasta, pasta sauces, soups, tinned beans, tinned fruit, juice, long life milk and some fresh food when our sister project FareShare have it.

Bombas is an American Company who conducted a study on homeless people they found that it is very important to keep a person’s feet warm. In 2022 they donated in total over 8750 pairs of socks of socks to Homeless Connect. We put a pair of socks in each Starter Pack and they have been much appreciated by recipients.

We also look at the additional signpost support provided in the of packs from Money Helper: Getting ready for Universal Credit in Northern Ireland, Making the most of your money, Fee-free basic bank accounts and Help with the cost of living.

The content of the Starter Packs has evolved over the years and we continue to innovate and develop the Packs in accordance with the resources we have available. Our aim is to help households moving out of homelessness to thrive as they set up their new home, not merely survive.

In 2022/3 we delivered 4068 starter packs to households right across Northern Ireland.

For more information, check out our page on the Homeless Connect website-

Who is leading the session?

Kathy Henry

Learning Outcomes

Attendees will gain insight into how they where they can signpost or refer customers to appropriate sources of information who may be indicating urgent need and/or vulnerability such a risk of homelessness. This session aims to provide insight on:

• Services that support people who are homeless

• Useful approaches for supporting people who are homeless.

Who should attend?

All money guidance practitioners who are supporting service users with difficult conversations and anyone offering guidance to improve the financial wellbeing. It is for practitioners who are dealing with, or might come into contact with, members of the public who may need support around housing issues.

Links to the Money Guidance Competency Framework

This event is designed to help you improve your money guidance practice, developing skills, confidence and knowledge around a specific money related area. Everything that the Money Guiders programme offers centres around the Money Guidance Competency Framework - it's there to help you better understand the full breadth and depth of money related issues that fall outside of the regulated financial advice service sector - the things you talk to your customers about.

Accessibility

If you have accessibility requirements, please inform us when you register by emailing [email protected] and we will do our best to meet them. Participants should always remember to keep their own client and customer details confidential and not disclose personal information about them.