1. BY Beck Associates Limited
November 2012
LATCH ; PUNCHING ABOVE
THEIR WEIGHT
A report for the for the City Bridge Trust
The report will identify that there is a significant amount of benefit that accrues by
the ongoing collaboration between the LATCH service and many other
homeless/housing organisations.
The report will outline and quantify the added value and the savings made to
Bromley Council and wider society as a result of this collaboration. The
investigation will concentrate on individual life costing calculations of those clients
in receipt of state funded accommodation and benefit and through time/efficiency
savings in the resource of other housing professionals.
The report will highlight how the LATCH office acts as a support centre not just for
dispossessed and vulnerable young people but also for other housing and social
organisations within the London Borough of Bromley and suggest areas for
business development and improvement – investigating whether the LATCH model
could also be implemented by other London Boroughs and organisations such as
Churches Together.
A key area of focus will be what would happen if the LATCH service disappeared.

2. 12/3/2012
LATCH ; PUNCHING ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT
A report for the for the City Bridge Trust
1. Introduction and Scope
2. Provisional Analysis
• Local Provision – Bromley
• National Provision – London Boroughs
3. Outline of the Service
• Benefits and advantages
• Costs – social and other
• Intangible benefits and costs
• Case Studies
4. Summary
5. Conclusion and Recommendation
• Benefits of Social Investment & Social Impact
• Social Investment Model
• Social Return on Investment (SROI)
• Wider impact and outcomes on society at local
and national level
• Human cost and benefits
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• Economic and financial outcomes
• Intangible Benefits
1. Introduction and Scope
Of the 40,020 homeless households in priority need that are accepted by
local authorities in England in 2009-10, 39% or 15,520 were young people
aged between 16 and 24.1
Other agencies report the number of young
people as a much higher figure if the whole of the United Kingdom is taken
into account;
“80,000 young people a year experience homelessness in the UK every
year”.2
Indeed, in a major review of youth homelessness in 2008 the Joseph
Rowntree Foundation found that an annual total of around 75,000 people
aged between 16 and 24 experienced some form of homelessness. This
equates to around almost 1 out of a 100 of all young people in the UK.3
Bromley Churches Housing Action (BCHA) is a registered charity set up in
1988 to provide accommodation for young and vulnerable single homeless
people aged between 16 and 25 within the London Borough of Bromley.
Under the LATCH (Living Amicably Together in Caring Home) Project
which began in 1996 the charity seeks to match homeless clients who are
1
Statistics on Homeless Young People, A summary of key facts and figures, Homeless Link,
January 2011
2
From the Centrepoint web site
3
For further details please see: www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/2220-homelessness-young-
people.pdf
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young, single and vulnerable with ordinary householders who have a spare
bedroom and who are willing to offer this room to accommodate the client.
Referrals to the LATCH project are made from a extensive range of
organizations and as a consequence the project has strong collaborative
links with the following groups; Langley Park School for Girls, JusB,
Community Link, Housing Benefit Department for Bromley Borough
Council, Streetwise, The Salvation Army, The Citizen’s Advice Bureau,
Bromley Y, Bromley Job Centre Plus, Bromley Youth Offenders Team,
Orpington Foodbank and the Homeless Person’s Unit.
The staff of the LATCH Project provides ongoing support to the client base
(the young homeless people) and the host base (the family or individual
who provide the spare room). Risk and need assessments are carried out
by staff and an Individual Support Plan is drawn up for each client in order
to assist them in finding employment, entering further education, acquiring
life skills and finally moving into permanent independent living
accommodation. The original remit of the Project was to simply find
accommodation for clients; all other outcomes are added value and have
evolved over the years.
The scope of this project will be defined by the overall activities of the
LATCH organization and it will illustrate what is accomplished by LATCH,
how much this costs and how much time and money the project is saving
the wider society by positively intervening in these young homeless
people’s lives. In order to do this two separate case studies will be
investigated and the successful outcomes of the project will be reported
and investigated in detail.
2. Provisional Analysis
Local Provision within the London Borough of Bromley
The Borough of Bromley is the largest of the 33 London Boroughs, situated
in the south east of the capital with a recorded population of 301,900
(2007).
In March 2007, there were 132,747 dwellings in the borough. Of those,
16,261 were housing association and 116,486 (87%) were owner/occupier
or private rented.
The supply of affordable social housing available to let has steadily
declined over the last few years and has contributed to the unmet
homeless demand figures. Homelessness derives both from an inadequate
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supply of social housing but often reflects wider issues, for example, when
people face inherent or complex social and financial problems that make it
difficult for them to sustain their accommodation.
Interestingly one of Bromley’s key objectives in developing their
homelessness strategy is “continuing and developing the partnership
working to remove the barriers that exist to ensure that there are clear
pathways for people in housing need”. This offers clear encouragement to
schemes similar to LATCH to work in partnership with the Council in order
to solve the problems of a lack of social housing. Indeed a list of the
council’s key partners in housing and homelessness makes for extensive
reading although it needs to be pointed out that LATCH shares many of
these partners :-
• Federation of Bromley Housing Associations
• Specialist housing and support providers
• Private sector housing providers including landlords and letting agents
• Bromley Women’s Aid
• Supporting People
• Police and Probation Services
• Oxleas NHS Trust and Bromley Primary Care Trust
• Local solicitors
• Streetwise Law centre
• Bromley Churches Housing Action
• Local advocacy groups
• Citizens Advice Bureau
• LATCH Project
• iPAD
• Bromley Mind
• Shelter
• Community drug and alcohol services including the Drug Action Team
• Homelessness Directorate within the Department for Communities and
Local
• Government
• Environmental health and Trading Standards
• Community Safety Partnership
• South East London Housing Partnership
• Outmates
• Domestic Violence Forum
• Schools and Education
As the Council puts it in their own words “The continuity and development
of such partnerships are fundamental to the delivery of the Homelessness
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Strategy objectives.” This report will not attempt to compare the services
offered by the LATCH project with the services offered by the Council’s
extensive list of partners, suffice to note that the LATCH project has a wide
variety of allies and competitors.
The six strategic themes of the Council’s plan to tackle homelessness are:-
1. Prevention of homelessness through accessible and innovative
services, giving effective, timely housing advice and support to allow
people to maintain their accommodation.
2. Supporting vulnerable people through effective assessment and co-
ordinated decision making, offering more choice to independent living
through suitable housing options
3. Reduction of homelessness through proactive partnership working,
developing the range of solutions and promoting opportunities for
people in housing need
4. Reducing the use of temporary accommodation through increasing
the opportunity to access other housing sectors
5. Improve the access, availability and quality of housing across all
tenures and types, for people in housing need
6. Increasing life opportunities and promoting independence for
people in housing need by improving support and access to health,
education and employment
This report will aim to show amongst other things that the LATCH project is
supporting each one of the Council’s strategic themes and that the
disappearance of the project would reduce the impact of the Council’s
strategy.
Indeed Wendy Norman who is the Contracts and Compliance Manager for
the Borough of Bromley’s commissioning division says in reference to the
LATCH project in 2012 “The LATCH project continues to offer a high
quality service which is well thought of by young people, their carer’s and
relatives”.
National Provision
Housing Associations are the main providers of affordable housing in the
country providing 2.5 million homes for 5 million people and building more
than 43,000 homes in 2011-12. They are independent, not for profit social
businesses that provide both homes and support people in housing need,
as well as key community services.
However for young and vulnerable people who have little life experience
the whole process of applying to go on to a housing association waiting list
is daunting, the paperwork is complicated and more often than not
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homeless families rather than homeless single young people are prioritised
to the top of the waiting lists.
Faith in affordable housing is a free web based service which gives
practical and technical information to assist churches in providing
affordable housing. The service assists churches in renovating or
developing their properties and changing the use to affordable
accommodation, whilst praiseworthy and innovative the scheme has no
specific aim to help young and vulnerable people.
Centrepoint Mentoring Programme, Centrepoint’s nationally recognised
mentoring programme for homeless young people was established in
2010. In the first two years, 128 of the people Centrepoint works with
accessed the scheme. Their volunteer mentors work one to one with
young people, empowering them to raise their aspirations, build their
confidence and improve their motivation. 5 key areas are worked on with
clients by the mentors; learning, work, health, home and engagement.
The homeless bound booklet produced by the National Housing Federation
sums up the national picture succinctly;
“The social and financial costs of homelessness are well documented. It is
estimated that the UK spends £1 billion a year to prevent and deal with
homelessness, including bed and breakfast accommodation, leased and
hostel accommodation, general administration and welfare. The cost to the
health services from rough sleeping is particularly acute. Working together
to tackle homelessness is therefore not just a social imperative but an
economic one; in a time of austerity and limited resources it is more
pressing than ever to invest in preventative services rather than allowing
problems to escalate.”
The booklet goes on to say “a perfect storm may be brewing for authorities
inside and outside the capital seeking to accommodation homeless
households.” 4
East Thames Group5
runs the biggest foyer in the country and provides
services mainly for young people. The unit opened in 2009 and they have
116 units. Their slogan is “from Dependence to Independence” and the
scheme prides itself on helping young people to become a contributing
citizen. They outline the main problems of young people as being caught
in a vicious circle of depravity, lack of educational and training opportunity
and chaotic lives. Since April 2012 the project has helped 239 young
people into work at an estimated saving to the State of £552,500.
4
Both quotes from Homeless bound? , The National Housing Federation, London, 2012 pp
28-29
5
http://www.east-thames.co.uk/barking-foyer
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One of the key negative factors surrounding Foyers is that they are
expensive to run. As we will see later in this report the average cost of
provision of foyer accommodation in West Sussex is £130 per night or
£910 per week. Compared to the costs attached to providing
accommodation via the LATCH project (£110 per week plus a relatively
small management/administration cost) this is an extremely large amount
of money. Unlike the LATCH project foyer schemes do not always provide
moving on support. The LATCH office, made up of xx staff are on hand to
provide further support and assistance once the client has moved on to a
positive outcome. The continuation of this floating support has been
important to the success of the project and contributed intangible benefits
such as goodwill.
A further issue surrounding foyer provision is that the living environment
can create high future expectations and make it more difficult for clients to
move on to independent living, whereas those clients who have been
placed with host families will often develop life skills more quickly to help
them break away from dependency. The LATCH model does not foster
dependency in any way, rather it uses empowerment to ensure that young
people can begin to determine their own future and independence.
The cost of placing and administering clients within LATCH is borne by the
project, which receives funding and support from a number of sources
including; local churches, individual donations, fundraising, charitable trusts
and funding from Bromley Borough Council.
What is clear from looking at areas of national provision of housing for
young and vulnerable people is that organisations and service providers
are keen to promote themselves through their ability to define cost savings
to central government. In order to box clever and follow trends in best
practice the LATCH project needs to do the same. This report will quantify
what savings and wider socio-economic contributions both tangible and
intangible the scheme has made to society.
Nightstop is the provision of emergency accommodation specifically for
single homeless 16-25 year olds in the homes of approved volunteers. The
host offers a bed for the night, meals, an opportunity for the young person
to bath and wash their clothes and a friendly listening ear. The approach is
intended to keep the young person in a safe and friendly environment
whilst allowing agencies time to look at the alternatives available to the
young person or maybe even to use mediation services to help them to
return to family where this is appropriate. This is a short-term and solution
focused approach that could offer the possibility of being expanded to other
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age and client groups. Nightstops are currently administered by Depaul
UK .
West Sussex County Council commission the YMCA to operate a
Nightstop and 4 week long stays are used in order to assess the needs of
young clients before alternative accommodation is investigated.
Provision of support for young and vulnerable homeless people in West
Sussex is dominated by the YMCA who recently won a new tender for joint
provision. The main difficulty faced by the County is its geographic size
and make up; it is divided in 6 districts and 1 Borough.
The Stoneham Phoenix project in Worthing offers 14 spaces for young and
vulnerable people aged between 16 and 25. Placements are arranged
through the Housing Services department of Worthing Borough Council.
There are two buildings which are provided with 24 hour a day cover by 4
full time and 4 part time staff. An extension to this project provides a
service similar to LATCH by offering places for a maximum of 5 young
people with host families in the Worthing area.
A problem that would face the further development of a LATCH type
scheme in many areas of West Sussex is the number of deprived areas in
the County and the proportionately low percentage of home owner
occupiers in these areas.
A further issue is the varying levels of housing benefit in the county which
range from £68 to £78 per week with the average cost of a rented room in
a shared house running at £100 per week. Although the County has
almost stopped using bed and breakfast accommodation the costs
associated with other forms of provision such as Foyers (£130 per night)
are high. However if a LATCH type scheme were to move into West
Sussex the County Council would look how to work together with the
scheme and there would also be a possibility of the Council commissioning
the service.
The Jericho Road Project is a project that provides services for homeless
people both old and young. The project is run through Kings Church in
Catford Hill and is rooted in the declarations of Isaiah 61 and God’s love of
each person. Since 2004 the project has operated low support houses for
those people who are ready to move to a more settled way of life.
Their housing provides accommodation and support for 26 people within 6
houses. Rough sleepers, the homeless, ex-offenders and those coming
out of substance abuse rehab and those with mental health issues are all
catered for. Each resident has a Personal Support Plan and a designated
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key worker who they meet with on a weekly basis to discuss employment,
health, relationships and spiritual matters.
Rent is deliberately kept at a reasonable level in order to encourage
residents to seek employment. Training opportunities are also provided to
all residents and include basic food hygiene and first aid.
There would be high value in direct collaboration with this project in order
for the LATCH project to share its SROI findings. In 2010 similar numbers
of clients have been assisted by each project. It would also provide an
opportunity for LATCH to look at the lessons that the Jericho project has
learned and take on board any areas of best practice that have been
developed. If the intention is for the LATCH project to move into the role of
commissioning work or directly provide supported housing, then a close
working relationship and knowledge of this project could prove to be
invaluable.
3. Outline of the Service
Benefits and Advantages
Funding for the LATCH project has remained fairly steady over the past 10
years however the value being added has increased dramatically. Over
the past 20 years the impact of the project has grown steadily and this
report will aim to illustrate how this is accounted for on a local and national
level. When the project first began the objective was to provide a room for
young and vulnerable people between the ages of 18 and 25 by matching
young clients with host families. The project also has the aim of meeting
London Borough of Bromley contract objectives by finding accommodation
and providing support to 16 and 17 year olds referred by the Support and
Resettlement Team of the Council’s Housing Division.
There is a raft of areas where extra business value has been added by the
project and these include:-
• The LATCH office acts as an advisory centre
• Personal development takes place for clients and hosts
• A mentoring scheme and training is in place for clients
• Employment agency
• Referral agency
• Information Repository
• Integration and collaboration with local community i.e. schools and
prisons
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In 2010 122 young and vulnerable people were referred to LATCH from a
number of sources including the local authority, colleges and Citizens
Advice bureaus of these 39 were eligible for the project and were
successfully placed with host families. The youngest client was 16 and
the oldest 24. There were 30 host families at the start of the year with a
further 18 recruited during the year, unfortunately 16 host families left the
scheme, often due to the host family moving out of the Borough. The
support network that is provided to clients cannot be underestimated and
as this has developed over the years it has enabled young people to feel
as though they belong to society and can make positive contributions both
to their own lives and to the lives of others.
At the close of 2010 there were 26 clients in placements with host families
around Bromley. 10 were studying at college, 7 were claiming job seekers
allowance and actively looking for work from a position of stability, 2 were
at university, 6 were working and 1 was at sixth form college.6
I am waiting for confirmation of the stats for 2011 and once received they
will be included here.
A piece of work carried out by Oxford Economics attempts to clarify the
Social Return on Investment for the effects of direct intervention and
support or “outcomes” (This is sometimes referred to as the ‘shadow price'
or 'monetarization') for young people. This data gives the anticipated
savings to society as a whole and also to the Exchequer (government
coffers) as a result of positive changes made in the lives of young people.7
The categories that the LATCH clients fall into are people into
education/training, people into employment and people into independent
living. It has also been assumed that all the clients also fit into the stability
of housing situation category.
It is not the intention of this report to comment on the reliability or
provenance of the Oxford Economics figures or data sets. The figures
have been used in order to give an estimated benefit assessment to
successful outcomes of the LATCH project.
As can be seen from table 1.0 below in 2010 there is a considerable
benefit to society as a whole and to the Exchequer from successful
LATCH outcomes. The 7 people who were claiming job seekers
6
All figures used here are taken from the LATCH Annual Report 2011
7
The figures for the calculations in the table have been taken from research undertaken by
Oxford Economics on behalf of Crisis and outcomes associated with their Crisis Skylight
services. The document can be found at
http://investors.crisis.org.uk/files/xls/sroi_calculation_2011_Actual.xls further information
about Oxford Economics at Oxford Economics
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allowance from the 26 clients have been excluded from the savings table
in order that the figures represent only positive outcomes. The same 7
people have however been included in the benefit totals for those who
have gained a stability of housing situation.
It has been assumed that those LATCH clients involved in education will
also fit into the “gained an accredited qualification” category.
In summary the overall benefit gained by 19 LATCH clients is £232,056, or
£12,214 per person. If gained stability of housing situation category is
taken into account the overall gained benefit of 26 clients increases by an
additional £1,365,260. The estimated cost of housing provision per
person is calculated at £52,510 using the Oxford Economics data. This
gives a total overall benefit to society and the Exchequer of £1,597,316.
The table also illustrates the areas of estimated costs to society in the
areas of violence, crime, drug and alcohol treatments and acute mental
health problems and for the purposes of this report it has been assumed
that if they did not have a stable housing environment then at least 12% of
the LATCH clients would have a call on the services provided in the above
categories.
Crisis used their own figures and research to determine that 52% of
homeless people are victims of violence during the course of 2011. In the
table I have however urged on the side of caution by using a 12%
estimate for LATCH clients. The assumption here is that if 3 clients had
not been involved with LATCH then the minimum potential cost of
treatment and services is estimated at £89,631 during 2011-12.
Steph please insert table 1 at this point
I am waiting for confirmation of the stats for 2011 and once received my
analysis will appear here. Leave space.
Steph please insert table 2 at this point
Peter Shaman who is currently fund raising for a project to provide
housing for ex-offenders estimates that the cost to society in related costs
for a homeless person is £40,000 per year. If this figure was applied to
the 26 LATCH clients then the overall cost to society in 2010 would be
£1,040,000 which is a difference of £325,260 from the estimated yearly
costs of providing a stable housing situation as calculated by using the
Oxford Economics data which is calculated at £52,510 per person.
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Whether we use the figure of £52,510 taken from the Oxford Economics
data or the estimate of £40,000 used by Peter Shaman is a moot point.
What is clear is that if the service provided by LATCH disappeared there
would be a hugely significant cost to society and the Exchequer in terms
of housing and service provision (including health and public protection)
that was previously covered by the work of the project.
If LATCH was to expand its service and offer support to more clients then
the savings to society and the Exchequer would increase – this is clear to
see from the figures above.
It is presently beyond the scope of this report provide analysis of data prior
to 2010 in terms of SROI. A recommendation is that a more detailed
study of the Oxford Economics data and calculations is carried out to
establish whole life project savings and benefits.
Opportunities for the future of the LATCH project
In a survey of services and local authorities by homeless link in December
2011 more than 70% of local authorities said that they had no shared
accommodation private sector provision for young people, despite this
being the only option for young people on housing benefit. 8
LATCH should be thinking of innovative solutions to this desperate lack of
availability in the private sector. In January 2012 the Mayor of London
refreshed the 2010 London housing strategy in light of significant
challenges and changes for London’s housing across all sectors. The
Chartered Institute of Housing reviewed this revision and note that “The
Mayor is keen to encourage communities to become involved in building
their own homes”9
The under occupation of social housing could offer a route for potential
young people as clients. In collaboration with the local authority LATCH as
service provider, could make referrals and a single accommodation rate
could be claimed by the young person.
In 2010 a public relations and marketing expert joined the LATCH project
team. The logos and branding of the project have already been
transformed and the corporate image enhanced. By increasing exposure
it is clear that the reputation of the project will grow. The investigation of a
8
Young and Homeless – A Survey of Services and Local Authorities, Homeless Link,
December 2011.
9
London housing strategy briefing, Chartered Institute of Housing, January 2012, p.10
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more defined internet presence for the project should in the next year be a
prime consideration for the team. The use and power of social media for
communications and marketing activity should be fully explored via the
use of blogs, Facebook and Twitter. The project would also benefit greatly
by having a professional presence on Linked-In, the networking web site
for business professionals.
LATCH workshops have been held recently by the public relations and
marketing expert to discuss areas of business development and service
improvement. The assessment of project outputs and user satisfaction
surveys were areas that were identified as improvement areas and these
were discussed at a recent LATCH board meeting (June 2012). This area
of improvement should be implemented as soon as possible in order to
capture information and opinions from clients in order that response can
be made. A review should also be undertaken of project outputs and what
value has been added by each output.
SMART advertising campaigns have already been used and investigated
by the project team including the use of advertising panels on London
Buses and a cinema advertisement using Pearl and Dean.
In the current economic climate many charities are facing hard times and
the team is constantly on the search for organizations to collaborate with.
This kind of joined up working cannot be underestimated due to the fact
that collaboration, if managed appropriately, can drive down operating
costs and in some cases bring economies of scale. Joint advertising with
sponsors could be an area worth investigating further.
There may be opportunity for Bromley Churches Housing Association to
develop homes with another housing association and for some of this
provision to be tailored towards young vulnerable people. It may be
possible to develop a similar scheme as already mentioned in this report
which is being run by Housing Justice. A scheme in Alnwick,
Northumberland was completed when the old church and hall needed
renovation. The church was modernized and nine affordable houses were
built on church land that now provides a rental income for the church. If
churches are able to work in collaboration with local authorities and
service providers then many more opportunities of this nature certainly
exist.
For the LATCH project to really be taken notice of and to enhance its
reputation and position the project as a potential commissioning agent, a
demonstration of saving money for the local Borough Council and wider
society needs to be demonstrated. As we have already seen the project
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draws its income from a number of sources including; local churches,
individual donations, fundraising, charitable trusts and funding from
Bromley Borough Council. It would be wise to assume that in future years
the funding made available by the Borough Council will decrease. It is
therefore important that LATCH begins to further increase income from all
possible remaining sources and champions the costs advantages of
housing young people with host families, rather than using more
expensive provision such as foyers, night stops or bed and breakfast
accommodation.
Centrepoint have made clear their concerns regarding the impact that the
introduction of Universal Credit is likely to have in 2013. With specific
concern surrounding young people when they move into the Universal
Credit model when they move out of the scope of homelessness services
and on to independent living. While there will be scope for the most
vulnerable young claimants to remain exempted from monthly payments
and payment of the housing element directly to the claimant;
“It is vital that feedback on an individual’s needs is actively sought by the
Department for Work and Pensions, from voluntary sector and local
statutory agencies to ensure that exception decisions are made on the
basis of all available evidence”. 10
The National Housing Federation which represents 1,200 housing
associations in England echoes these concerns by highlighting that the
benefit cap on supported housing is likely to hit specific client groups
harder than others; they identify single homeless people within this group.
Crisis the national charity for single homeless people says that;
“Throughout the autumn of 2011, we received anecdotal evidence from
our regional teams that homelessness services throughout the country
were seeing a higher proportion of younger clients, aged between 16 and
24, including greater numbers of young rough sleepers in some areas”. 11
In light of this gloomy national picture it is here that the LATCH project can
provide a collaborative approach alongside other agencies locally and
nationally to ensure that as much information as possible is shared in
order that the needs of single young homeless people are properly
assessed and met.
Intangible benefits and costs
10
Centrepoint petition for concerns about the abolition of housing benefit for under 25’s. The
petition and further information available at www.centrepoint.org/cuts
11
Crisis website - http://www.crisis.org.uk
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Almost all of the organisations and authorities used in this report have
recognised the massive importance of early intervention when attempting
to help young and vulnerable people into independent living and
accommodation. Engagement with people at the earliest opportunity is the
easiest way to ensure that needs can be met and that other costs such as
crime and disorder or drug and alcohol related treatment costs are kept to
a minimum. Young people who feel isolated and alone are often also at
their most impressionable and this can lead to gang membership and
violence, which have massive associated costs to individuals and wider
society.
The quality of the service offered by LATCH office staff members and their
knowledge and experience of dealing with young people ensures that
applications are processed quickly and efficiently. Once assessed and
accepted, clients are associated with a host family – this is a process that
usually takes between 1 and 3 weeks and limits the amount of time that a
young person will feel vulnerable and alone.
“Young people experiencing homelessness can develop mental and
physical health problems, accumulate problem debt, become more
vulnerable to crime and find access to employment and learning further
diminished”12
The LATCH project is acting as a social investment model but in many
cases the benefits provided by the service are passing under the radar
because they are often intangible.
As can be seen from the case studies shown below clients are positively
moving forward with their lives and becoming independent members of
society. The service is providing a foundation stone for clients and
allowing them to re-new and re-generate as individuals – must refer to the
case studies how are lessons learnt and best practice been developed /
used
There are major social, environmental and economic investment
consequences of the service that LATCH provides. There are qualitative
examples of the latter in the improvement of individual worth in terms of
economic, psychological and medical enhancement. Independent living
often leads to relationship forming and re-integration into family life.
Quantitatively the earning capacity of clients increases dramatically. If
housing benefit is cut for 16-25 year olds then this Group’s earning
capacity is reduced and the “Catch 22” situation of no house, no job and
12
Homelesswatch, Young and Homeless, A survey of services and local authorities, December
2011
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no prospects continues. Alternatively secure accommodation can lead to
clients increasing their opportunities and improving the quality of their
lives.
As we have seen there is a considerable saving to society by having young
and vulnerable people in secure placements with host families. Some
areas where positive contributions may at first apparent not be apparent
are in the following areas;
• Advantages provided to the local community?
• Human Interest?
• Equal Opportunities –
The ethnicity of clients accepted by the project is varied and
includes those of white British, black British, African, Caribbean,
Asian and other denominations13
• Sustainability – providing the right local services -
The key here is that LATCH has local knowledge of service
availability and support networks for clients and other referrals that
the project is unable to help for one reason or another
• Community Interest Groups?
• The long term symbiotic relationships that develop between clients
and hosts and empowerment through an increase in good will,
understanding and self esteem of both parties
• The knock on effect of the scheme if clients move to different areas
of the capital or country. This cannot be underestimated and also
serves as free advertising for the project when clients talk about
their positive experiences
• A diverse group of trustees, supporters, hosts, clients and
volunteers who give time and support to this project
Once further investigation has been made of these areas, they can be
included in future bids for funding as areas of added value and intangible
benefit.
A further intangible benefit of the LATCH scheme comes as the service
operates in the capacity of an advice and support centre for young people.
Not only does this provide the opportunity for people of similar ages and
13
The ethnicity of LATCH clients in 2010 was broken down as follows; white British 18,
Black British 6, African 3, Caribbean 1, Asian 1 and others 2.
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with similar issues to network with each other and find common solutions
to common issues, it indirectly offers savings to Bromley Borough Council.
In a web survey undertaken in August 2012 by West Sussex County
Council it was discovered that following a study of around 200 Councils
across the country that associated costs of contacting the council for help
and advice were as follows; £8.62 per visit to speak to someone face to
face. The cost per telephone conversation was £2.83, whereas a visit to
the Council website cost £0.15 per visit. 14
This raises a number of issues firstly, that when advice is given out to
young people that involves referral to other support agencies in the
Borough of Bromley, time and resources are being saved. This is because
by referring a service user to the right accommodation option in the first
instance, it can prevent future homelessness and reduce the impact that
longer-term homelessness can have upon them.
Secondly, it points to the direction that Local Authorities are now moving in
order to save money. The internet is now a major part of Local Authorities
service offering. It may be prudent for the LATCH project to further
explore how internet information provision may be improved and
expanded.
Perhaps the key intangible benefit offered by the LATCH project is the
personal and social development of the young people themselves. In
Maslow’s theory of human motivation, basic needs at the foot of the needs
pyramid under the safety category include security of body, employment,
resources, morality, the family, health and property and it is only once that
these needs have been fully met can the higher level needs of love and
belonging be attained, these include friendship and family. When these
needs have been met people can focus on esteem which includes self
esteem, confidence and respect for others. Finally self actualisation or
becoming the best person one possibly can lead to an increase in
understanding of morality, creativity and problem solving.
The theory suggests that the basic needs of an individual must be met
before they can begin to focus their motivation on the secondary or higher
needs which can invariably make them a more productive and rounded
person. In order to grow and develop a person must achieve and master
physiological, safety, love and esteem needs.
Without the provision of basic living requirements and the strength of
relationships that are developed between hosts and clients it would be
14
See www.westsussex.gov.uk for further details
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difficult to see how young people could develop in accordance with
Maslow’s theory.15
Case Studies
Kayon
Kayon approached the LATCH project for help in 2008 he had been
referred by Bromley’s homeless shelter after Bromley housing department
were unable to help him. He had been a drug user in the past but he was
clean of drugs for two years and had moved into his own flat in the August
of 2009. “LATCH was helpful to me from day one. I was in genuine need
of help and they listened to me”, says Kayon.
According to a report by the Children and Young People Services (CYPS)
Scrutiny Committee of Leicester City Council the cost of direct support
costs alone “falling to Children’s Services (rent and living costs) will be in
the region of £175 per young person per week or £9,000 per annum.” 16
-
change context
In this one instance LATCH has contributed to this young man’s life, his
long term prospects, raised his self esteem and made a large financial
saving for central government.
Sal
Sal was only 16 when his parents declared that they were going on holiday
to Cyprus that was the last he ever saw of them. He became responsible
for the family home and after falling behind with the rent the house was
boarded up and his things thrown into the garden. The housing
department could not help him until the back rent had been paid off and
with nowhere else to turn he began to sleep rough meeting an older
gentleman who was good enough to help him out and show him the tricks
to staying alive whilst living on the streets. Eventually Bromley housing
department referred Sal to LATCH. Sal was taken on by the project and
lived with a number of hosts over a 15 month period.
In this instance the LATCH project has saved the local council the cost of
providing emergency accommodation for Sal over the 15 month period that
he has spent with a number of host families. The total cost of the
15
Maslow, A.H. (1943). "A Theory of Human Motivation," Psychological Review 50(4): 370-96
16
Implications of the Southwark Judgement, Leicester City Council, Leicester, 25 November
2009, p 3
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20. 12/3/2012
emergency accommodation would have been somewhere in the region of
(use Oxford Economics Data to calculate)
There is a view held by some in the homelessness sector that the current
Coalition Governments “Get Britain Working” initiative and specifically the
Work Programme initiative is not actually working for those who find
themselves furthest from the job market.
“By not helping homeless people to find work there will be significant costs
later – estimated to be in the region of £26,000 per year per person” 17
4. Summary
This section needs to be an executive overview of findings.
Define study approach
Summarise types of analysis methods
Summarise results
State Conclusion
5. Conclusion and recommendations
The LATCH project does not receive any funding or grant aid to produce
productive and successful members of society but as can be clearly seen
from the analysis in this report there is a significant consequence of the
activity undertaken through the project.
There is a clear and significant social impact of LATCH activity. As a
model for social investment there are wider outcomes and benefits to
society both at a local and a national level. Need to compare the human
costs and benefits with financial outcomes. This Cost Benefit analysis
needs to been seen on a macro level both locally and nationally. There is
17
Connect, The Magazine of the Homlessness Sector, July 2012, Issue no. 46, p 11
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21. 12/3/2012
a huge area of unchartered research into youth homelessness and this
report is limited in scope. One of the reports key recommendations is that
further study and research be undertaken in order to gain a more detailed
understanding of the picture on a local and national scale.
LATCH has achieved so much in helping to produce independent young
people who can make significant contributions both socially and
economically to society and this has been achieved on a relatively small
budget because of the assistance and help of a growing number of people
who volunteer their time and expertise freely.
Outcomes of the LATCH project - tangible and intangible.
Provide list
As we have seen the project provides more than just accommodation for
young and vulnerable people.
The project has changed attitudes towards a group of people who are often
stereotyped and therefore stigmatized by society. This has been achieved
by providing opportunities for social networking, enhancing capability
through education and work opportunities from a secure home base and
ultimately through increasing self worth. Those who have seen the results
of the project are keenly aware that this project is punching above their
weight because it is enabling clients to develop and become fully paid up
members of society by maximizing the use of existing funding streams, the
generosity of volunteers and the practice of genuine Christian altruism.
Wider impact and outcomes on society at local and national level
In the guidance document entitled Guidance on Common Data Framework,
Sitra have developed a framework designed to meet the housing related
support sector’s goal of having access to robust, nationally consistent data
that provides evidence of need and client and service outcomes to inform
local and national spending decisions.
Crucially under the definition of service types the LATCH project ticks a
number of boxes that are perhaps at first glance overlooked as being
related to the project. The first of these is “floating support” which is
defined as;
“A service not attached to accommodation; it can be delivered in a variety
of ways, for example, in clients homes, at drop in sessions and surgeries; it
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may be a crisis intervention service or provide to assist with resettlement or
recovery”.
The office based LATCH employees give all kinds of advice and support
for clients who are both on their books and clients who for various reasons
the project cannot help. In order to help feed into the data collection
undertaken by local authorities and agencies such as Sitra it is imperative
that the project begins to record the cases (if it doesn’t already do this)
where advice and support has been given to young and vulnerable people
outside of the remit of the LATCH project. This can then be directly
correlated to apply for funding for other areas of service provision outside
of host based accommodation.
If the LATCH project were to have further resource it may be possible for it
to also provide an “Outreach service” that engages with people who are
sleeping rough on the street or who are living in bed and breakfast
accommodation with the aim of placing these people with a host family.
This would need to be discussed at high level and the pros and cons
weighed up.
The category of service type that LATCH primarily fulfills under the Sitra
definitions is “Supported Lodgings”.
There are 3 areas where the project supports client groups as defined by
Sitra these are;
1. Single Homeless People with support Needs – people who are
considered by the service provider to be homeless, who may or may
not be owed a homeless duty.
2. Young People at Risk – people aged between 16 and 25 who are
homeless or in insecure accommodation and who need support to be
able to take care of themselves or to protect themselves from harm or
exploitation.
3. Young people leaving care – Young people leaving local authority care
who have been looked after for a continuous period of at least 13
weeks after the age of 1418
? - Check this if they were 16 presumably
LATCH can help them?
18
All definitions taken from Sitra Guidance on Common Data Framework, Sitra, March 2012
pp 15 to 18.
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23. 12/3/2012
References
The Manchester Evening News, September 17, 2012.
i (daily newspaper), September 17, 2012.
http://management.about.com/
Tackling homelessness and promoting options and solutions, Final Draft
Homelessneess Strategy 2008-2012, Housing Strategy and Research
Team, London Borough of Bromley, 2012
http://www.bromley.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/774/homelessness_stra
tegy_2008-12
Building a community, National Housing Federation, London, 2012
Faith in affordable housing, Housing Justice, London, 2012
Homeless bound?, National Housing Federation, London, 2012
LATCH PROJECT – Annual Report 2011
Implications of the Southwark Judgement, Leicester City Council,
Leicester, 25 November 2009
Connect, The Magazine of the Homelessness Sector, July 2012, Issue no.
46
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24. 12/3/2012
Beyond Homes, Return on Investment, National Housing Association,
Summer 2012
Statistics on Homeless Young People, A summary of key facts and figures,
Homeless Link, January 2011
Responding to youth homelessness following the G v LB Southwark
Judgement, Shelter Children’s Legal Service briefing, November 2009
Sitra Guidance on Common Data Framework, Sitra, London, March 2012
Young and Homeless, Homeless Link, London, November 2011
The Foyer Federation, 3rd Floor, 5-9 Hatton Wall, London, EC1N 8HX
Further Resources
In 2010 Homeless Link and Centrepoint produced a joint briefing about
how Local Authorities and their partners can ensure young people who are
homeless receive the support they are entitled to around Education and
Training.
In January 2011, Inside Housing published research into how local
authority housing departments and social services are working together to
support homeless 16 and 17 year olds.
The National Youth Homelessness Scheme (NYHS) is the knowledge base
for local authorities and their partners in preventing and tackling youth
homelessness.
The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) has launched
a new microsite for integrated working, offering a range of free resources to
help practitioners work together. This includes tools and guidance such as:
• Common assessment framework - a process that enables
practitioners and volunteers to identify each young person's
needs, and who is best placed to deliver support and develop a
tailored action plan to meet those needs
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25. 12/3/2012
• Guidance for the lead professional / practitioner - the person
who co-ordinates all activity and becomes a single point of contact
for everyone involved, especially the child or young person
• Guidance on information sharing - practical advice and
guidance on appropriate ways to share information
• Workbook and training materials to introduce practitioners
and volunteers to integrated working.
With Thanks
Thanks go to the following people for giving their time and support during the
research and writing of this report:
Clive Mills (Team Manager Prevention of Homelessness Team, West Sussex
County Council)
Simon Cribbens (Senior Policy Officer, Greater London Authority)
The LATCH team including all office based staff.
25