An overview of Nacro's housing services spotlighting its Stody House veterans' service in Manchester.A presentation by Joanne Drew, Nacro Director of Housing and Wellbeing at Public Policy Exchange

1. Joanne Drew
Director of Housing and Wellbeing
22.03.2018
Understanding housing’s role in
veteran service stability

2. About us
• We house, we educate, we support, we advise and we speak out for and
with disadvantaged young people and adults
• Registered social housing provider and social lettings agency - mainly
self-contained accommodation and support funded through
commissioned and exempt accommodation arrangements.
• In 2016/17, we helped 38,000 people across our services
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National social justice charity with more
than 50 years’ experience of changing lives

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We work in partnership with more than 100 organisations across
public, private and voluntary sector
We build sector knowledge of “what works” through our
independent research, evaluation and policy expertise
About us

4. Development of Stody House
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• High concentration of ex-service personnel returning to the North
West
• Lack of appropriate housing for ex-service personnel with low to
medium support needs identified in Greater Manchester
• Nacro was approached to develop a housing solution - 40 year
supported housing footprint in NorthWest
• Stody House established in Feb 2017
leading to 2nd housing project in Salford
• In 12 months, 12 veterans

5. Demographic of Stody House residents
Unstable and
inappropriate
housing
Employment
& training
Criminal
convictions
Alcohol
issues
Debt &
welfare
Support
networks
Health
issues
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• Rarely present with
a single issue
• Interconnected &
interdependent
nature of support
needs

6. Housing issues experienced by Stody residents
Homelessness
Shortage of
affordable
housing in
Greater
Manchester
Problems
sustaining
tenancies
Inadequate
transition
planning by
Armed Forces
Believe not
entitled to
social housing
Housing-
related
disadvantage
Relationship
breakdown
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7. Developing a holistic veterans’
housing and support model
• Housing is the key to unlocking support services and lays the
foundations for stability and change
• Quality self-contained accommodation incorporating a
psychologically-informed environment
• Provides temporary accommodation to ex-servicemen and women
for up to 2 years – adequate time to assess and stabilise needs
• Referrals and red flag status – Project Nova and other partners
• In built move-on pathway
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8. Designing effective support
through strong partnerships
• Collaboration:
 Mosscare Housing - property
 Walking with theWounded – training, employment and volunteering – employers’ network
 Future for Heroes programme – supporting the transition to civilian life including adjustments
requiring emotional and physical change
• Proactive approach to partnerships with DWP, GP & NHS
• Nacro offers tenancy awareness and tenancy management, benefit
debt and finance support as well as some emotional support and care
planning – daily calls and fortnightly meet up
• We view ourselves as the glue that keeps residents engaged
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Walking with the Wounded
I have seen first-hand what a difference a secure, warm
and friendly environment can do for a veteran in need.
The partnership has grown from strength to strength and
the positive working relationship between Nacro and
WWTW has been pivotal to ensuring the needs of the
veteran is always at the centre of the delivery model.
The atmosphere is as close as its ever been to being
in the forces, the staff are fantastic and we feel we
are listened to. Staff have allowed us to build
ourselves up without expecting to much from us.
Before I had given up. In the short time I have been
here, I now look to the future with the knowledge
and belief that I can and will return to independent
living and full time employment.
Stody House resident

10. 1 26/03/201
BASS Mobilisation Briefing
Case study - Leon

11. Improving future housing for veterans
• Broad assumption that the need for housing services will increase
due to restructuring of Armed Forces
• National housing strategy for vulnerable people including:
 Improved evidence base on immediate and long-term housing needs and
pathways for vulnerable veterans
• Better data on level & nature of demand– this includes more
effective collaboration and data sharing between national and local
government, and MOD
• MOD Future Accommodation Model
• Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
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12. 1 26/03/201
BASS Mobilisation Briefing
joanne.drew@nacro.org.uk