Jo Allchurch – LGA Senior Adviser – to attend
Minutes:
The Chair invited Jo Allchurch, Senior Adviser, to introduce the report.
Jo ran through the key findings from the evaluation report into the LGA’s Rough Sleeping Peer Support programme, delivered between December 2020 and February 2021, capturing the voice of the sector as it sought to implement the Government’s Everyone In initiative. The LGA facilitated 28 Delivery and Impact Panels involving 222 councils during this time and satisfaction levels were good.
Jo said that a webinar would be held to mark the publication of the report in August and to showcase the work of councils. Moving forward, the LGA would be working with councils to develop and deliver a future programme of Delivery and Impact Panels and other housing/homelessness sector-led improvement support. The report’s recommendations would be fed into the LGA’s ongoing policy work in this area. Dennis Skinner added that the LGA had given MHCLG an offer to provide a peer challenge for council’s seeking to access additional funding and he would be following this up with them.
Members comments and questions:
· Members warmly welcomed the report and praised the LGA’s work in supporting councils to deliver on a key Government priority. Everyone In showcased local government at its best, delivering in an extremely tight timescale with little notice. The Chairman asked officers to ensure that MHCLG ministers were aware of the report and local government’s pivotal role. Jo said that Eddie Hughes MP had seen the report and they would ensure that it landed on Luke Hall MP’s desk.
· Concerns were expressed about the consistency of support for vulnerable people in two-tier council areas where services were not necessarily all delivered by the same council.
Decision
Improvement & Innovation Board noted the report.