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Southwark Council award for homelessness project (8 August 2017)

Date: 08/08/2017
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Southwark Council award for homelessness project

Southwark Council in south London has been short-listed in the London Homelessness Awards for The Homelessness Trailblazer Pilot, alongside two other projects – Prisoners Abroad Resettlement Team and Network Homes and New Horizons Day centre Project Vista.

Southwark Council is already an award-winning authority in homelessness prevention.

The Trailblazer service is testing the Homelessness Reduction Act – this involves early intervention to prevent homeless and a focus on the root of the issues affecting its residents, such as family breakdown; as well as the establishment of a No First Night Out and Housing First models to prevent people from sleeping rough; and a commitment to end rough sleeping and the use of bed and breakfast accommodation by 2020.

The service employs people who have experienced homelessness themselves – and works closely with the voluntary and legal advice agencies in Southwark, to draw together expertise on a range of complex issues.

The council was the first to use Personal Housing Plans to prevent homelessness and ensure people at risk of losing their homes could access training, employment and education.

This led to the development of Pathway Plans for vulnerable customers and linked into the Housing First model.

The council says the model has reduced “sofa surfing” and evictions from family and friends. It is the first of its kind in London and led to the development of the Accommodation Finding Service for all people who become homeless.

Southwark Council’s Cabinet Member for housing, Councillor Stephanie Cryan, said:

“Preventing homelessness is the key to the issue – prevention is much better than cure, so nipping issues in the bud before they become a desperate problem is the answer.

“I am hugely proud of the team and their efforts to strive for excellence in this service to support people when they need it most – and keep people off the streets and in safe homes.”


The three short-listed projects will share the £60,000 prize fund (£30,000, £20,000 and £10,000 for first, second and third prize), to be announced in October.

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