Housing Related Floating Support Services in Flintshire

This project will offer housing-related support to individuals with a history of criminal offending. Specifically, it will assist those in custody who are at risk of being homeless upon release in Flintshire. The aim is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of their needs while they are still in custody, ensuring a detailed and personalised support plan is in place for when they are released. Support workers will collaborate with prison resettlement officers and probation services to facilitate a smooth transition and ensure continuity of support in the community. The project will also extend its services to individuals with offending related support needs who are assessed as requiring housing assistance. The goal is to prevent homelessness, help service users maintain their accommodations, and promote their independence. This initiative will support service users from any housing tenure across Flintshire.

The service will provide low-level short-term housing related support to enable older people to gain or retain their self-reliance, sustain their accommodation, and remain living as independently as possible in the community. The support will consist of a mix of practical support and advice as well as signposting to other services.

This service will provide a holistic support system for individuals with varying levels of need. Complex needs support workers will assist clients facing multiple challenges such as mental health issues, learning disabilities, substance misuse, and criminal offending (list is non-exhaustive). For those whose primary concerns are housing-related, general housing support workers will help with issues like debt, rent arrears, benefit support, liaising with other professionals, housing conditions etc. The Mental Health Liaison Officer (MHLO) support clients who are open to the housing solutions team, therefore will be experiencing homelessness or will be threatened with homelessness. The MLHO will bridge the gap between mental health services and housing solutions. They will be expected to provide guidance and expertise to clients experiencing mental health challenges, ensuring that support plans are tailored to individual needs. The role will involve building strong relationships with mental health services to facilitate timely referrals and coordinated care.

The service will offer short-term, low-level housing support to help clients who are currently struggling. The clients will not meet statutory homelessness assistance but will need support to either maintain their current property or advice on next steps. This can include but not inclusive of support with bills (ensuring all energy and water tariffs are affordable), benefit support, support with property that is suffering with damp and mould, where invalid notices are given, relationship breakdowns etc. The support will include a combination of practical assistance, advice, and sign posting to other services.

The project will offer housing related support to young people aged 16-25 which enables people to establish and/or maintain independent living. This project will provide support to young people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness or needing support to remain in their properties. Support will be flexible, and person centred, but may include things like budgeting, including accessing money advice, developing life skills, achieving safety and security, and accessing other helpful services and opportunities.