Running a marathon has been a lifelong ambition. Guess what I will be doing on Sunday ….

One of my lifelong ambitions has been to run a marathon.  As a young man, many, many years ago, I was a keen runner but never managed a marathon.  This Sunday is the Brighton Marathon, and guess what?  I will be cheering from the sidelines in support of James Danks who is running on behalf of BHT.

James is a recovering addict who just one year ago to the day started a detox programme that has changed his life.

James said: “It is amazing to think how far I have come. Just one year ago I was drinking a litre of vodka every day and spending £40 a day on heroin. I was in such a bad way and I knew that things had to change quickly or I could die and leave my sons without their father. I couldn’t let that happen and it was that thought that gave me the strength to get clean and to change my life for good.

“I was offered a place at BHT’s Detox Support Project, something that I thank my lucky stars for every day. I truly believe they saved my life. They have been so supportive and have helped me to deal with some deep rooted issues that have helped me with my recovery and are helping me every day to live a life of abstinence.”

James is not new to running events having completed the Brighton Half Marathon in February of this year in memory of his late wife Zoe and to raise money for BHT.

For the first time since his teenage years, James has a new found hope and plans for the future.

He said: “Exercise and keeping fit has played a huge part in my recovery so it is really nice to be able to combine my new found love for fitness with raising money for BHT. It’s great to feel like I am giving something back.

“I feel confident about the run on Sunday although I know it is going to be tough. Every step of the way I will be thinking about how far I have come in the last year and all of my new and exciting plans for the future.”

Anyone who would like to sponsor James can do so by clicking this link or by contacting Liz Davies on (01273) 645425.

How does the Work Programme actually work ….?

A client of BHT was put on the Work Programme. She said it prevented her from moving forward in her life. She was required to do newspaper and online searches for jobs, three hours a day. She said she received no training and could not talk about her support needs. She said she became increasingly stressed and had nowhere to turn.

She then heard of BHT’s Intern Programme. Our Intern Co-ordinator, Rob Robinson, negotiated with the Work Programme provider that she be able to do a placement through the Intern Programme. Her support needs were identified, as were the skills she had, and a placement was made available for her at our Advice Centre in Queens Road where she was encouraged and appreciated.

Within five to six weeks her growing confidence was noted. She absorbed the learning opportunities made available to her, and she thrived on the culture and work habits. She was encouraged to become more involved with the work and was valued by her colleagues.

She began telling Rob Robinson: “I can do stuff” and “Someone might want me to work for them”.  Through her own efforts, without being forced, she looked for jobs, received training on CV writing and interview skills. She was successful with the first job she applied for, and is now working in a private solicitors practice in Brighton.

Each year BHT commits £40,000 of our charitable funds to the Intern Programme, and this is matched by £35,000 from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

Depending on how long she stays in work, the Work Programme provider will receive between £10k and £13k. BHT will receive nothing.

Good news as BHT-led partnership is given the go-ahead to bid for £9.2 million Big Lottery funding

We have had some very good news this week which is attracting some media interest.  A consortium, being led by BHT, is in the running for funding from the Big Lottery of up to £10 million over 8 years.  The initiative is designed to improve services for men and women with complex needs (a combination of mental ill health, homelessness, offending behaviour and substance misuse problems) in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. Between now and September, a full bid and business plan needs to be prepared.  A decision will then be made by the Big Lottery and the new services will begin from April 2014.

The purpose of this funding is to bring about lasting change in how services work with people with multiple and complex needs; this funding is a vehicle to help bring about that change. The legacy of the 8 year programme will be that systems and services in all 3 geographical areas will better meet the needs of this group.

At this stage we have been awarded funding to develop the bid on behalf of our partnership which includes partners in local government and in the third / charity sectors.  Should the partnership be successful, it won’t just be BHT staff (contrary to what the Argus reported this morning) who will provide services.

My colleagues, Nikki Homewood and Jo Berry, are leading on this initiative for BHT. Nikki said: “As the lead partner for the Brighton and Hove, Eastbourne and Hastings area, BHT is thrilled to receive funding to develop our partnership bid to ensure better service provision for people with the most complex needs.

“Using the wealth of knowledge and expertise within our local Core Group, comprising seven voluntary sector organisations and five statutory partners including commissioners, along with the 60+ organisations in our Partnership Group, we will develop a programme that will truly bring about change for the clients the programme work with, and local communities.

“Our vision is to bring about long-term systemic change by putting service users at the heart of services, fully understanding what they need in order to move forward with their lives: thorough monitoring and evaluation will result in well-evidenced findings, which will then be used to influence future commissioning.”

BHT’s partners in this initiative, and who are represented on the local Core Group, include: Brighton and Hove City Council, Brighton Women’s Centre, CRI, East Sussex County Council, Eastbourne Borough Council, Hastings Borough Council, Homeless Link, Sanctuary Supported Living, Southdown Housing Association, Sussex Oakleaf, Sussex Probation Service

The Independent Drug Commission for Brighton is missing the opportunity to help turn the City from being the “drug death capital” to the “recovery capital” of the UK

The preliminary conclusions of the Independent Drug Commission for Brighton and Hove raise some interesting issues, worthy of debate, but overall the report is an opportunity missed.  This post is basically my personal response to the Commission’s consultation.

The Commission addressed four issues:

• Are the current strategies to prevent drug related deaths sufficient to achieve a significant reduction in the coming years?
• Are the policing, prosecution and sentencing strategies currently pursued, effective in reducing drug related harm?
• Are we doing enough to protect young people and to enable them to make informed decisions around drug use and involvement in drug markets?
• To what extent does the treatment system meet the treatment and recovery needs of the citizens of Brighton & Hove?

Unfortunately, the report is presented in a vacuum, giving no acknowledgement of the most radical change in national drug strategy for a generation which has called for a treatment revolution and the championing of abstinence. The words “abstinence”, “abstain”, even “drug free” do not appear in the report once. By ignoring the national context, the report is immediately undermined, and is, at best, of academic interest.

My disappointment with the preliminary conclusions focuses on the first and fourth points above and can be summarised by two points: it lacks ambition, and the presentation of the issues does not create the right platform for a proper debate on how to enhance progress in drug treatment.

Just 12% of those entering treatment services in Brighton “left the treatment system in a planned way, having overcome their dependency”. This compares to a national figure of 15%. The report is correct to say that “For the system to remain sustainable, the number of successful exits from the treatment system must keep pace with the number of new clients registered. If too many clients are retained in the system for too long, the system will become log-jammed. The Health and Well Being Board needs to find ways to increase the numbers successfully treated each year and support their recovery in order to prevent relapses and a return to dependence, both on drugs and on the treatment system”.

Sadly, this conclusion is not supported by a formal recommendation. It is almost an afterthought, appearing on page 22 of the 23 page report. It illustrates a lack of ambition. This issue should be upfront and should set the tone for the rest of the report, creating the climate where the more sensationalist issues, such as consumption rooms, could have been dealt with in the context of recovery and abstinence.

A bold ambition, of say 30% or 40% leaving treatment drug free, would have been a defining contribution to the debate and the development of services in Brighton. Such an approach would be right for clients, it would help them achieve their aspirations, and would better prepare them to cope with the fundamental changes we are experiencing in welfare reform. A failure to address the addiction of a sizeable cohort will result in them finding themselves further outside the structures of society with all the predictable consequences for them, their families and society at large.

The presentation of the report attracted predictable, yet avoidable, headlines. The media led on consumption rooms. How different it could have been had the report recommended a treatment revolution locally, with the ambition that Brighton will replace the unwanted headline of “drug death capital” to the “recovery capital” of the UK.

That would have created a climate where more controversial steps could have been introduced as part of a process aimed at getting people into recovery and abstinence.

I hope that the Commission will look again at its report, delay the final report if necessary so that it can strengthen its recommendations and thereby becoming a defining point in the evolution of drug policy locally and the start of a real treatment revolution.

Will 2013 and the introduction of Universal Credit see an improvement or worsening in arrears, bad debts and evictions?

 

One of the biggest challenges for all providers of rented accommodation, either in the social or private sectors, will be the impact of further welfare reform, in particular the introduction of Universal Credit and payments direct to tenants.  For tenants, there will be an increase in their responsibilities and consequences for not getting it right.

A new YouGov survey published today by Shelter has estimated that 1.4 million Britons are falling behind with the rent or mortgage payments.  The number of people struggling to pay their rent or mortgage each month has increased by 44% over the past year, to 7.8 million people.  The research also reveals that over the past year:

• almost a million people used a payday loan to help pay their rent or mortgage
• 2.8 million people used an unauthorised overdraft to help pay their rent or mortgage, and of those 10% did so every month.

There is a wide political consensus on the need for welfare reform.  Many of the objectives of Universal Credit are laudable, not least the implementation of the system and the ambition that work should always pay.  I have a particular concern: that the implementation on the ground will result in problems for claimants and landlords alike.  There have been warnings that the systems necessary will not be in place nor robust enough.  The pilots on payments to tenants have not been encouraging and there have been worrying increases in arrears.

The government, MP’s and the DWP have had sufficient warnings about the state of readiness.  Reassurances have been given at each turn.  I hope they are right.  However, I know from BHT’s own research, the expectation that claims be made online are a long way from reality in spite of work being done with social housing tenants.  Only a few of us are doing much for tenants in the private rented sector who are particularly vulnerable.

The consequences of significant problems in the implementation of Universal Credit, to claimants and landlords alike, are grim.  Tenants will get into arrears and face eviction. An increase in arrears and bad debts, will see some associations failing.  Housing associations have been reviewing their risk maps, with welfare reform now at the top of their risk registers.  Private landlords will become even more reluctant than they are at present to offer tenancies to claimants.

The Shelter / YouGov survey shows the situation before the impact of welfare reform.  I hope that in a years time the simplified system will see an improvement in arrears and evictions.  Sadly I think the situation will have only worsened.  I sincerely hope to be proved wrong.

We need to put an end to rough sleeping once and for all

A 21-year-old homeless woman was killed on Saturday night when a large spruce tree fell on the tent she was living in. Police said that three other people were injured by the tree which was brought down in the severe weather that lashed parts of the country at the weekend.

Last Thursday night, in terrible weather, colleagues from BHT, CRI, local authorities and the police did the annual headcount of rough sleepers in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings.  In Brighton the new official figure was 43, up six from the previous year.    There is a general consensus that the actual number is probably nearer 60.

Why is it in this day and age, in one of the richest countries in the world, do we still have people living on the streets?

There is some brilliant work going on by many agencies, and CRI’s No Second Night Out initiative is the latest in a long line of services that help people make that transition from street homelessness into accommodation.  The worker in this particular initiative has, over the last three months, engaged with 31 individuals , 30 of whom she has got into accommodation.

As we approach Christmas, members of the public are extremely generous to organisations such as BHT.  In fact, we rely on this generosity to sustain us throughout the year.  People are more inclined to donate at this time because it is the Season of Goodwill and because of the appalling weather that we are now experiencing.

Even though we are having gales blow down trees and flooding across the country, this is not regarded in government circles as “severe weather” and homeless people remain on the streets. Successive governments have had a policy that emergency provision only comes into being if the forecast has temperatures falling to below freezing for three consecutive nights.  Two nights of freezing weather, no emergency shelters.  Gales and flooding, similarly, no emergency shelter.

It is time that the government rethinks its policy for emergency shelters at times of severe weather.  Last Saturday’s tragedy could have been avoided.

Actually, a lot more is needed. We need to put an end to rough sleeping once and for all.

 

Launching BHT’s Client Hub – promoting even better engagement with and between clients

Today BHT is launching its Client Hub which can be accessed through our revamped website. The Client Hub aims to promote better engagement with clients and raise the profile of client involvement more generally across BHT. Through interacting with the Hub and on-line material, clients will also be improving their IT skills.

The Client Hub will keep BHT clients updated on opportunities to volunteer and get involved across Brighton and East Sussex. Current opportunities range from joining the Express Editorial Group, Client Consultant positions to more activity based opportunities i.e. client led gardening groups via BHT’s Grow! initiative. We will also keep clients updated on volunteering opportunities outside BHT, i.e. openings on strategic working groups and/or involvement with local groups and organisations.

The Client Hub gives opportunities for clients to feedback their experiences of getting involved/having their say within their own projects, BHT-wide initiatives and the wider community. We Clients will also be able to upload video and audio content as well as written and photographic material.

Clients will also be able to provide feedback on relevant topics or issues important to them such as welfare changes or local issues affecting them within their community/BHT services.

Have a look at the online manifesto of the Client Hub on our website.

Housing Benefit and Under 25’s

In a speech later today, the Prime Minister will say that he is considering removing housing benefit from those under-25s.  This appears to be one of the most ill-thought through, headline grabbing policy announcements that I can recall.

There are some questions that demand answers:

• How can parents be obliged to take their adult children back into the home, and what happens to those young people where they can’t ‘go home’?
• What protection will there be for children and young people who have left their family home to avoid abuse and domestic violence?
• What happens in those cases where the parents have “done the right thing” by moving to smaller houses once their children have move out and there is now no spare room?
• What happens if there is no room in the parent’s home for other reasons, such as second families with children?

I have to ask why David Cameron is bringing this proposal forward now?  We are already witnessing the most profound changes to the benefit system in my lifetime.  If this is such a pressing issue, why was it not identified and enacted when all the other changes were introduced?

The BBC’s political correspondent, Vicki Young, has suggested that Mr Cameron’s speech will be seen as an attempt to reconnect with disgruntled Tory backbenchers.  I don’t know if that is true, but if there is even a hint of reality in her analysis, it ill becomes a Prime Minister to risk a huge rise in youth homelessness for internal party expediency.

This isn’t the pressing problem it is being made out to be. Those under 35 living in the private rented sector are entitled to just £77 housing benefit per week. Just 6% of those under 25 living in the private rented sector currently receive housing benefit.

92% of new claims for housing benefit are from those in work.  They are already “doing the right thing” but this measure will hit young people already in jobs.

The consequence of this proposal will be an increase in overcrowding, homelessness, begging, crime, and prostitution.

Real Life Stories: Lesley’s Story

I often receive letters and notes from clients of BHT’s services that tell real life stories about how they have seen their lives changed by the support, advice and encouragement of our staff.  I am planning to publish these accounts, with the agreement of the individual concerned, on this blog. The words are theirs, not mine:

“I am a single woman who found myself homeless and unemployed due to a combination of circumstances, this was not something that I had expected or planned for.

“I found my way into your service by speaking to the Eastbourne Job Centre who advised me to approach BHT Eastbourne Advice, I was unsure of the processes involved but received help and advice from the receptionist who made an appointment for me to speak to the accommodation advisor.

“Within days I had a roof over my head and a support package provided by Firm Foundations and Homework’s that has helped me to get back on my feet.

“By having a roof over my head and the support of the organisation I have been able to achieve many of my goals, I am now self-employed and although not earning fortunes I am more independent financially and more confident for the future.

“I believe that the opportunities given to me by BHT have been life changing, I am now looking forward to finding my own accommodation in the private rented sector and rebuilding my life.

“I strongly believe in what BHT are doing to help the homeless and I am looking to become a volunteer with the Tenancy Centre to help other people.

“Thank you.”

BHT Intern Programme

Last year BHT secured funding from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation to launch its Intern Programme. The Intern Programme will boost the chances of those people embarking on a work career after, in many cases, years on the margins of society.

It is our aim that at any one time 40 Interns will be working across the organisation (on six-month placements for a minimum of two days a week) gaining valuable workplace experience and undertaking a tailored training programme.

Our vision is for the BHT Intern Programme to be recognised as an ‘Academy of Excellence’, where a reference from the Programme is regarded as a significant endorsement by future employers in the locality. We want to overcome prejudice of potential employers, so that the training and expertise gained through the Programme combined with the life-experience of our Interns will provide a blend of experience and expertise that cannot be bought.

BHT as an organisation will benefit from furthering our Mission to “create opportunities and promote change”. We will gain from the experience of clients, embedding their experience within staff teams. BHT, and other local employers, will also benefit from workforce planning, where we are training up the next generation of staff including in the care and support sector.

Our existing staff will benefit from engaging with former clients as peers, challenging prejudice and testing individual commitments that change is possible. Staff will also benefit from the opportunities for career development. They will receive training and practical experience in the mentoring and supervision of Interns, together with a small salary enhancement for the added responsibility of supervising an Intern.

The target group for the Programme will predominately be men and women who have been clients of BHT’s projects (or other local projects working with our client groups), who face multiple barriers to employment, including poor educational attainment, lack of confidence, self esteem, lack of workplace experience and workplace discipline and facing strong competition from people recently unemployed.

We will expect those applying to become Interns to have addressed any issues that might have led to homelessness or unemployment. For example, if someone has had an addiction, a prerequisite of joining the programme might be that interns must have followed a recognised abstinence-based treatment programme and/or have been clean for a period of at least two years.

There will be a range of placements available, initially within BHT projects (possibly with other local agencies once established) and each placement will be advertised with a full description of the role and its requirements. Each placement will have a dedicated, specially trained mentor to work with the Intern from within the existing staff team they will be working with.

Interns can either be referred into the programme by staff or refer themselves. They will need to complete an application form for the placement they would like to undertake and have an interview. If successful the placement will be organised with the Intern, HR, the Projects’ Manager, the staff mentor and the training department.

The Interns will gain on the job work experience (for at least two days a week) focussing on building confidence and self esteem, introducing and explaining workplace processes, PC and internet training and skills specific to the placement.

Whilst in the placement they will be required to produce a personal development plan which will be regularly reviewed and updated with their mentor.

All interns will be expected to attend a tailored training and induction programme to introduce BHT’s processes and inform around health and safety, professional boundaries and other areas relevant to their role.

Interns will also be supported to undertake further training within BHT or with other external learning providers such as City College, Brighton and Hove. The type of further training could include NVQ and City & Guilds courses, where funding will allow.

Successful completion will result in a placement certificate, a reference, a portfolio of BHT training courses undertaken and a possible job-related qualification.

I am really excited about this programme and I am sure it will help change the lives of those on it.