New evaluation shows importance of embedding complex needs workers in homelessness system
A new independent evaluation has highlighted the advantages of embedding multiple needs caseworkers in the homelessness hostel service in Oxford.
Established to improve health and housing outcomes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, the Elmore Homelessness Prevention Pilot has been in partnership with Homeless Oxfordshire and Oxford City Council.
The evaluation has been completed by Imogen Blood and Shelly Dulson, two top social researchers at Imogen Blood & Associates, a leading agency with an impressive track record that includes investigating the feasibility of a housing-led response to homelessness across Oxfordshire.
Elmore multiple needs caseworkers were based at O’Hanlon House (OHH) in Homeless Oxfordshire’s 51 bed hostel in Oxford City Centre between August 2021 and January 2023, and for a shorter period within Oxford City Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Investigation Team. A podcast episode accompanies the launch of the evaluation.
Critical success factors of the pilot have included:
Having a small caseload (around 6, compared to a typical 10-12 for a hostel keyworker) meant Elmore workers could support time-intensive tasks, like spending a day in court with someone, or helping a person to decorate a new flat.
Flexibility to take a more informal, person-centred, and creative approach.
Being skilled at building relationships quickly with people who have low levels of trust.
A strengths-based approach, based around interests, activities, personal goals has enabled Elmore to engage with those whom other services have struggled to engage, and to advocate for them to access services.
Being embedded in the hostel service, but also having the freedom to leave the building and to keep working with an individual when they move on or are evicted.
Being able to support those experiencing a range of mental health and behavioural issues without being formally labelled as a ‘mental health worker’, especially where people do not recognise they have a problem or want to accept help for it.
Being included within OHH team communications and meetings; the ability for hostel staff to share information with Elmore was an essential foundation for joint case management of residents by OHH and Elmore.
The value of Elmore workers knowing the pathway, understanding the needs of the client group and, in one case, having previously worked at OHH.
The pilot was grant funded by Oxfordshire County Council’s Contain Outbreak Management Funding (COMF). The pilot initially funded Elmore to provide two FTE roles for embedded complex needs case workers in Homelessness Oxfordshire’s hostel, O’Hanlon House (OHH) and one FTE role dedicated to homelessness prevention working with Oxford City Council.
The service came to an end in January 2023 once its funding ran out.
Tom Hayes, Chief Executive of Elmore Community Services, said: “We are determined to help end homelessness across the county of Oxfordshire. With more effective, evidence-based support, we can all achieve that goal. As a founding member of the Oxfordshire Homelessness Alliance and with this pilot service, we have learned a lot about the importance of informal, person-centred, creative ways and how they deliver better outcomes. We hope to resurrect the service, so that people experiencing multiple disadvantage have the right support they need at the time they need it.”
Simon Hewett-Avison, Chief Executive of Homeless Oxfordshire, said: “We were delighted to work alongside Elmore for this pilot. Taking the time, being flexible and responding to what individuals need is so important in providing the right support. We’re looking forward to seeing how we can carry forward this work and influence how support is provided across the homeless pathway.’’
Imogen Blood, Evaluator and Founder of Imogen Blood & Associates who completed the research, said: “In this pilot, Elmore worked alongside the O’Hanlon House team to better understand what additional support these diverse individuals need. Elmore workers were able to bring ‘fresh eyes’, to work in a flexible, persistent and creative way with individuals. They built trusting relationships over time with people, bonding with them over things they enjoy doing, and working hard to help them navigate and coordinate the other aspects of their lives. Our evaluation shows that it is possible to layer this sort of support on top of the existing homelessness pathway, but it also shows that some people are likely to need ongoing support if the successful outcomes achieved within the lifetime of the pilot are to be sustained. This adds to our recent study for the National Housing Federation which found that, although supported accommodation helps many to improve their wellbeing and move-on to settled housing, there is a group of people who get stuck, or get repeatedly evicted from hostel pathways.”