BCP Council has welcomed partners from The Royal Foundation’s Homewards programme, Bloomberg Associates and the University of Auckland to explore how data, frontline experience and local services can work together to improve homelessness prevention.

BCP is among a small number of places in the UK using this type of advanced data approach, with the work particularly focused on young people and families who may be at risk.

Spotting the signs earlier

Around 1,000 households approach services across BCP each year, with many experiencing a combination of challenges involving housing, health and social care.

The new approach aims to bring information from across these services together to build a clearer picture of where pressures are emerging.

By identifying patterns and potential risks earlier, services could then step in with practical, targeted support before someone's housing situation develops into a crisis.

Moving from crisis response to prevention

BCP Council's Early Prevention Team supported more than 1,500 households last year, providing help to people experiencing housing difficulties.

The latest work aims to take that prevention even further by identifying people before the earliest signs of crisis.

Cllr Kieron Wilson, Cabinet Member for Housing and Regulatory Services, said the project is about strengthening the Council's focus on prevention and making sure residents receive support earlier.

He said every person and family deserves the security of a safe and stable home, adding that the partnership could help ensure fewer people across BCP ever have to face homelessness.

Supporting children, young people and families

A particular focus of the programme is understanding the pressures facing children, young people and families.

By mapping how people move through different local services, partners hope to identify gaps or pressures within the current system and create a more joined-up approach.

Rachel Gravett, Director of Children's Commissioning, Resources & Quality at BCP Council, said intervening earlier could help families remain together in safe and stable homes while reducing the disruption and distress homelessness can cause.

Using data differently

Data from housing, health and wider Council services is being brought together as part of the project.

Sarah Chamberlain, Director of IT and Programmes at BCP Council, said this will help build a clearer picture of where risks are emerging and who may need additional support.

While this type of joined-up, predictive approach is still relatively new in the UK, the Council hopes it will allow services to make better decisions and target support where it can have the greatest impact.

Academics from the University of Auckland are also supporting the development of predictive tools to help identify patterns of risk.

Part of the Homewards programme

The work forms part of The Royal Foundation's Homewards programme, a five-year initiative aiming to demonstrate that homelessness can be made rare, brief and unrepeated through locally led action and wider collaboration.

Linda Gibbs, Principal at Bloomberg Associates, said BCP's focus on acting earlier has the potential not only to improve outcomes locally, but also to help inform how other places tackle homelessness.

The project will now continue bringing together data, local knowledge and expertise with the aim of creating a prevention model that could help more people remain in safe and stable homes.