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What works evidence notes: welfare and single homelessness
- Authors:
- GRAY Tim, ARGODALE Sarah, RODRIGUEZ-GUZMAN Guillermo
- Publisher:
- Centre for Homelessness Impact
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 13
- Place of publication:
- London
This paper describes some key trends about homelessness and the existing evidence about how this relates to changes in benefit entitlements. We discuss opportunities for data analyses to quantify these links as well as potential opportunities for reform. The period between 2010 to 2017 saw reductions in welfare support and a significant increase in street homelessness, as well as wider homelessness. Reductions to Universal Credit (UC) and Local Housing Allowance (LHA) were likely the most impactful changes to welfare policy regarding increasing rates of homelessness. Despite the fact that no causal evidence exists on the relationship between reductions to the UC housing element and levels of homelessness, it is nevertheless possible to draw insights from the data available, which the paper summarises. The paper argues that the UK Government could introduce a series of new demonstration projects to test the impact of more generous benefit entitlements or changes to the conditionality requirements. These could include: pilot one-off hardship payments and flexible cash transfers for people approaching Housing Options because they are at risk of homelessness and other groups going through key transitions, such as those being released from prison; run trials of targeted additional welfare benefit support to identify and test interactions between welfare entitlements and street homelessness; loosening sanctions and conditionality requirements for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in certain areas until their housing situation is more stable; assessing the relative effectiveness of different mechanisms to maximise benefits uptake; test initiatives to extend temporary eligibility for welfare benefits to people without recourse to public funds to support rehousing. (Edited publisher abstract)
Youth in foster care and the reasonable and prudent parenting standard
- Authors:
- MCRELL Amanda Stafford, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Maltreatment, 26(3), 2021, pp.302-312.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Children in foster care face disproportionate rates of biopsychosocial challenges but social and extracurricular activities (SEAs) may support their healthy development. The Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standard (RPPS), a 2014 federal policy, aims to increase access to these opportunities for children in foster care. Analyses of statutes from 50 US states and the District of Columbia (n = 51) revealed similarities and differences in state-level RPPS policy implementation. Building on these findings, researchers conducted semi-structured retrospective telephone interviews with foster parents across one southeastern state (n = 20) to identify local retrospective perspectives on RPPS implementation. Using thematic inductive coding two unique themes emerged about SEAs prior to RPPS: 1) negative social impacts and 2) complicated activity approval processes. Three unique themes emerged after RPPS: 1) empowerment, 2) implementation disparities and 3) resource recommendations. Policy implications include the need to support foster parents by increasing resources (funding, transportation, access), clarifying liability and clarifying motivation expectations. (Edited publisher abstract)
A fistful of euros: is the German one-euro job workfare scheme effective for participants?
- Authors:
- HOHMEYER Katrin, WOLFF Joachim
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Social Welfare, 21(2), April 2012, pp.174-185.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
In Germany, a major welfare reform in 2005 emphasised the activation of welfare recipients and introduced a workfare programme, called ‘One-Euro Jobs’. One-euro jobs are temporary, mainly part-time jobs in the non-profit sector. Since their introduction, their use has been widespread, with over 600,000 participants a year. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of one-euro jobs on the employment prospects of different groups of participants. The study analysed administrative data from the German Federal Employment Agency for one-euro job participants aged 15-62 years who started their participation in the programme in early 2005, compared to a control group of other welfare recipients. The results showed that participation slightly improved the medium-term employment prospects for women but not for men. Participation reduced the employment rate of participants younger than 25 years but raised it for some of the older participant groups. The article concludes that one-euro jobs are effective for participants who have been jobless for several years but ineffective for participants who were recently employed.
Prolific and other priority offenders: a joint inspection of the PPO programme
- Authors:
- BOOTHER Mark, et al
- Publisher:
- HM Inspectorate of Probation
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 55p.
- Place of publication:
- London
The Prolific and other Priority Offender programme was introduced in 2004 to target the small number of offenders known to be committing a disproportionately high number of crimes, and local schemes were established with police and probation services to work with offenders of this type. A three-strand strategy was developed to tackle prolific offending and its causes- prevent and deter, catch and convict, and rehabilitate and resettle. This 2009 documents reports on progress so far of those schemes, which were found to be generally performing well and delivering interventions leading to potentially positive outcomes, although it was too early to assess their impact regarding long term success once the offenders were no longer under enhanced supervision.
Tackling street homelessness in Scotland: the evolution and impact of the Rough Sleepers Initiative
- Author:
- ANDERSON Isobel
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Issues, 63(3), 2007, pp.623-640.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This article presents a medium–long-term analysis of the policy process in relation to tackling street homelessness in Scotland, through the Rough Sleepers Initiative. After setting the Scottish context in terms of governance and homelessness, the article takes a chronological approach to policy review, drawing on empirical evaluative data and other documentary evidence. The article then considers the overall effectiveness of the initiative in terms of its policy aims and in relation to the broader context of housing and welfare. The article concludes by drawing some lessons that may have relevance beyond Scotland and the United Kingdom.
Regulating prostitution: different problems, different solutions, same old story
- Author:
- PHOENIX Jo
- Journal article citation:
- Community Safety Journal, 6(1), February 2007, pp.7-10.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
This article looks at three main models of intervention that have informed recent policy and practice with people involved in the sex trade. These are summed up as: criminalisation, legislation and decriminalisation. It reveals the inherent contradictions within attempts to both help and punish workers in the existing prostitution strategy.
Could do better
- Author:
- REVANS Lauren
- Journal article citation:
- 0-19, November 2005, pp.12-14.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business
Despite a raft of punitive measures designed to bring truancy under control, the problem refuses to go away. The author considers whether the government should take another approach. The article includes an example of innovative practice from New York which uses a system of 'teen courts' where trained young people try cases and set punishments for petty crimes such as truancy.
Encouraging better respect
- Author:
- GOLDING Nick
- Journal article citation:
- Local Government Chronicle, 15.09.05, 2005, pp.8-9.
- Publisher:
- Emap Business
As the government steps up their war on anti-social behaviour, the author discusses concerns that local authorities may not have the tools to do the job. The article highlights how current powers have been used inconsistently across the country; concerns that too much emphasis is being placed on enforcement; and that trailblazing early intervention projects are not guaranteed a long-term future.
The homelessness monitor: Great Britain 2022
- Authors:
- WATTS Beth, et al
- Publisher:
- Crisis
- Publication year:
- 2022
- Pagination:
- xxi, 114
- Place of publication:
- London
This report was commissioned by Crisis and led by Heriot-Watt University, as part of the Homelessness Monitor series, a longitudinal study providing independent analysis of the homelessness impacts of recent economic and policy developments in Great Britain. The research takes stock of homelessness in 2022 and the five year period before this. It also highlights emerging trends and forecasts some of the likely future changes, identifying the developments likely to have the most significant impacts on homelessness. The report finds that Levels of 'core' (i.e. the most extreme forms of) homelessness are consistently higher in England (0.84% of households in 2020) than in either Wales (0.68% of households in 2020) or Scotland (0.57% of households in 2020). The number of core homeless households are projected to grow further in England, particularly in London, unless policy steps are taken to correct this negative direction of travel. Statistical modelling indicates that the most effective policies for reducing core homelessness include: rehousing quotas for core homeless groups in the social rented sector; increasing the Local Housing Allowance rate; raising the level of Universal Credit payments; expanding Housing First interventions; and maximising the use of prevention tools by local authorities. Such policies in concert could reduce total core homelessness by 34% in England, 30% in Wales, and 42% in Scotland. (Edited publisher abstract)
A decade of lessons learned from integration strategies in the Netherlands
- Authors:
- NIES Henk, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Integrated Care, 21(S2), 2021, p.15. Online only
- Publisher:
- International Foundation for Integrated Care
Introduction: In the Netherlands multiple single, cross sector and cross governance level policy reforms were introduced to improve health and social care and decrease fragmentation. In addition to legislative and funding measures, the governmental strategy was to set up long-lasting improvement programs and supported by applied research. Description: Five national improvement programs on chronic disease management, maternity care, youth care, care for older people and dementia care were analysed. The Laws of integration of Leutz were used as an analytical framework. The programs demonstrated a mixture of employing policy, quality and financial measures to stimulate coherence and integration. Discussion: The Laws that Leutz formulated are to a large extent applicable in the Dutch context. However, the characteristics of the system of governance being corporatist in its structure and its culture imply that it is hard to distinguish single actors being in the lead. Integration is a more complex process and requires more dynamics, than the law ‘keep it simple, stupid’ suggests. Conclusions: In the Dutch context integration implies a permanent pursuit of aligning mechanisms for integration. Sustainable integration requires long-standing efforts of all relevant stakeholders and cannot be achieved quickly. It may take a decade of consistently applying a mix of policy instruments. (Edited publisher abstract)