Purpose

The Council has been awarded funding through the Government’s Long-Term Rough Sleeping
Innovation Programme, which forms part of the national strategy to reduce and ultimately end
long-term rough sleeping.
The programme places significant emphasis on partnership working, system leadership and the
development of integrated responses to long-term rough sleeping. Local authorities are
expected to demonstrate:
• Earlier identification and prevention
• More personalised and flexible responses
• Stronger integration across services and partners
• Improved governance and collective accountability
• Clear evidence of improved outcomes and system change
The programme specifically requires local authorities to develop stronger whole-system
approaches to long-term rough sleeping, including coordinated governance, shared priorities,
partnership-led delivery and integrated responses across agencies.
• Driving innovation and service development where existing pathways are not meeting
need
The role will operate across organisational boundaries and support the development of a
sustainable partnership model for homelessness prevention and rough sleeping, including
At present, responsibility for homelessness and rough sleeping spans multiple services and
organisations, including housing, adult social care, public health, community safety, criminal
justice services, health providers, St Leger Homes and the voluntary, community and faith
sector. Whilst significant work is already undertaken across the partnership, the current system
can be complex and fragmented, creating challenges in coordinating responses for individuals
with the most complex needs.
The proposed Homelessness Coordinator / Strategic Lead role will strengthen the Council’s
ability to deliver a coordinated and strategic whole-system response by:
• Providing oversight and alignment of homelessness prevention and rough sleeping
activity across agencies
• Coordinating multiple interdependent workstreams, including prevention, outreach,
accommodation, support and move-on pathways
• Supporting collective prioritisation, decision-making and governance arrangements
• Improving coordination between operational services and strategic partners
• Supporting the development of shared approaches to case management, information
sharing and performance monitoring
• Ensuring local approaches remain aligned with national policy, funding requirements
and programme expectations
governance arrangements, shared accountability, pathway development and multi-agency
problem solving.
Alongside this, funding will support the development of innovative and flexible pathways for
individuals experiencing long-term rough sleeping who are unable to engage with, or sustain,
traditional accommodation offers. This cohort often experiences multiple disadvantage, trauma,
poor physical and mental health, substance misuse and repeat homelessness, resulting in
continued use of emergency and crisis services.

Decision

Accept funding of £125,000 awarded through the Long-Term Rough Sleeping Innovation
Programme for 2026/27.
• Establish a Homelessness Coordinator / Strategic Lead role (subject to job evaluation)
responsible for strategic oversight, partnership coordination and alignment of
homelessness prevention and rough sleeping activity across the Council and its partners.
• Develop and strengthen partnership governance, multi-agency coordination and whole
system approaches to preventing and reducing long-term rough sleeping, including
development of a Long-Term Rough Sleeping Partnership Plan.
• Design and implement innovative, flexible and engagement-focused pathways for
individuals experiencing long-term rough sleeping and multiple disadvantage, particularly
those unable to engage with or sustain traditional accommodation and support offers.
• Support improved partnership working, coordinated case management, information
sharing and collective monitoring arrangements across relevant agencies and services.
• Develop and test new approaches that support prevention, recovery, engagement and
progression into sustainable accommodation and support pathways.

Alternative options considered

Decline the funding
Rejected as this would forgo external investment and limit the Council’s ability to strengthen
partnership approaches, improve outcomes and meet programme expectations.
• Continue with existing arrangements
Rejected as current structures do not provide sufficient strategic coordination or system
leadership to deliver the level of change required.
• Implement changes without a dedicated strategic coordinating role
Rejected due to the complexity of aligning multiple services, agencies, pathways and funding
streams.
• Focus only on existing accommodation models
Rejected as this would not adequately address the needs of individuals who are unable to
engage with or sustain current provision.
• Develop standalone interventions without partnership integration
Rejected as evidence indicates that long-term rough sleeping requires coordinated multi
agency responses and whole-system approaches.