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12.1

In support of delivering the
Government’s strategy to End Rough Sleeping, Sheffield City
Council was awarded £4,259,194 by the Department of Levelling
up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to fund the Rough Sleeper
Initiative’s Programme 5 for a 3-year period (April 2022
– March 2025) An additional uplift to the grant of
£429,000 was awarded by DLUHC and approved by Sheffield City
Council in the sum of £429,000.
 
The programme was approved in
November 2022 by the Finance Sub Committee. This included approval
to spend grant allocation specifically on Health Interventions, in
line with conditions and agreement with DLUHC.
 
This report proposes that
£77,563 of the grant income funds an NHS Nurse post,
specifically for the Rough Sleeper Cohort, in line with the agreed
Health Interventions. This funding will ensure Primary Care
Sheffield can continue providing the NHS Nurse provision for a
further 12 months from July 2024.

 

 

12.2

RESOLVED
UNANIMOUSLY: That the Housing Policy
Committee approves the expenditure of £77,563 grant funding
(from the Rough Sleeper Initiative grant funding) to Primary Care
Sheffield to fund an NHS nurse to deliver outreach healthcare and
treatment services to people rough sleeping in Sheffield for a
further 12 months until July 2025.

 

 

12.3

Reasons for Decision

 

 

12.3.1

The preferred option is to
agree to the suggested use of the funding available, as agreed by
DLUHC, so that the Council can extend the NHS Nurse Street outreach
treatment and healthcare services to people Rough Sleeping in
Sheffield until July 2025. The current service provider is well
placed to deliver the service, as the existing teams are already in
place to continue this work.

 

 

12.3.2

Rough Sleeping is the most
visible form of Homelessness, and this cohort of customers in the
city are the most vulnerable. Our Homelessness Prevention and Rough
Sleeping Strategy lists ‘tackling Rough Sleeping’ as a
key priority. The Council is committed to working towards an end to
Rough Sleeping and this repurposing proposal allows us to continue
this work.

 

 

12.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

 

 

12.4.1

The options available to spend
grant allocation are limited by the extremely short timescales
involved in agreeing the purposing of the funds with DLUHC, and
working through the legal, approval and potential procurement and
contractual processes required. All processes must be complete, and
funds paid for the proposed services by 31st March 2024. Failure to
comply with the required timeline will result in the loss of funds
(to be returned to DLUHC) and the associated services.

 

 

12.4.2

The option of returning the
unspent grant to DLUHC was considered but was discounted, due to
the reputational impact to the Council, loss of funds and loss of
provision for the cohort.