Leicester's Homelessness Charter

The UK’s Homelessness Reduction Act (2017) places a statutory responsibility on Local Authorities (Councils) to respond when an individual or family becomes or faces homelessness.

But while Councils might have a mandated responsibility, I have heard across the board on this trip, that local government cannot do it alone and that success lies in partnership.  

I came across Leicester’s homelessness charter through World Habitat and thought it was a really interesting example of community coming together, agreeing on a joint definition of homelessness, as well as agreeing on aims, principles and values.

Leicester’s charter also brings a wide group together (36 partners and 150 signatories), not just those who might traditionally focus on homelessness response, but also parts of the community that see the impact of street sleeping as well as other forms of homelessness.

As background – here’s some info from charter’s website:

Tackling the city's homelessness together

Leicester’s Homelessness Charter aims to improve the way organisations and individuals work together to tackle homelessness in the city, and to harness the enthusiasm of those who want to get involved but don’t know how. The charter provides a vision, values and principles that can be shared by all of those working to prevent homelessness in the city, and to support those affected by it.

 

Origins of the Charter

Leicester’s Homelessness Charter came about because a number of organisations working in the field recognised that we can achieve more together than separately. We wanted to ‘join the dots’, eliminate duplication and address the gaps in provision and support.

 

Led by the Diocese of Leicester and following a series of lively and well-attended workshops, the Charter was launched at Leicester Cathedral in November 2018. Its first signatories were the City Mayor, the Bishop of Leicester, the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Dean of Leicester. Many others, including the Lord Lieutenant attended and also pledged their support.

 

Over three years on, we have a committed oversight and management group, and a developing group of signatories and organisations actively working together. These include major institutions, businesses and statutory and voluntary sector bodies. There is greater understanding of who is doing what, and much better communication across the sector.

 

I had the opportunity to catch up with the Charter’s coordinator, Rebecca Pawley, when I visited Leicester on World Homelessness Day, 10 October 2022.

As the Charter’s coordinator, Rebecca has a lot on her plate. She liaises with all partners, spending regular time with a number of the key services. She does research, coordinates meetings, plans events, responds to enquiries and updates information lists.

After less than a year in the job, this is what Rebecca said are the benefits of her role and of coming together through the charter:

"The partnership offers the opportunity to raise issues and find out about what is happening and share information and because I'm going around the day services I can see what is happening.

 

"It's something about having the people who are doing the everyday work. Bringing those who work on homelessness every day to talk about the challenges and having the council in the room is really helpful

 

"It’s a way of teasing out the issues and seeing if there are any solutions.

 

"It's good to have the joint commitment. Without that joint place I don't know where people would direct that energy.”

 

Some of the successful initiatives of the charter include:

 

• Give Leicester - contactless point for people to tap and donate to Leicester’s local homelessness response. Designed with the local business community it is a way for people to support homelessness response than to give to people directly

• HOPE forum – a lived experience panel that is a joint initiative of charter and the local charity Dear Albert

• Service directory - one central directory across the city (one point of truth), which Rebecca keeps up to date.