Supported Housing Task and Finish Group Main Report

3. Policy Context

3.1 Homelessness Policy

The Ending Homelessness Together Action Plan (EHT Plan) [ref 11] is a joint Scottish Government and COSLA plan published in 2018 and updated in 2020. It sets out how national and local government and third sector partners will work together to end homelessness. The key themes in the plan reflect the recommendations made by the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group (HARSAG) in 2018 [ref 12]. HARSAG was set up to recommend to Scottish Government Ministers the actions needed to eradicate rough sleeping and transform the use of temporary accommodation in Scotland.

3.2 Corresponding Strategies

Statutory homelessness in Scotland has a broad definition and each experience of it is unique. It can impact on many aspects of someone’s life, including health and wellbeing, relationships, education, employment and on ability to travel and have digital access.

Consequently, almost all social policy and strategy connects to varying extents with the objectives of the EHT Plan. The National Framework for Housing First summarises the range of connected strategy and policy frameworks [ref 9].

The overarching frameworks that the EHT Plan is currently aligned with are:

• The vision and values of Scotland’s National Performance Framework [ref 13].
• A wellbeing economy, which recognises the importance of delivering not just economic, but human and ecological wellbeing [ref 14].
• Housing to 2040, which sets out a vision for housing in Scotland and a route-map which sets the overarching strategy for housing in Scotland [ref 7].

Specifically, the future role of supported housing as a response to homelessness in Scotland should correspond with the following national frameworks:

(i) Outcome 2 of the National Health and Wellbeing Outcomes [ref 8], the strategic framework for the planning and delivery of health and social care services:

“People, including those with disabilities or long-term conditions, or who are frail, are able to live, as far as reasonably practicable, independently and at home or in a homely setting in their community.”

(ii) The new duties to prevent homelessness contained in the Housing Bill that was introduced to the Scottish Parliament in March 2024 [ref 6]. The Prevention Review Group, whose work instigated the prevention duties, included supported housing as an option to prevent homelessness and respond to it:

“Where needs are more complex, to the extent that they cannot be supported in mainstream housing even with additional support, then primary responsibility for meeting those accommodation needs should sit with the Health and Social Care Partnership. This is intended to capture the needs of those who require highly specialist medical or other support. It is not intended to cover needs that might be met through Housing First provision.”

The Housing Bill does not set out a primary responsibility of Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCP) to provide housing in the situation envisaged above, but where Housing First is not the best option for a person with complex needs and would likely pose a 'threat of homelessness', the Integrated Joint Boards (IJB) and local housing authorities would be compelled to act to 'minimise that threat'.

In addition, at para 42 of the Bill, local housing strategies are required to assess housing support needs and availability of housing support services, although this is not linked to the provision of housing.

At a local level, planning and commissioning for supported housing should be centred within the following frameworks:

(iii) The Health and Social Care Strategic Plan, which is overseen by the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) Chief Officer and the Integration Joint Board of each of Scotland’s 31 HSCPs.

(iv) The Homelessness Strategy which local authorities have a duty to have. Some are discrete or combined with housing options strategy and some integrated into the Local Housing Strategy. Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans (RRTPs) are intended to chart a course away from overdependence on temporary accommodation and toward settled housing more quickly. In 2019, Scottish Government provided RRTP transition funding for five years and extended this by an additional year for 2024-25.

(v) Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) and Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) to integrate supported housing provision or reprovision with local housing planning and analysis. The Housing Contribution Statement provides the 'bridge' between the Local Housing Strategy and the HSCP’s Strategic Commissioning Plan.

(vi) While how homelessness services will align is currently uncertain, the stated intention of the National Care Service to promote ethical commissioning and procurement as well as sustainable funding which would provide the best underpinning conditions for supported housing and a skilled and resilient housing support workforce.