Horton Housing aims to support gypsies and travellers who wish to live independently in the community and maintain their cultural identity.
Themes
- Holistic accommodation-related support
- Multi-agency/partnership working
- Protected characteristics/minority ethnic groups
Locality
Across North Yorkshire
Aims
Our main aim is to support gypsies and travellers wishing to live independently in the community and maintain their cultural identity.
We also aim:
- To provide an accessible, responsive service for gypsies and travellers, in any tenure, who may have difficulty accessing accommodation or services;
- To prevent homelessness and support gypsies and travellers in maintaining their choice of accommodation and lifestyle;
- To support gypsies and travellers in developing the skills and confidence to live independently in their chosen setting, whether on sites or in housing; and
- To support and encourage gypsies and travellers to access other services that can help with health, wellbeing, education and accommodation.
Details
Our service is home-based, so contact will usually be through a support worker visiting the person's residence, whether that be on a site, roadside or in bricks and mortar. Support sessions are flexible and arranged to suit individual needs. We do not set clear time limits on these sessions as we recognise that support needs vary from person to person. Support can range from very brief involvement up to a maximum of two years.
Clients receiving more than brief involvement will have a full needs and risk assessment, before they are accepted onto the scheme. A support and risk management plan is agreed with both support worker and client and this is reviewed regularly. This is an important way of setting out goals, working towards achieving them and being able to see progress made. We encourage people to involve carers, other professionals or anyone they wish in their support planning.
We also offer regular drop-in services throughout North Yorkshire, and have a telephone advice line, which is available at any time of day.
Support is varied and wide-ranging, and can include:
- Help to find or keep accommodation;
- Help with settling in, good neighbour relations and keeping to a tenancy or licence agreement;
- Help dealing with finances, for example, budgeting, bills, correspondence, welfare benefits, rent arrears or debts;
- Help to establish personal safety and security;
- Advocacy and liaison with landlords, utility services and/or other relevant agencies;
- Advice with issues around home maintenance and self care;
- Identifying appropriate agencies to provide specialist support or healthcare, and assisting with access to these;
- Emotional support during stressful times to try and prevent loss of accommodation through inability to cope;
- Encouragement to establish and maintain support networks where appropriate;
- Make or keep contact with friends or family;
- Take up opportunities for employment, education, social and leisure activities;
- Gain access to other services such as counselling, advocacy or family mediation; and
- Find specialist help if facing discrimination.
How will this case study improve health and reduce health inequalities?
We intend our services to have positive outcomes for the people we work, with in terms of:
- Reduced risk of social and cultural isolation;
- Improved housing situation;
- Increased ability to manage accommodation successfully and live independently;
- More stable way of life;
- Maximised income through welfare benefit and debt counselling advice, and through improved money management skills;
- Better access to health care, in particular GP and dental services;
- Reduction in crisis hospital admissions and accident and emergency attendance;
- Support networks having been explored and established, with links to specialist and statutory services to address complex and multiple support needs;
- Reduced incidences of offending or anti-social behaviour, or involvement in activities that in some way could be harmful; and
- Reduction of incidences of harassment or abuse.
Contact details
Hannah Brown, manager
Horton Housing Association
Tel: 01757 241020
Email: gateway@hortonhousing.co.uk
Web: www.hortonhousing.co.uk
