The majority of areas in which homelessness agencies work directly with client groups specified in the NIs are listed under the 'tackling exclusion and promoting equality' heading of the new performance framework. There are also some within the safer communities section and, for homelessness agencies working with young people aged 16 to 19, within the children and young people 'Every Child Matters' outcome areas.

To demonstrate their contribution towards targets from these NIs, agencies will need to provide evidence of:

• The number of people from that group they have worked with
• Achievement of the end outcomes specified for that group and/or
• Evidence of progress made towards the end outcome.
  

The table below lists the NIs where homelessness agencies are most likely to be working directly with the client group specified and to contribute to the outcomes:

NI	Target group	Outcome
141	Vulnerable people	Achieving independent living (old SP KPI2)
142	Vulnerable people	Maintaining independent living (old SP KPI1)
143	Offenders under probation supervision	Living in settled and suitable accommodation
145	Adults with learning disabilities
149	Adults in contact with secondary mental health services
147	Young care leavers
144	Offenders under probation supervision	In employment
146	Adults with learning disabilities
150	Adults in contact with secondary mental health services
18	Offenders under probation supervision	Reduced re-offending
30	Prolific and priority offenders	Reduced re-offending
148	Young care leavers	In employment, training or education
32	Victims of domestic violence	reduced repeat incidents of domestic violence
38	Drug users	reduced drug-related offending
40		In effective treatment
39	Alcohol misuse clients	reduced hospital admission for alcohol-related harm
13	Migrants (including refugees)	English language skills

Implications

The main implications of this are:

• The key presenting needs of clients/ client group are likely to be routinely recorded already. However, we recommend that all agencies ensure that the ways in which they record needs of clients match the definitions of the NIs. For example, that they can readily identify all their clients 'in contact with secondary mental health services' (not only those with a mental health issue).
• The outcome of 'suitable and settled accommodation' is likely to be routinely recorded by homelessness agencies. However, agencies also need to be able to readily access information on which clients are in employment and other outcomes listed above, including offending and hospital admissions.
• Given the long journey to settled accommodation and employment for many clients, agencies will also want to demonstrate distance travelled towards these outcomes. This can be done using the Outcomes Star and similar tools. Many areas of the Star, for example, are focused on preparing people for independent or settled accommodation (there are plans in place to amend the Outcomes Star to include a specific 'journey to employment' scale in recognition of the relative importance placed on employment within these NIs).
  

Young People

In addition to the NIs listed in the above table, there are a number of indicators for young people that may be appropriate for services working with those aged 16 to 18. However, these have not been included here on the grounds that most homelessness agencies only work with those from the age of 18. The same is true for young offenders; there are indicators for them achieving access to suitable accommodation and also education, employment, or training, but since young offenders are defined as those aged 10 to 17 they have not been included.



Author: Sara Burns, Triangle Consulting
Date: 18 December 2007