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Community Voluntary Sector Research Grant Scheme

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Evicted for Anti-Social Behaviour under the Housing Act or left voluntarily ... The treatment of Anti-social Behaviour must be radically rethought in light of ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Community Voluntary Sector Research Grant Scheme


1
Community / Voluntary SectorResearch Grant Scheme
  • Heroin the Mental Roof Over Your Head
  • Links between homelessness and drug use
  • Research conducted by
  • Marie Crawley and Mary Daly
  • Presented by
  • Geoff Corcoran (THAU)

2
Tallaght Homeless Advice Unit
  • works with anyone Homeless or at risk of
    Homelessness while also raising awareness of and
    influencing factors that cause Homelessness
  • provides information, advocacy and support
    services to clients
  • People involved in research
  • Independent Researchers Marie Crawley Mary
    Daly
  • Staff and Clients of THAU
  • Research Advisory Committee Tricia Nolan, Cathy
    Doyle,
  • Carol Delaney, Patrick McGrath, Aileen OGorman,
    and John
  • Baker

3
Research Aim
  • to undertake an emancipatory research project
    with a targeted group of homeless drug users
    which will document the links between
    homelessness and drug use.
  • Research Objectives
  • Explore policies and practices in relation to
    homeless drug users.
  • Explore the experiences drug users have of
    homeless services.

4
Methodology
  • Advisory group formed to agree research brief and
    criteria for selection of Service Users and
    Agency Staff to be interviewed.
  • Semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted
    with
  • 17 interviews with service users who either were
    currently homeless or had previous experience of
    homelessness.
  • 13 interviews with a range of Statutory,
    Community and Voluntary Organisations

5
Types of accomodation used by respondents
  • Sleeping rough
  • Emergency Accommodation
  • Transitional Housing
  • Tenancy
  • Private rented accommodation
  • Squatting

6
Difficulties faced by Respondents
  • When first homeless unable to get information
    about what to do
  • Lack of trust from agencies because of being a
    drug user
  • Lack of understanding from homelessness staff
    about issues facing drug users
  • Problems with trying to tackle drug use while
    being homeless
  • Effects of losing family, health, job and social
    status because of drug use

7
Experience of homelessness
  • It is rough, cold, lonely, dangerous and
    exhausting
  • People treat you with no dignity or respect
  • Feeling suicidal or attempting suicide
  • Loss of family and friends (having to go into
    town for accommodation)
  • Being attacked and robbed
  • Being trapped in a vicious circle

8
Main Findings (1) Drug use can lead to
homelessness
  • Interviewees were
  • Thrown out for using drugs at home families
    could not cope
  • Evicted for Anti-Social Behaviour under the
    Housing Act or left voluntarily under the threat
    of eviction
  • Evicted from homeless accommodation when
    suspected of using drugs
  • Made homeless because of drug related
    relationship breakdown

9
Main Findings (2)Being homeless makes it more
difficult to tackle drug addiction
  • Being homeless led to loss of place on treatment
    programmes due to being outside the catchment
    area
  • Lack of emergency accommmodation in Tallaght
    means contact with local drugs agencies is lost
  • The priority is trying to secure shelter

10
Main Findings (3)Being homeless affects the
nature and extent of drug use
  • It results in
  • An increase in the amount of drugs that are taken
  • Using new drugs and poly drug use
  • Drugs being taken in new and different ways (many
    moved into IV use of heroin on becoming homeless)
  • An increase in risky behaviour (sharing works
    unsafe sex)
  • Increased difficulty in controlling drug use or
    accessing help

11
Main Findings (4)Hostels are the most unsuitable
type of accommodation for drug users
  • There is a culture of alcohol and drug-taking
    drugs are everywhere
  • Dealers target hostels
  • Intimidation from other drug users is rife
  • Non drug users fear and dislike drug users
    isolation
  • Management of methadone in hostels is inadequate

12
Main Findings (5)1997 Housing Act is problematic
in its application
  • Acts as a tool of exclusion for drug users
    leads to homelessness
  • Is used arbitrarily and is inconsistent in its
    application
  • Threat of the Act frightens tenants into
    voluntary surrender. Fear is that eviction will
    result in
  • no entitlement to Rent allowance
  • no way back onto the housing list
  • not being accepted for emergency accommodation

13
Main Findings (6)Out of home drug users
experience agency discrimination
  • Lack of listening and respect
  • Little or no understanding of issues facing drug
    users
  • Being treated unfairly or differently because of
    being known as a drug user
  • Placement in poor accommodation

14
Main Findings (6) contd.Out of home drug users
experience agency discrimination
  • Not being admitted to, and being evicted from,
    accommodation because of being a drug user
  • Not being accepted as homeless because of being
    NFA
  • Being given insufficient information as to how
    the system works
  • Inflexible agency approach thus keeping people
    homeless
  • Being removed from the housing list and not
    notified

15
What changes are needed? (1)
  • An agreed definition of homelessness
  • Drug and homelessness services need to work more
    closely together
  • Adequate resources must be put into services for
    homeless drug users
  • Consistent record keeping needs to be in place
    within all agencies
  • Accommodation for homeless drug users must be
    provided in Tallaght across a range of phased
    options

16
What changes are needed? (2)
  • Policy regarding the homeless list must be
    reviewed
  • Review the use of BBs as long term housing
    option
  • Staff must be required to treat all with respect
    and dignity
  • Policies and procedures must be put in place to
    help staff provide a good service which does not
    discriminate against the most vulnerable clients
  • Staff who deal with homeless drug users must be
    adequately trained in relation to both
    homelessness and drug use

17
What changes are needed? (3)
  • Address the conflicting approach between Estate
    Management policies and the social inclusion
    approach
  • The treatment of Anti-social Behaviour must be
    radically rethought in light of the impact of the
    1997 Housing Act
  • Make the integrated approach real and involve out
    of home drug users in the system
  • Codes of conduct for emergency accommodation need
    to be developed and published and a clients
    complaints procedure included

18
What changes are needed? (4)
  • Management of drug related incidents should be
    given attention within all agencies
  • Improvement in service which was noted by
    respondents needs to continue

19
Finally a word of thanks
  • To all who took part in the research whether
  • service users or service providers thank you
  • And the last words

20
  • Something has to be done in Tallaght it
    wouldnt be for me but it would help the up and
    coming generation.
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