Bournemouth takes aim at homelessness with data-driven plan to intervene before crisis
BCP Council is adopting a data-led approach to preventing homelessness as part of the Homewards project
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council is joining forces with international partners in an attempt to identify people at risk of homelessness before they reach crisis point.
BCP Council recently welcomed representatives from the Royal Foundation’s Homewards programme, Bloomberg Associates and the University of Auckland to explore how data, frontline expertise and closer partnerships could transform homelessness prevention across the area.
The council is among a small number of UK authorities using an advanced data-led approach to homelessness prevention.
The project aims to identify pressure points in local services, understand changing demand and spot people who may be at risk at an earlier stage.
In BCP, about 1,000 households approach services each year, many facing complex problems involving housing, health and social care.
The new approach is intended to shift the emphasis away from responding when people are already in crisis towards providing practical help before homelessness occurs.
Cllr Kieron Wilson said every person and family deserved the security of a safe and stable home.
“This work is about strengthening our focus on prevention, using data and strong partnerships to make sure we’re supporting people earlier, before challenges become crises,” he said.
The programme forms part of Homewards, a five-year initiative led by the Royal Foundation that aims to demonstrate that homelessness can be made rare, brief and unrepeated through locally led action and national collaboration.
In BCP, particular attention is being given to young people and families considered most at risk.
Partners are mapping how people move through local services and identifying gaps or pressures where earlier intervention could make the greatest difference.
Sarah Chamberlain, BCP Council’s director of IT and programmes, said data from housing, health and other council services was being brought together to create a clearer picture of emerging risks.
She described the predictive approach as “still new in the UK” but said it could help the council make better decisions and target support more effectively.
Ben Tomlin, head of housing options and partnerships, said the council’s Early Prevention Team had supported more than 1,500 households during the previous year.
He said the new programme could go further by identifying people showing the earliest signs of difficulty, allowing support to be offered sooner and potentially preventing homelessness altogether.