This month we launched the first of a number of small partnerships in Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) to prevent homelessness among people in high risk groups. Bath Mind was the first referral partner to join forces and we engaged their new customers to run through our money triage process to identify ways they could boost their financial wellbeing. Our experience throughout lockdown was that a gentle run-through of all an individual’s options would open deeper conversations about their fears over any looming crises, including rent arrears or circumstances that could lead to them losing their home.

An application to the Lottery’s Awards for All programme last December was well and truly out of date by the time they confirmed during lockdown. We negotiated a change of emphasis, aiming to prevent homelessness. Clean Slate’s Founder and a number of its staff are former Big Issue workers so know the issue well and our work with the B&NES Homelessness Partnership means we not only understand the triggers, we are in contact with key agencies whose users might be at risk. The aim now is to engage people dealing with relationship or family breakdown and substance misuse, as well as mental ill-health, before they are on the statutory radars of housing and homelessness.

Clean Slate can provide money guidance to help secure an individual’s housing financially but we can also signpost them into specialist advice. Working closely with the referring agency, with the participant’s consent, we can also ensure work together to provide additional support to help avert homelessness. It’s a model we aim to scale up in other areas where we work.