Housing and homelessness service praised by inspectors

ONE of Scotland’s leading housing and homelessness support services has been praised by the Care Inspectorate for its high standards and for achieving positive outcomes for the families and individuals it works with.

Shelter Scotland support services, which offer practical help and advocacy to households experiencing or at risk of homelessness or living in bad housing, were commended by Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) who inspected the charity’s national projects.

The inspectors found that the services, which at the time of the inspection was helping over 220 families and individuals with a range of housing and homelessness problems across Scotland, offer a high standard of care and ‘a strong ethos of enabling people to take control in their lives and maintain and improve their independence’.

Shelter Scotland  was praised for “high standards and positive outcomes”

Following the annual inspection, which this year took place at the charity’s Dumfries & Galloway service, the overall standard awarded increased from ‘good’ to ‘very good’, with two out of four national standards achieving the top ‘excellent’ grading.

Alison Watson, Head of Services at Shelter Scotland, said: “We welcome the inspector’s findings which confirm Shelter Scotland’s commitment to providing the highest standard of services to those who need it most. The report and comments from the inspectors are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our advisors and support workers.

“Against a backdrop of rising unemployment, frozen wages and rising living costs increasing numbers of people are coming to us for advice. Last year alone we received 19,000 calls to our national helpline – and that number is on the rise.

“As the number of enquiries to our helpline increases, so does demand for referrals to Shelter Scotland’s specialist services. The lack of a home can often be a barrier to everything else and for some addressing homelessness is only the start. We work with hundreds of families and individuals who require specialist support and care throughout their housing journey – whether that’s supporting children in homeless families to cope with their circumstances through creative therapies or helping adults address the underlying issues which led to homelessness.”

She added: “Through our advice, advocacy and campaign work Shelter Scotland aims to help everyone in housing need. It is rewarding to be recognised for the worthwhile work we do and the positive outcomes we help to achieve for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”