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ORGANISATIONS IN BLAENAU GWENT, CAERPHILLY, MONMOUTHSHIRE, NEWPORT AND TORFAEN HAVE SECURED ALMOST £50,000 FROM THE NATIONAL LOTTERY COMMUNITY FUND FOR A NEW SOCIAL ENTERPRISE MODEL, IN AN AREA-WIDE DRIVE TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS
The Helping End Homelessness programme has awarded £49,976 towards an integrated network of support services including housing, health, training and employment initiatives. The project, made up of multi-agency teams from the public, third and private sectors across Gwent, will develop innovative solutions to complement local authority Phase 2 plans to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurrent.
The new model aims to develop plans for four key themes across Gwent:
Homelessness services across Gwent have faced numerous challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. Demand for accommodation services remain high and it is anticipated that additional pressures on both temporary and permanent accommodation will rise due to the number of people experiencing financial difficulty.
Welsh Government 2019-20 figures show that 1,938 households were threatened with homelessness across Gwent during this period. In addition, intervention and support services remain oversubscribed with a rise in the number of complex cases. It is therefore vital that all agencies in the area work together to provide better and more efficient services for people across Gwent.
The project is a partnership of 22 organisations, each representing communities who have a housing need. Organisations and agencies involved include The Wallich, Cyfannol Women’s Aid, St. Giles Trust, Tai Pawb, Kaleidoscope, Newport City Homes, Melin Homes, Bron Afon Community Housing, Tai Calon Community Housing, HMPPS, DWP, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Social Services, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, Caerphilly County Borough, Monmouthshire County Council, Newport City Council and Torfaen County Borough Council.
Gareth Jones, Area Manager for South East Wales at The Wallich, said,
“The pandemic has been a huge challenge for people experiencing homelessness, but we have risen to the challenge to keep people safe. However, with the furlough scheme ending, the economic consequences still to be assessed and a likely increase in evictions due to rent arrears, many more people are at risk of homelessness.
The Wallich are delighted to be working in partnership with like-minded agencies and local authorities to tackle the new post-pandemic challenges ahead. This project aims to prevent homelessness by assisting people into work and improving access to advice and support. By preventing homelessness and creating resilient communities, there is hope for a better future.”
Simon Rose, Group Manager – Housing & Commissioning, at Torfaen County Borough Council, said,
“The challenges for all agencies in tackling and alleviating homelessness and the issues associated with homelessness have increased significantly due to the pandemic but opportunities to develop collaborative partnerships are at the very heart of where the response and recovery lies. This is an extremely exciting opportunity for transforming services and lives.”
Angela Lee, Gwent Regional Development Coordinator, said,
“Building upon the strong partnerships across agencies in Gwent, this project provides us with a fantastic opportunity and the scope to develop new models and ways of working collaboratively together, to ensure that when homelessness happens, it is rare, brief and non-recurrent.”
The National Lottery Community Fund Helping End Homelessness is a £10 million fund specifically for strategic projects that seek to redesign services to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurrent.
The awarded grant of £49,976 will support the development of a full 5-7 year project proposal for a share of the £10 million fund. The projects must be person-centred and delivered by multi-agency partnerships where third sector and public sector organisations work closely together, based on a mutually agreed vision for tackling homelessness.
Across Gwent, the partnership will develop training and employment opportunities through a social enterprise model and several initiatives to boost employment and reinvest in the local community.
Wales saw the steepest rise in unemployment of any part of the UK between the months of August and October 2020, with unemployment levels rising to 4.8% with redundancy levels reaching a record high.
The grant means there will be increased access to trauma-informed specialist services for people in the region with complex support needs. Initiatives will be driven by specific organisations, who are experts in providing tailored services.
For example, women’s services (led by Cyfannol Women’s Aid), mental health services, drug and alcohol services, plus support for refugees, asylum seekers and people with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF).
Lastly, the new fund will re-design much needed support services for tenancy and housing. With demand for housing meaning increased use of the private rented sector, the new service will support landlords and tenants to avoid tenancy breakdown, resolve conflict and reduce the risk of potential homelessness.
Mae sefydliadau ym Mlaenau Gwent, Caerffili, Sir Fynwy, Casnewydd a Thorfaen wedi derbyn bron i £50,000 gan Gronfa Gymunedol y Loteri Genedlaethol ar gyfer model menter gymdeithasol newydd, mewn ymgais trwy’r ardal i atal digartrefedd.
Mae’r rhaglen Rhoi Terfyn ar Ddigartrefedd wedi derbyn £49,976 tuag at rwydwaith integredig o wasanaethau cymorth gan gynnwys tai, iechyd, hyfforddiant a mentrau cyflogaeth.
Bydd y prosiect, sy’n cynnwys timau amlasiantaeth o’r sector cyhoeddus, y trydydd sector a’r sector preifat drwy Went yn datblygu atebion arloesol i ategu cynlluniau Cam 2 yr awdurdod lleol i wneud digartrefedd yn anfynych, byr a byth yn digwydd eto.
Mae’r model newydd yn anelu at ddatblygu cynlluniau ar gyfer pedair o themâu allweddol drwy Went.
Mae gwasanaethau digartrefedd drwy Went wedi wynebu nifer o heriau sydd wedi cael eu gwaethygu gan y pandemig. Mae’r galw am wasanaethau tai yn parhau yn uchel a rhagwelir y bydd pwysau ychwanegol ar dai dros dro a thai parhaol yn codi oherwydd y nifer o bobl sy’n cael anawsterau ariannol. Dengys ffigurau 2019-20 Llywodraeth Cymru fod 1,938 o gartrefi wedi cael eu bygwth y byddan nhw’n ddigartref drwy Went yn ystod y cyfnod hwn.
Yn ychwanegol, mae gwasanaethau ymyrraeth a chymorth yn parhau i ordanysgrifio, gyda chynnydd yn y nifer o achosion cymhleth. Felly, mae’n hanfodol fod yr holl asiantaethau yn yr ardal yn cydweithio i ddarparu gwasanaethau gwell a mwy effeithiol ar gyfer pobl drwy Went.
Mae’r prosiect yn bartneriaeth o 22 sefydliad, pob un yn cynrychioli cymunedau sydd angen tai. Mae sefydliadau ac asiantaethau sydd ynghlwm â hyn yn cynnwys The Wallich, Cyfannol Women’s Aid, Ymddiriedolaeth St. Giles, Tai Pawb, Kaleidoscope, Cartrefi Dinas Casnewydd, Melin Homes, Tai Cymunedol Bron Afon, Tai Cymunedol Tai Calon, GCPhEM, Yr Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau, Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Aneurin Bevan, Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Blaenau Gwent, Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili, Cyngor Sir Fynwy, Cyngor Dinas Casnewydd a Chyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Torfaen.
Dywedodd Gareth Jones, Rheolwr Ardal De-ddwyrain Cymru yn The Wallich, “Mae’r pandemig wedi bod yn her anferth i bobl sy’n profi digartrefedd, ond rydym wedi ymateb i’r galw er mwyn cadw pobl yn ddiogel. Fodd bynnag, gyda’r cynllun ffyrlo yn dod i ben, y canlyniadau economaidd yn parhau i gael eu hasesu a chynnydd tebygol mewn pobl yn cael eu troi allan o’u cartrefi oherwydd ôl-ddyledion rhent, mae llawer mwy o bobl mewn risg o ddod yn ddigartref. Mae’r Wallich wrth ei fodd yn gweithio mewn partneriaeth ag asiantaethau ac awdurdodau lleol o’r un feddwl er mwyn ymdrin â’r heriau ôl-bandemig newydd sydd o’n blaenau. Mae’r prosiect hwn yn anelu at atal digartrefedd drwy gynorthwyo pobl i gael gwaith a gwella mynediad at gyngor a chymorth. Drwy atal digatrefedd a chreu cymunedau gwydn, mae gobaith am well dyfodol.”
Dywedodd Simon Rose, Rheolwr Grŵp – Tai a Chomisiynu yng Nghyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Torfaen, “Mae’r heriau ar gyfer pob asiantaeth i ymdrin a lliniaru digartrefedd a’r problemau sy’n gysylltiedig â digartrefedd wedi cynyddu yn sylweddol oherwydd y pandemig, ond mae cyfleoedd i ddatblygu partneriaethau cydweithredol wrth galon yr ymateb a’r adferiad. Dyma gyfle cyffrous dros ben ar gyfer trawsnewid gwasanaethau a bywydau.”
Dywedodd Angela Lee, Cydlynydd Datblygu Rhanbarthol Gwent: “Drwy adeiladu ar y partneriaethau cryf ar draws asiantaethau yng Ngwent, mae’r prosiect hwn yn rhoi cyfle ffantastig a chwmpas inni i ddatblygu modelau a ffyrdd newydd o gydweithio, er mwyn sicrhau pan mae digartrefedd yn digwydd, bydd yn anfynych, byr a byth yn digwydd eto.”
Mae Taclo Digartrefedd gan Gronfa Gymunedol y Loteri Genedlaethol yn gronfa £10 miliwn yn benodol ar gyfer prosiectau strategol sy’n ceisio ailwampio gwasanaethau er mwyn gwneud digartrefedd yng Nghymru yn anfynych, byr a byth yn digwydd eto. Bydd y grant o £49,976 a ddyfernir yn cefnogi datblygu cynnig prosiect am 5-7 mlynedd lawn ar gyfer derbyn cyfran o’r gronfa £10 miliwn. Mae’n rhaid i’r prosiectau fod yn ganolog ar yr unigolion a chael eu cyflawni gan bartneriaethau amlasiantaeth lle mae’r sefydliadau trydydd sector a’r sector cyhoeddus yn gweithio yn agos gyda’i gilydd, yn seiliedig ar weledigaeth a gytunwyd arni yn gydfuddiannol ar gyfer ymdrin â digartrefedd.
Drwy Went, bydd y bartneriaeth yn datblygu hyfforddiant a chyfleoedd gwaith drwy fodel menter gymdeithasol a nifer o fentrau er mwyn hybu cyflogaeth ac ailfuddsoddi yn y gymuned leol. Gwelwyd y cynnydd mwyaf mewn diweithdra yng Nghymru nag unrhyw ran o’r DU rhwng misoedd Awst a Hydref 2020, gyda lefelau diweithdra yn codi i 4.8% a lefelau diswyddo yn cyrraedd yr uchaf erioed.
Mae’r grant yn golygu y bydd cynnydd yn y mynediad at wasanaethau arbenigol sy’n deall trawma i bobl yn y rhanbarth sydd ag anghenion cymorth cymhleth. Bydd mentrau yn cael eu sbarduno gan sefydliadau penodol sy’n arbenigwyr mewn darparu gwasanaethau pwrpasol.
Er enghraifft, gwasanaethau merched (sy’n cael eu harwain gan Cymorth i Ferched Cyfannol), gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl, gwasanaethau cyffuriau ac alcohol, ynghyd â chymorth ar gyfer ffoaduriaid, ceiswyr lloches a phobl Nad oes ganddyn nhw Hawl i Gyllid Cyhoeddus (NHGC).
Yn olaf, bydd y gronfa newydd yn ailgynllunio gwasanaethau cymorth sydd fawr eu hangen ar gyfer tenantiaeth a thai. Gyda mwy o alw am dai, mae’n golygu y bydd mwy o ddefnydd o’r sector rhent preifat a bydd y gwasanaeth newydd yn cefnogi landlordiaid a thenantiaid er mwyn sicrhau na fydd y denantiaeth yn dod i ben, datrys anghydfodau a lleihau’r risg o ddigartrefedd posibl.
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