Written evidence submitted by Horizons North East [EXA 030]

Horizons North East is a Not for Profit CIC providing Supported Accommodation across South East Northumberland. As an organisation we receive referrals from a range of charities, local authorities, and self-referrals. We are a none commissioned service however we collaborate extensively with our Local Authority on Public Health and Community projects as well as on housing and social care matters.

I want to keep our input succinct to the matters pertaining to what I see as the biggest barriers to offering a quality service with the aim of making a difference to those who desperately need to access such a service.

Our experience is that as a highly reputable, respected and integrous service provider it is notable that the operating standards of a significant number of other providers bare absolutely no relation to our own, and in the absence of any form of regulatory body it is reputation alone which divides us - that should not be the case.

There is significant variation in the interpretation of certain costs by different organisations and no guidance on benchmark figures enabling unscrupulous providers to take advantage of this lack of structure and clarity and cost things in a way which simply does not represent the cost born to themselves, therefore does not provide value for money to the taxpayer, nor does it reflect the service provided to their clients; significantly they are not held to account for this.

The lack of any formal regulatory body or scrutiny process enables poor providers to grow and increasingly provide incredibly poor standards of service, which accentuates the devastating, and life limiting vulnerabilities of the clients who are forced through desperation to access their service; whilst at the same time receiving a financial income stream to facilitate them in doing so.

The lack of available finance for the actual support element via the exempt accommodation route means that the important aspect of qualitative and meaningful support can often be under reflected (often missing completely) in the overall service package; even across some of the better providers. Alternative funding mechanisms are becoming more challenging to obtain and therefore although a greater focus upon housing standards can be easily remedied through local Authority Private Rental Sector teams, selective licensing, property accreditation schemes etc, the important matter of client support is not easily financed and even less easily measured by external organisations. This does result in an overall poorer service in many instances.

Our service is highly client led and asset focussed, we include the community in the work we do and strive to be inventive, imaginative, resourceful and tenacious in giving our clients the opportunities to take their lives forward in a way which benefits them as well as the community and society.

As a well-respected but still relatively  small and growing organisation we would be happy to provide case studies or input which I know would make a difference to the value and outcomes of this study. Please do not hesitate to invite us to participate should this be a useful resource to this inquiry.

January 2022