Services

CHNI's work - update of staff activities

For a snapshot of CHNI staff activities, click below:

Directorate

Development & Admin Team

North West Unit

Training Department

Training Department (Substance Use strand)

Youth Department

Food Network

Information department

CHNI aims to support both its membership and non-members working in the sector in providing a full range of appropriate and good quality services to people who become homeless in Northern Ireland.

We continue to achieve this through providing training, information and research, collective representation, networking and provision of technical support

click here for information leaflet.

CHNI offers a wide variety of projects and services to our members, and the homeless population:

The Youth Unit		seeks to inform and advocate on behalf of the youth homeless sector and young people experiencing homelessness. Click here for more information about Youth Research

Buzz Youth Media Project		provides opportunities for young homeless people in the fields of media and creative arts.

Training		CHNI continues to be at the forefront of homelessness and related training. Courses offered are diverse, comprehensive and always cutting edge, delivered by highly skilled practitioners. click here for current training calendar

Substance misuse training		The aim of the training is to improve the interface between the homelessness and substance treatment sectors. click here for more information

Supporting People		CHNI continues to inform both members and non-members throughout the sector on Supporting People issues.

North West Office		CHNI continues to expand their service to members outside the greater Belfast area. Training and Supporting People are significant elements of the North West unit's provision.

Information & Research		CHNI provides a number of regular publications to its membership. This service ensures members and staff alike immediate access to information and advice. Homeless NI website. Homeless Northern Ireland has information on over 380 services that can help homeless people and those at risk of homelessness. It includes hostels, day centres and other advice and support services. Click here for site Click here for information on how to use

Networking and Advocacy

CHNI lobbies and campaigns for positive change in homelessness legislation and seeks to positively influence public opinion on homelessness issues, on an ongoing basis.


Ricky Rowledge, Director		Margaret Henry, Deputy Director

CHNI has extensive experience in developing innovative and effective ways of involving service users. We assist member organisations in the development of policy and practice in this area and relate this to best practice developed by other UK organisations. CHNI management and staff take part in a variety of internal and external networks. For example:

the Rough Sleepers Forum;
the Asylum Seekers Forum;
Supporting People Groups;
Children’s Services Planning Groups;
and many other fora.

By taking part in these, we ensure that CHNI is consistent and effective in relaying up to date information to our members and facilitating communication.

For further information, please browse the departmental pages within the site, or contact us.

CHNI activities and news

Directorate

Ricky Rowledge, Director

Attended and contributed to SP Commissioning body
Met with the Minister for Social Development to discuss the funding situation with regards to SP
Helped develop PSI training sub-group resource for training civil service in homelessness issues
Attended a number of Ministerial presentations on implications of budget changes
Meeting with CEO Fareshare re. development of CHNI food network project
Attended NIAPN board meeting
Chaired meeting re. Alcohol and nutrition resource being developed by CHNI
Meeting with PBNI re. SP funding and support for approval hostels
Partnership working with BYTES projects and members to develop new educational project
Meeting with Housing Rights Service re. prison protocol
Meetings to develop new projects to benefit members and service users
Chairing Facing the Future seminars (Belfast and Derry)
Chairing CRISPP
Supporting provided to UUJ students re. dissertations on homelessness policy
Ongoing work re. Joint management agreements and promotion of partnerships between
Housing Associations and members
Attending NIACRO Accessing Services for Offenders Group
Meeting with Lord Rana re. presentation to NI Consular Association
Meeting with Jane Maurice re. influencing MEPs and planning trip to Brussels to coincide with
FEANTSA conference – to highlight best practice in NI
Planning conference with NIAPN
Attending Multi-disciplinary Homeless Support Team operational group
Preparation for PSI Summit (30th September)
Meeting with SIB on behalf of Voluntary Sector Housing Provider forum

Margaret Henry, Deputy Director:

Annual return for Equality Commission
Internal moderating – OCN course in Homelessness and Substance use
Appraisals / job chats
Sourcing and organising external training
ASIST (suicide awareness training)
Annual monitoring / HR related activities
Induction of new member of staff
Sourcing and completing applications for new sources of funding.
Meeting with NIHE Supporting People re. CHNI training programme

Substance Use Training Programme Update

The summer has been a busy time for the project with various bespoke training sessions held in Derry on Mephedrone, Emergency Life Support and Overdose Management and in Belfast on Alcohol Withdrawal and Blood Borne Viruses.

We also started to arrange cross-sectoral placements between homelessness and addiction services. This year we have been in discussions with the Northern and Southern Trusts as well as the 2 Eastern area Trusts. This means it is highly likely that there will be opportunities for 1-week placements between the 2 sets of services throughout most of Northern Ireland this year, occurring in early November. If you or your organisation are interested in getting involved please contact Kathy on kathyhenry@chni.org.uk.

Up and coming Training Courses, Sept-December 2010*


Date	Session Description
Starting September 15^th	OCN Level 3 Working with Substance Users (Derry).
September 23^rd	Basic Life Support/Overdose Management
September 28^th	Substance Use Awareness Course, 1-Day.
October 12^th	Alcohol Effects Course, 1-Day.
October 19^th	Substance Use Awareness Course, 1-Day.
November 1^st -12^th	Cross-Sectoral Placements.
November 2^nd& 3^rd	Screening Tools and Brief Interventions Course, 2-Day.
November 23^rd	Best Practice Seminar (to be decided).

*Please note, although the training department works hard to ensure that all dates, venues, tutors and courses are fixed, CHNI reserve the right to change any aspect of course content as appropriate. We will notify you of any changes in good time, where practicable.

If you are interested in any of these free courses they are now available to homelessness staff working anywhere in NI. Again, contact Kathy for more information or to book places.

Further to this we have been coordinating the planning of the Nutrition for Alcohol Users project, funded by EDACT. This will involve overseeing the production of a resource booklet for staff and the delivery of training sessions for staff to enable them to improve the nutritional intake of alcohol users they may work with. A steering group has been established which includes nutritionists and a Service User.
We look forward to the signing off of the multi-agency protocol to enable 2 Belfast hostels to accommodate injecting drug users. This will be the culmination of 2 years work and, although challenging at times, creates a much needed pathway for drug users into accommodation and support to enable them to achieve the stability required to consider changes in drug use behaviour. We are grateful to all the numerous agencies involved for their efforts to achieve this goal, in particular to Service Users, PSNI, PPS, EDACT and the homelessness services who will deliver the services.

CHNI general training events

The following training events from our general training calendar (up to October 2010)
• Personality Disorders                30th September
• Service User Participation          6th October
• Interpersonal Skills                    20th October
• Introduction to Schizophrenia     27th October

For further details / to book, contact Lesley Morrision: 90246440, training@chni.org.uk

Youth Department news

Development of Young Peoples Charter for Change on Housing in NI
Young people from a broad range of backgrounds across NI have been given the opportunity to share their housing aspirations and highlight the particular challenges or barriers they face in moving forward into independence via the Charter project.
The Charter project is now moving into its final stages and the Youth Department are busy working with our young people’s steering group to pull together the most important messages emerging from the consultation and research. Plans to formally launch the NI Charter at a special event during Homelessness Awareness Week and follow up campaigning to highlight key recommendations, developed as a result of this widespread consultation are currently being put into place.
A date for the launch of the overall UK Charter, to which the work of the NI Charter has directly contributed, is set to take place on 24th November at a special event in London and in the interim our young people’s group shall be meeting with their UK counterparts to discuss the final content for the UK Charter and also contribute to an short animation piece, which aims to highlight some of the projects main findings. As part of the overall Charter project, Youth staff recently gave an interview to staff from Cardiff University, who have been commissioned to undertake research into the challenges facing housing policy makers and practioners into 2020.

Young Peoples Participation Project
CHNI is currently working hard to secure ongoing funding for its youth participation and involvement work. Some of our young Volunteer Reps, supported by CHNI’s Youth staff have been making exciting plans, aimed at involving young people more directly in all aspects of our lobbying and advisory work. More details of plans for the future development and delivery of project will be shared in future issues of CHINWAG.

Draft Standards for Young Adult’s Supported Accommodation Projects in NI.
As you may be aware the DHSSPS has currently issued for consultation a draft set of Standards for the regulation and Monitoring of Young People Supported Accommodation Services. The Youth Department at CHNI is currently facilitating a number of consultation events with young people across Northern Ireland so that young people’s views and opinions on the draft standards may be included as an integral part of this consultation process.
The range of young people we are speaking to includes those currently living in the various types of supported accommodation projects, those who may have lived their previously, and finally, others who maybe thinking of a move into one of these projects in the future
CHNI hopes to get as wide a variety of feedback as possible and as such are aiming to speak to groups of young people from across a number of different agencies. CHNI will be collating the responses from this consultation as part of its formal response to the draft standards.
The draft standards are currently out for consultation until the 25th September and we would encourage all relevant agencies to respond. You can find the full version of the draft standards at, along with a Young Peoples Version, produced by CHNI at http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/consultations/current_consultations.htm

Minimum Suitability Criteria for Use of Non Jointly Commissioned Supported Accommodation Projects to Meet the Accommodation Needs of Homeless Young People aged 16 and 17
On behalf of the Regional Reference Group on Meeting the Accommodation & Support Needs of 16 and 17 year old young people who are Leaving Care or Homeless, CHNI has been asked to facilitate the development of minimum Suitability Criteria for the use of non jointly commissioned accommodation arrangements , for 16 and 17 yr old young people .
It was agreed that a set of minimum criteria be established, against which temporary accommodation options could be bench marked to assess their suitability, safety and fitness for purpose. Agreement and adoption of such criteria is seen as critical to the successful development of effective local joint working arrangements for frontline housing and HSC Trust staff.
In late August, local joint commissioning leads from both HSCT and NIHE participated in a workshop to examine issues of suitability and appropriateness in the use of non jointly commissioned accommodation arrangements for the placement of homeless 16 and 17 yr olds.
A draft framework, developed, as a result of this workshop is currently out for consultation with key HSCT and NIHE staff regionally and CHNI will present responses from this consultation to the regional group at its next meeting at the end of September. to assist in the production of further regional guidance.

Young Peoples Accommodation Provider Forum
The next meeting of this forum is due to take place on 11th October and agenda items will include an update in respect of the recent pilot of the Draft Regional Standards for Young Peoples Accommodation projects and the forum will also provide an opportunity for service providers to share their feedback and views in respect of this process. Relevant organisations will be contacted via email shortly with further date and venue details for this meeting.

Northwest News

Facing the Future Events
Majella along with the help of Lara, coordinated a series of events, named Facing the Future. These were major events with high level presentations from the NIHE and several member organisations. The events were funded by NIHE and were well attended. The Belfast event was held in NICVA on 3rd September, and was attended by 76 delegates, 40 different provider organisations. The Derry event was held in the Verbal Arts Centre on the 8th September, and was also very well attended by providers.
These seminars were aimed to help inform our members as realistically as possible about the financial constraints and opportunities ahead. We invited speakers who could talk authoritatively on strategic priorities, budgets and also possible organisational responses. The future confronting all providers of homelessness services will be challenging. We face not only financial limitations, but also potential legislative and ideological change. We are confident that these seminars will help provider organisations to prepare for the future. Feedback has been very positive, and the presentations and notes from the seminars will be available from the CHNI website in the near future.

Northwest Members’ Forum
The last meeting of the Members’ Forum took place on Friday 10th September, in CHNI offices RathMór Centre, Bligh’s Lane. Alison Upton (Food Network, CHNI) attended and made a presentation on the Food Network and developments thus far to the members in the northwest.

CRISPP

The CRISPP membership has been renewed: Majella was involved in compiling the nominations for this new group. Membership was decided upon at the end of August and the first meeting of the new committee took place on the 1st September in MUST Hostel, Cookstown. The attendance was significantly up on previous meetings and hopefully this will continue for future meetings. Bernie continues to provide the secretariat for this group.

other news

Bernie is part of a steering group for CRESCO with regard to their counselling service for young homeless people.
Bernie attends community workshop meetings which highlight the priorities for health and social care in the northwest.
Bernie provided 2 sessions of in house training for Autism Initiatives on Support Planning and Risk Assessment.
Bernie continues to work on a 1 to 1 basis with member organisations as required.
Majella will start attending a new course on Tuesday evenings, IAB award in applied payroll. She will also be attending a Funding Training course facilitated by the District Council’s Community Relations Programme.

Sadly the network said good-bye to Darren McMennamin, our student intern from University of Ulster who spent eight weeks with is over the summer. Thanks to his help we managed to blanket the voluntary sector with information about the planned network. We have 39 potential network members who have completed questionnaires on how much food they provide to people in need.
If you haven't completed yours yet have a look on the CHNI website or email foodnetwork@chni.org.uk to see how a food network could provide valuable resources to support your services. You can also telephone Alison Upton on 028 90246440.

Information department

As well as ongoing information provision to staff, members and public; and information management, George Quinn, Information Officer has been

Maintaining the current CHNI website, including the development of a new page dedicated to CHNI’s newest project, Food Sharing Network. This page can be accessed either by going to www.chni.org.uk, and following the link, or directly via www.chni.org.uk/services.php?sid=14
Ongoing work creating new website.
Developing a member satisfaction evaluation, to be circulated amongst members in coming weeks.
sourcing a venue, liaising, and developing football tournament for Homelessness Awareness Week 2010

Food Network News

If you haven't completed yours yet have a look on the CHNI website or email foodnetwork@chni.org.uk to see how a food network could provide valuable resources to support your services. You can also telephone Alison Upton on 028 90246440.

link to page: http://www.chni.org.uk/services.php?sid=14

Council for the Homeless NI. Charity No. XR2272; Company No. NI27577.