COUNCILLORS have approved a new homelessness prevention strategy in a bid to achieve a ‘consistent policy’ throughout Dorset.

Members of West Dorset District Council’s executive committee met to discuss a report reviewing the Dorset Homelessness Strategy.

Chris Branch, housing solutions manager at the district council, presented the report. He told members that the council was required to have a homelessness strategy.

Speaking at the meeting, he said: “There is so much in here that goes towards our homelessness gold standard that we’ve incorporated in both our local strategy and our housing strategy that it would look a bit odd if that we weren’t to support that very important joint work that underpins the gold standard work.”

The strategy’s main priority is to prevent homelessness and minimise the use of temporary accommodation.

This is followed by aims to maximise housing options to all clients in housing need, to ensure the most vulnerable are supported, to increase access to the private rented sector, and to promote multi-agency work to deliver the strategy.

The draft strategy before members stated: “In line with the national picture, the number of homeless applications received and decisions made has increased in Dorset from 439 in 2012 to 461 in 2014.

“The number of households accepted as homeless however, decreased from 220 in 2012 to 197 in 2014.”

Prior to the meeting, the report appeared at the district council's policy scrutiny committee in March. Questions were raised about the Dorset Homechoice Allocations Policy, Dorset Prevention Funding and whether prevention work should include visiting schools.

Mr Branch said: “One or two members were concerned about the allocations policy. Following the election, we’re six months or more into the operation of the new policy and we will be giving it a thorough review. That will pick up a number of points that are listed there.”

At the meeting Cllr John Russell and Cllr Terry Farmer asked Mr Branch for further clarity over the role of prevention work in schools.

Mr Branch said the idea had been raised by a member but it was something that had been done in the past by the council.

He said: “When we did it four or five years ago, this was to children that would perhaps leaving school or home in the next couple of years, and it was telling them a little bit more about what life in terms of housing would be like out there in the bigger world.”

Cllr Peter Shorland, chair of the policy scrutiny committee, gave his full backing to the latest report at the meeting.

Summing up, Cllr Anthony Alford, chairman of the committee, said: “I think the point that we are trying to achieve is a consistent policy and practice throughout Dorset.”

The recommendation was unanimously approved by committee members.

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