10 Simon Communities of Ireland There were mixed views amongst respondents Much larger - and more intractable – issues related about the extent to which the Pathway to discussions about rebalancing the range and Accommodation Support System (PASS) would type of housing options on offer. A key message meet the necessary requirements for the type of was the need for flexibility in rolling out a housing- data needed. Specifically there was a concern that led approach in order to reflect the context in which whilst PASS could potentially supply some of the service users address their needs in Ireland. data needed, in its current guise it lacked the Respondents commented on the wide range of number of fields required. accommodation types that were considered necessary to meet the diverse needs of service Underpinning discussions about the quality of users, and also the ’safety net’ role being information available on people who are homeless performed by various accommodation options such was how policy could be implemented and driven as High Support Housing. In this respect operationally at national level. In part respondents respondents’ views perhaps reflected the commented on the need for better or enhanced 1 for a)3102(sirebmesTybdereffoevitcepsrep cross-departmental structures at national level to reverse staircase approach, where a Housing First take a stronger lead in driving the implementation of approach is the starting option, with alternative housing-led services, and specifically to create accommodation options with intensive support and/or sustain the environment in which housing- available for service users. led approaches can flourish. These comments reflected a wider concern that policy elsewhere had Internal change was also viewed as constrained by significant impacts on the ability of people who are two critical external factors, which have a significant homeless to take advantage of housing with impact on how Simon Communities can take supports. forward housing-led approaches into the immediate future. The first issue was housing supply, which is explored in more detail in the next chapter. The Conclusion second factor was adequate support for people with high support needs, and this discussed in Respondents discussed the adoption of housing- Chapter four. led approaches within Simon Communities, and highlighted considerable convergence between the ethos of Simon Communities and the key principles that underpin housing-led approaches. Nevertheless, many respondents identified areas where continued change and progression was necessary, both in relation to working cultures and operational issues. Some of the issues discussed by individual Simon Communities included: l Maintaining and progressing cultural change within Simon Communities in terms of attitudes and understanding of the housing-led approach amongst staff and service users. The latter includes the potential to engage more fully with service users to communicate the housing-led approach so that it would become the expectation and understanding of service users as the norm; l Achieving a formal separation of housing from support; l Access to a wider range of harm reduction 1 http://www.socialstyrelsen.dk/housingfirsteurope/ options and wellness programmes. test-site/sessions/sessions
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