Implementation plan

The Housing Advice and Information Outreach Service will be run by CHAI, with key elements sub-contracted to Four Square and Granton Information Centre (GIC). CHAI will be the lead delivery agency, but for publicity and ease of understanding for the public, the service will be called Edinburgh Housing Advice Partnership (EHAP).

A partnership agreement has been developed to ensure that CHAI has clear methods of working with Four Square and GIC in place.

Management

CHAI, as the bidding entity, will be responsible for overall management and co-ordination of the service. There will be quarterly meetings between all partners to monitor the effectiveness and delivery of the service. Each partner will have management structures in place to provide supervision of staff. All Neighbourhood Advice Workers, the Development Worker and the Young Persons Advisor will come together on a fortnightly basis for a team meeting.

Staffing

EHAP will have one part-time Manager (18 hours p/w), employed by CHAI, and five Neighbourhood Advice Workers (NAW). Two will be employed by CHAI, two by GIC and one by Four Square, although each NAW will be line managed by their respective organisation, they will have fortnightly team meetings facilitated by the CHAI/EHAP Manager.

In addition there will be one Development Worker, one Young Persons Advisor and a full-time Administrator who will be employed by CHAI.

The Prison Outreach element of this service will have two Prison Outreach Programme (POP) workers and one Senior Worker, employed and managed by Four Square, with regular reporting to the EHAP partners board.

Staff Experience and Training

Staff will have experience of providing advice to the public in a variety of settings and of managing and prioritizing workloads in order to achieve target outcomes. They will be knowledgeable in the key areas of housing rights, state benefit entitlement and money advice and will also represent clients' interests in a variety of settings ranging from discussions with potential landlords to representation in the Sheriff Court, at benefit appeal tribunals or other formal settings.

NAWs will also attend training on a regular basis to ensure that they gain and maintain the necessary knowledge to provide a high quality service to the public. Training will be sourced from respected providers such as CPAG, Shelter, Scottish Housing Advisory Service, Money Advice Scotland both for specific issue training such as Mortgage Rights Act, or updating their knowledge on, for example, changes to the benefit system. This will provide staff with the tools needed to deal with the full range of issues presented by clients, and to provide a service tailored to meet these needs - advocacy and representation, negotiation, income maximization, assistance with benefit claims. Staff will have the ability to identify the need to refer to appropriate specialist agencies where the situation merits this, and to establish and maintain robust referral systems to facilitate this.

The Development Worker will require presentation skills in addition to a detailed knowledge of EHAP services - training is also available through EHAP partners, having the added value that the providers understand the needs of the advice sector.

Experience and Background of Current CHAI Advice Service Staff:

Service Manager CQSW, Dip Soc W, (Moray House College)

Social Work experience, specialising in Welfare Rights work. Managed a CAB in Edinburgh for 8 years, and CHAI's Advice Service since 2000. Founder member and former Director of Capital Credit Union.

Deputy Service Manager Benefit Agency experience in specialist section dealing with housing costs and mortgage assistance

Detailed knowledge of Mortgage to Rent Scheme

6 years experience in delivering Money Advice

Working towards renewal of accredited DAS registration.

Money Adviser 5 years experience in delivering Money Advice

Detailed knowledge of Mortgage to Rent Scheme

Awaiting confirmation of SVQ 4 in Advice and Guidance (HND Diploma equivalent)

Housing Adviser Law Degree

Member of BME community - speaks Urdu, Punjabi

3 years experience in delivering Housing Advice and in representing clients at heritable court.

Generalist Adviser (1) CQSW, Social Work Registration.

Specialist knowledge in field of Mental Health.

EHAP partners have a pro-active approach to staff training. Staff Personal Performance Review is operated - enabling Personal Development Plans to be drawn up for each staff member. This information allows for continuous amendment to the Training Needs analysis and appropriate training to be sourced and arranged for members of staff.

Service Outline

Neighbourhood Advice Workers will be allocated to geographical areas of the city. Although they will have space within an office base, they will spend the majority of their time working in the local neighbourhoods. They will utilise laptops and smart mobiles to enable them to have access to information and e-mails whilst working in the neighbourhoods.

Service Availability

Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm

One night per week 5pm - 8pm

Sat 9am - 12.30pm

TUPE

CHAI believes that TUPE does apply for some of the staff currently working on this contract therefore we will undertake the following steps

A Provision has been made in the Tender for costs associated with TUPE, this is based on full information submitted by Move-on, partial information from CAB and very limited information from Rock Trust.

Initial Implementation Timetable

EHAP believe the above timetable will ensure a smooth transition and continuity of service delivery.

GIC

Manager

5 hrs per wk

Four Square

Manager

5 hrs per wk

POP Senior

POP Worker

Deputy Service Manager

(Advice)

p/t

1 x

Neighbourhood Advisor

2 x Neighbourhood Advisor

2 x

Neighbourhood Advisor

Administrator

Development
Worker

Young Person
Advisor