Homelessness Prevention Team

The funding aims to support prospective tenants to gain suitable housing to meet their needs and help new tenants set up their homes and sustain their tenancies.  

The key groups of potential tenants who will be offered support include:  

•  Families where there are lone parents.  
• Young parents.  
• Large families.  
• Families where there are adults or children with disabilities.  
• People referred by the homeless team.  
• People with mental health or addiction issues.  
• Young people leaving the care system.  

The service will also provide support to existing tenants who are potentially at risk of losing their tenancies for whatever reason.  The focus will, however, be to target prospective and new tenants in order to satisfy the funding criteria and test a change.  

Two new staff members will lead the project, Val Shepherd, Tenancy Support Mentor and Sharon Loughlin, Income Maximisation Officer. 

Val has previously worked with Inverclyde Women’s Aid and volunteered with The Samaritans. Her focus will be on supporting potential tenants to prepare for accessing their new home. This support may include:  

• Providing advice on managing bills and household tasks.  
• Support to access health or various other services appropriate to their needs.  
• Help to deal with anti-social behaviour, neighbour disputes or situations of domestic abuse.   
• Liaison with other agencies.  

 Sharon, who has a wealth of benefits experience, having worked previously for Renfrewshire Council, will be focusing on:  

•  All areas of income maximisation such as checking out tenant’s entitlement to benefits.  
• Help with applications, Universal Credit journal support, mandatory reconsiderations and preparations for appeals.   
• Employment support.  
• Liaison with other agencies.   

Val, Tenancy Support Mentor, said “After many years of working in the social care field I am pleased to be able to offer a tenancy mentoring service to customers of River Clyde Homes.  

“I am looking forward to the challenges ahead and hearing more about how people have coped during very difficult times. I hope to provide a wide range of support around issues affecting tenancy sustainment.   

“Anything that can be done to prevent the revolving door of homelessness for people must be positive for the community as a whole.”