The team behind Essex Prevents, the homelessness workstream of the Essex Vision, chaired by Dawn French Uttlesford CEO, have been working hard to develop a countywide picture of homelessness and rough sleeping.

In September the group merged with Essex Trailblazer, an innovative homelessness prevention service, and have established seven key themes to focus their work on:

• Cultural change and improving the customer experience (Dawn French, CEO, Uttlesford DC)
• Reducing rough sleeping (Rob Saggs, Executive Director, Chess)
• Using predictive analytics to put the right service in the right place, at the right time (Rod Cullen, Housing Growth Lead, Essex CC)
• Development of a prison protocol to reduce offenders leaving prison without accommodation (Alex Osler, Director, Essex CRC)
• Development of a hospital discharge protocol to reduce bed blocking (Gary Spurway, Head of Integrated Care, MEHT)
• Increasing the flow of affordable housing (Lee Heley, Head of Housing Growth, Essex CC)
• Supporting complex cases (EHOG).

Each workstream champion listed above is leading a task and finish group, which will report on progress at the end of January. A conference on homelessness and rough sleeping will be held at the end of March 2019 to share the findings with partners across the county.