L- R Victoria Holmes Changing Futures East Locality Manager, Steve Richards MIW CIHM Housing Needs & Support Manager, Neil Otley, Housing Needs Team Leader Council Leader, Phil Riley Stuart Grisdale HMO Compliance Officer at the Shadsworth-based Homeless Pods in December
Published Monday 5 June 2023 at 15:43
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council’s Housing Needs Team have been shortlisted for a prestigious award for their work to support the borough’s homeless at the pods based in Shadsworth.
Representatives of the team will be attending the LGC Awards Ceremony on Thursday (JUNE 8).
The ten self-contained pods were initially set up in 2020 to keep the borough’s homeless off the streets in winter but the initiative was extended given the outcomes achieved for some of our most vulnerable residents all year round.
Mark Aspin, Head of Service for Community Safety and Vulnerable People, said:
This has been a life-changing project for people that are amongst the most disadvantaged in the borough. Working together with our partners we have been able to help break the cycle of homelessness with a trauma informed and person-centred approach. It’s a great achievement to be shortlisted for this award alongside other large councils and we are pleased that the team are getting the recognition that they deserve.
A priority throughout the homeless pods model has been to maintain involvement with the local community, educate on the purpose of the project and encourage community engagement.
Councillor Damian Talbot, Executive Member for Public Health, Prevention and Wellbeing, said:
This is a fantastic achievement for the housing needs team and the surrounding services that have come together to make this a huge success. Not only are these residents offered shelter but they are able to get access to the support that they need through an approach that makes them feel valued. As a council we have been really proactive on this issue and that is paying real dividends for some of our most vulnerable residents.
Members of the team will attend the ceremony in London where eight other councils are competing for the award under the Housing category.
Sarah Calkin, LGC editor, said:
The LGC awards seeks to recognise and celebrate the absolute best in local government, and as this year’s shortlist shows there is no shortage of new ideas and fresh thinking across the whole host of council services. From tackling homelessness and supporting our most vulnerable children, to helping local businesses succeed and leading their places towards a net zero future, council staff up and down the country are constantly seeking to improve despite challenging circumstances.
I want to say a huge thank you to our judging panels of senior council officers who have sifted through more than 700 entries. But most of all, massive congratulations to everyone on the shortlist, making it this far is a huge achievement in itself.