European Commission MPHASIS Mutual Progress on Homelessness through Advancing and Strengthening Information Systems THE RESEARCH PROGRAMME Matt Harrison.

European Commission

MPHASISMutual Progress on Homelessness through

Advancing and Strengthening Information Systems

THE RESEARCH PROGRAMMEMatt HarrisonHomeless Link

Final Project ConferenceParis 17th September 2009

European Commission

Action Oriented Research

Five areas of research

Transferability of Good Practice1. Service Provider Databases2. Client Record Systems

Making Use of Administrative Data3. Institutional Population Data4. Population Register Data

Usability of Core Variables5. Survey of all partner countries

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Service Provider Databases

The majority of homeless people use homelessness services

There is a wide range of services provided by the state, municipalities, NGOs, faith groups and the private sector

We developed a typology of services in the Measuring Homelessness project

Our research then found that few countries have comprehensive databases of service providers

We described a methodology for compiling and maintaining a directory or database of service providers

We carried out research to test out our findings in Bulgaria, Italy and the Netherlands

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Service Provider Databases

Studies examining proposed methodology in Bulgaria, Italy and Netherlands

Different levels of service provision, existing systems and national government policy

Identified existing databases, stakeholders involved and next steps to be taken

Support for proposed methodology for developing databases appropriate in different national contexts

Staged approach and use of existing data

Evidence of common data collected about services

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Service Provider Databases

New national database being developed in Italy and proposal for new Shelter Atlas for Netherlands

Link with client data important

Evidence to confirm costs and timescales involved

Barriers and ways of overcoming them identified

Gaining backing from government and key stakeholders and clear purpose crucial

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Client Recording Systems

Recent years have seen the widespread development of computerised client recording systems in homelessness services

No country has a comprehensive common client information system – although some are in development

One aim of the research was to test the applicability of one system (Link) in different national contexts.

Pilot systems were developed for Hungary and Sweden

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Client Recording Systems

An alternative approach is to define methods for extracting data from multiple systems for national collation

This approach is used in France and Germany

We commissioned research to look at the French situation

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Client Recording Systems

Link software (already used in UK and Ireland) was translated into Hungarian and Swedish

Local NGOs in Budapest and Stockholm identified to pilot the software with their clients

Pilot system evaluated

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Client Recording - Issues

Data Protection

Translation

Technical issues

Conflicting needs of operational data collection and statistical data collection

Not all data known about users of low threshold services

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Data Extract Modules: France Aim

To examine issues involved in extracting data from existing software systems

Three systems examined Regional Information System-Poitou Charentes,

COHPHRA (both local level systems) and Research System 115 (national level)

Method – documentary analysis of the software used interviews with the key personnel in each information

system.

Findings - Work in progress in France with aim of: Moving towards a computerised real time system of

data collection Obligatory for all services for the homeless Development of a standard definition of variables

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France

An information system requires a formal piloting policy:

Financial investment (by the public authorities) Mobilisation of actors and cooperation Definition of the needs of data collection –

specification of the variables and data items standardisation of the nomenclatures used

Definition of the theoretical and geographical perimeter of the services to be covered

Agreement on an application of collection and its development

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Organisational Issues

Joint institutional policy working needed with a range of stakeholders

Co-ordination by the State or regional government

A degree of flexibility needed – various options

Obligatory for those providing services to homeless

Incentive measures needed

Clear management by service provider organisations

System that provides tool for providers and on-line benefits

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Implementation Issues

Involvement of field workers The degree of computerisation of services Training of Staff The confidentiality of data collected The reproduction of data uploads The use of data for purposes of management

control? The impact of information systems on the

practices of social interventionists

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Use of Administrative Data

Administrative data is data collected by the state and/or municipal authorities in the course of their work

For some groups of homeless people this may be an important source of data – this is of particular relevance for homeless people in institutional settings.

We commissioned research into the prison population in Norway and Poland and how homelessness is defined, identified and measured in people leaving prison in these countries

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Administrative Data – Prison Population

The purpose of the research was to examine the use made of administrative data on people released from prison who have no home to go to.

The research aimed to identify the procedures used and good practice models of using such data.

Undertaken in Poland and Norway which were considered to represent examples of good practice.

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Poland

1,450 prisoners (from 90,000) leaving prison annually registered as requiring support due to homelessness

This underestimates the scale of the real problem

Current procedures are based on individual assessment of housing status by officials

Supporting vulnerable prisoners to acquire housing on release is not a priority

Being a person without a permanent address has implications

Existing procedures screen housing status three times:

Article 38 of the Executive Penal Code sets the ground for cooperation with NGOs

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Poland - Conclusions

The need to promote evidence-based planning and implementation of policies

Transfer the paper registration systems into a fully computerized (NOE.Net) database

A unified procedure for defining homelessness status before release – the same set of questions taken into account across the whole country

Disconnecting data collection on housing from any consequences for receiving awards, passes and permissions during imprisonment

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Norway

The operational definition of a homeless person in Norway is a person without owned or rented accommodation and who is staying in one of five situations

One of these is a person that is under Criminal Services due to be released within two months and is without a dwelling of his or her own

More than 60% of inmates are homeless. Approximately 6,000 persons are released from prison to homelessness each year

Three main administrative registration systems have been used for collecting data on homelessness

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Norway - Issues

Link of release on parole to housing status – satisfactory housing situation seems to be an

almost mandatory rule for release

Impact on reliability of data collection – inmates often give their address at time of

imprisonment or give a false address

Data Quality on housing status held in KOMPIS system not

reliable. KOSTRA system for use of temporary

accommodation after release from prison and discharge from institution.

Data on housing after release from prison is not covered in Bokart

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Norway - Conclusions

National monitoring system on homelessness based on administrative data not yet implemented

Registration of the housing status of convicts and persons on remand in KOMPIS not reliable or complete

Questions on homelessness on release from prison, taken out of the KOSTRA system Due to lack of resources to quality control the

figures

The most reliable statistics on homelessness among prisoners remains the national survey of homeless persons The Criminal Services Department has been a

respondent in all four national surveys of homelessness

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Population Registers

The 2011 Census aims to count the whole population, including homeless people

Some countries have introduced population-registers to augment or replace the Census.

We commissioned research in two countries (Slovenia and Germany) to test how homeless people are or could be identified and measured in their population registers.

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2011 Census – Register Based Systems

12 Countries to use registers or combination of register and survey

Germany and Slovenia chosen as case studies recent decisions to use registers

Census data mainly drawn from Central Population Register (CPR) Database of Households Register of Dwellings / Buildings

Questions Are homeless counted in the register based

system? Are some categories of homeless difficult to

count?

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Limits of Register Based System

Germany No CPR – local authorities to provide information Register of Dwellings being established (7.5m

owners) Register of Special Dwellings to be developed Linking registers + data protection = aggregate data

Slovenia Registers Dwellings in establishment phase eDatabase of Households being computerised CPR – relationships among persons not complete

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Germany - Issues

Rough Sleepers / Emergency Accommodation Not registered at any registry office

Register of Special Buildings Definition and identification issues Homeless accommodation diverse (budgets,

providers) Fictitious addresses (welfare departments)

Community, institutional and emergency accommodation Combined in a common group Homeless may be counted but can not be

identified

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Slovenia - Issues

Register of Buildings “buildings for special purposes” - maternity

homes, shelters and asylums, homes for the elderly, student dorms

The Residence Registration Act (2006) registers homeless at agency where they receive

help requires a complete register of services requires ability to identify homeless services Living with Family/friends will be excluded

Buildings not intended for habitation CPR needs cross-reference to Register of

Buildings

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Core Variables

In the Measuring Homelessness report we proposed a set of Core Variables about homeless people

This was a restricted number of variables which should be collected across Europe using the same definitions

This would provide the basis for information about the profile of homeless people in Europe.

We carried out a survey of 20 countries to test the proposed core data set

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Core variables

Research carried out by Mphasis project and national partners

Questionnaires sent to 20 countries

20 responses from 15 countries

Each of the proposed core variables is used by a majority of the existing systems

All systems collect data on age and sex of homeless people

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Core variables

Most systems collect information on Nationality, Country of birth and Household structures/living situations.

Some modifications are suggested to align these variables with Eurostat recommendations for core social variables.

The majority of systems collect information about previous accommodation, duration of homelessness and reasons for homelessness.

Lower levels of standardisation of variables in these areas.

Some changes to variables are proposed but each category should be maintained.