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Last updated 16th September 2008
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Michael Bell Associates has worked with HomePoint on a variety of projects since 1994. Many of these have related to the development and implementation of Standards for Housing Information and Advice Services in Scotland. This included developing the first set of Standards (published in 1996) and undertaking a detailed review of these in 2000, leading to the current Scottish National Standards for Housing Information and Advice Services.
These standards are now included in guidance to Scottish legislation with meeting the standards a requirement for all local authority housing advice services.
Since 2004 we have been piloting a service to accredit agencies who have attained the Standards. Following a successful pilot programme, Michael Bell Associates has been awarded the contract by Communities Scotland to provide the audit based accreditation service for organisations in the public and voluntary sectors seeking to accredit their service as compliant with the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers. The full accreditation service currently covers housing information advice providers and is soon to be piloted with money related advice services (debt and welfare benefits). It is possible that the audit service will be extended to other areas of welfare law during the lifetime of the current contract.
Other related work on the Standards has included developing a competence framework for individual advisers in all areas of housing law; from those providing information, through to advice and those representing people in the courts. This work has been developed into a certificated course, available to those organisations that have “signed up” to implementing the Standards from Shelter Scotland as a CD based distance learning pack. Further details on the training materials and how they can be obtained are available from Homepoint.
In 2005 we also completed a competence framework for all advisers working in money advice and welfare benefits. The money related advisers competence framework has been published by Communities Scotland and is available here.
We have been commissioned to design research and evaluation frameworks for a number of public bodies. As part of our work for HomePoint we have developed two evaluation frameworks; one looking at second-tier advice services and the second, Evaluation Explained, looking at first tier advice services.
Making a real difference to the lives of LGBT people who are asylum seekers:
The Metropolitan Support Trust has commissioned Michael Bell Associates to undertake a research project into the social, housing and related needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Asylum Seekers. As part of the research we are interviewing more than 50 people who are LGBT asylum seekers. Most of the interviews will take place in London although a small number of interviews will also be undertaken with asylum seekers outside London, probably in Manchester.
The aims of this research are:
To increase knowledge and understanding of the issues and barriers LGBT asylum seekers face with regards to accommodation, housing and homelessness in London;
To identify potential causal relationships between accommodation, housing and homelessness and health/well being, personal safety, alcohol and substance misuse; etc.
To provide evidence to help develop more effective ways of responding to the housing/accommodation needs of LGBT asylum seekers in London; and
To produce robust policy recommendations.
The community researcher approach:
In our research we seek to provide a voice to socially excluded people and those who face particular challenges. In recruiting community researchers we are able to generate unique empirically-based insights by utilising people who come from the communities we are researching. For this project we have recruited researchers who come from refugee or migrant ethnic and religious groups and whose sexual orientation allows them to have a detailed understanding of what it is like to face these issues.
Stakeholder engagement:
If your organisation deals with asylum or LGBT issues we would love to keep you informed of our research findings and would appreciate your input on this project. Please let us know if you would like to attend upcoming stakeholder meetings in January and February, 2009, or dissemination events scheduled for March 2009.
Recruiting interview subjects:
Additionally, we are keen to hear from anybody who would like to be interviewed for our study. If you are an asylum seeker from the LGBT community, or if you work with any clients who fit this description, please contact us to set up an interview appointment at the public place or service provision site of your choosing. All interviewees are compensated for their time and travel expenses and our community researchers speak a number of languages in addition to English.
If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact Iain Easdon at Michael Bell Associates on 020 7953 8500 or to email at iain@mba4consultancy.co.uk.