Our popular Antisocial Behaviour Conference returns online this September. Attend Westminster Insight’s Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour Digital Conference to hear from senior stakeholders, policy makers and practitioners who are currently tackling ASB:

Wednesday 20^th September 2023
09:00 – 13:00

During 2022, England & Wales’s police forces received 1,039,579* crime reports about anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour cannot be left unchallenged. With the launch of the new Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, it is vital that agencies know how to tackle ASB and how to work together to prevent these crimes. Attend Westminster Insight’s Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour Digital Conference to hear theRt Hon Chris Philp, Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire, and responsible for ASB. He will discuss next steps for implementation and explore the implications of the ASB plan for multi-agency partners.

Learn how to manage and utilise available resources as you will hear from housing, local council, and policing and criminal justice sectors on their remit to tackle ASB. Use this conference to gain practical insights on information sharing, case management, and early intervention. Swift intervention can prevent behaviour escalating to a more serious level, and reduce the impact on victims. You will listen to the experiences of victims of ASB including Baroness Newlove, Former Victims Commissioner, and learn what your organisation can do to improve approaches to tackling ASB in the future. Gain practical insights from case studies on how to effectively include victims, communities and perpetrators in solutions and prevent ASB in the long-term. Don’t miss the opportunity to use our digital platform to ask questions to speakers, and network with colleagues.

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Keep up to date with the constantly evolving nature of County Lines at our upcoming half-day digital conference taking place on Tuesday 18th July.

Join us online at this well-established biannual event to hear the latest best practice and strategies from leading experts across the country. Find out how your organisation can help prevent county lines activity and provide appropriate support to victims and those at risk of criminal exploitation. Learn about disrupting County Line networks through intelligence-led policing and inter-agency collaboration.

With the rising cost of living, criminals are increasingly exploiting children from families who are struggling to make ends meet.  Over the last six months there has been an increase in the use of social media by county lines gangs. Content resembling professionally produced job adverts have been appearing on Instagram and Snapchat to entice young people into county lines activity.

Gain key insights into the latest models used by perpetators to groom children and young people, and the changing profile of those being targeted.  Hear directly from young people  with  lived experience of County Lines drug smuggling and gang involvement.

With inspiring presentations from  frontline services working with vulnerable young people and adults including schools, youth services, social services and housing, you will learn how to identify exploitation and intervene at an early opportunity to divert young people away from gangs.

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Prior to the start of the pandemic, levels of homelessness were already on the rise. Crisis Homelessness Monitor recorded an increase of around 18% in ‘core homelessness’ in the UK between 2012 and 2019, rising to an estimated 220,000 households. According to government data, 69,180 households in England became homeless or were at imminent risk of becoming homeless between April and June 2022, a 2% increase compared to the year before. This data also show 5,940 households were threatened with homelessness in England as a result of Section 21 no-fault evictions between April and June 2022 – an increase of 76% in a year following the end of the government’s Covid eviction ban in May 2021. As the economic fallout of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis puts more individuals and families at risk, and with short-term measures implemented across the UK having come to an end, there is urgent need for government to take serious action to tackle homelessness. Research from the charity Crisis suggests that homelessness will increase significantly as a result of rising poverty levels, with 6,000 more homeless people in England predicted by 2024.

The UK government invested a total of £750 million in 2020-21 in efforts to address homelessness and rough sleeping, most notably through the £316 million Homelessness Prevention Grant, designed to give local authorities control and flexibility in their management of homelessness pressures. Additionally, the government provided a £65 million rent relief fund for renters facing eviction during winter 2021-22. The government furthermore pledged £433 million for their 2021-24 Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme. This aims to support up to 6,000 rough sleepers into longer term accommodation, where they will subsequently receive specialist assistance and training. In September 2022, the government introduced a £2 billion Rough Sleeping Strategy to end rough sleeping over the course of the current Parliament. The strategy includes the pledge of 14,000 beds and 3,000 support staff to help individuals find work and access mental health services; an extra 2,400 long-term supported homes to be created for those with most complex needs; and an expansion of drug and alcohol treatment services. In response to the cost-of-living crisis, the Scottish government introduced a rent freeze and eviction ban in October 2022, which is expected to last until March 2023.

Shelter has called for further government investment, referring to existing measures as ‘sticking plaster’ attempts to mend a ‘gaping wound’. They have suggested that funding only meets a fifth of existing need, failing to meet the scale of the challenge. This is particularly evident in the provision of social housing, with only 7,000 social homes being built in 2021, far short of Shelter’s estimated requirement of 90,000. The government has also received significant criticism for its decision in November 2022 to delay publication of legislation banning no-fault evictions, which campaigners claim would significantly aid the battle to tackle homelessness.

As individuals and families across the UK continue to reckon with the long-term financial consequences of the pandemic and the immediate challenges of the cost-of-living crisis, this symposium provides an invaluable opportunity for policymakers, professionals from the housing sector, charities and specialised homelessness agencies to discuss the latest strategies for tackling homelessness and improve the lives of rough sleepers.

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Supported housing plays a vital role in delivering better outcomes for older, disabled and vulnerable people, helping them to live independently.

Join Westminster Insight’s annual Supported Housing Conference for timely perspectives on how to improve the availability and quality of supported housing. You’ll hear from our expert speakers with the latest legislative updates and insights into policy and funding for the sector. Explore changing needs, and gain insights on how you can meet the future demand and adapt your services accordingly.

Join us to hear from Bob Blackman MP who will talk through his Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill. Currently making its way through Parliament, the Bill will tackle issues around exempt accommodation, preventing exploitation through the provision of unsafe and inadequate housing.  How do we ensure that reforms close dangerous loopholes in the law, whilst protecting good providers who supply essential support and good quality housing?

Chaired by Neil Revely, Chair, ADASS Housing Policy Network, we will examine good practice and new ways of working. What does good looks like, and what activities deliver the best outcomes and value for money?

Experts from across supported housing, local government, and health will spotlight successful models of provision and schemes for multiple needs, including learning disabilities, mental health, complex needs and for older people.  You will hear useful ideas on how to engage constructively through Integrated Care Systems.

Join us in Central London for our established and highly regarded Supported Housing Conference. Meet with peers and expert speakers to discuss collaborative working with other organisations who commission and deliver supported housing.

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