Accessibility statement

Major European training programme draws on CHP research

Posted on 5 January 2016

Improving cooperation between social services workers and housing staff

The training material will enable service providers to draw upon the important lessons from co-production, giving people who need support to live independently, real choice and control over their lives, improving both their quality of life and service outcomes

Training materials for 7 European countries

A major new European training programme which focusses on the integration of support and housing for people with support needs has recently gone online: http://www.housingeurope.eu/section-47/elosh. The training material will enable service providers to improve cooperation between social services workers and housing staff when they are helping groups with support needs. It aims to cut down on housing exclusion amongst this group. The material is based on co-production techniques.

Underpinning research

Nicholas Pleace carried out detailed research that brought together information from the ELOSH partners and also a wider review of training across the EU. The research report provides an assessment of existing Continuing Vocational Education and Training (CVET), but also paints a picture of the ongoing development of integrated housing support across the project countries. It is clear from the findings that whilst not all countries offer the same models of delivery, the ambition to support independent living through enhancing service user choice and control is a central component for those delivering integrated housing support. The new training resource will help with this ambition.

Respect and listening are core values

Nicholas Pleace says:

"The training material will enable service providers to draw upon the important lessons from co-production, giving people who need support to live independently, real choice and control over their lives, improving both their quality of life and service outcomes.  CHP's research on Housing First for homeless people with very high needs, led by Nicholas Pleace and Joanne Bretherton, has also shown how treating people with respect, listening to their opinions and enabling them to control their own lives can transform service effectiveness."