The third of our Housing First Connect events for Scotland’s Housing First Pathfinders and Leaders was on September 19 and was thought by many to be the best yet in terms of getting on with the job. The team of pathfinders and leaders across diverse roles were back to the Discovery Centre on Dundee’s striking waterfront, beside the Discovery, Captain Scott’s Antarctic exploration ship.

Housing First needs deep, cross-sector collaboration to succeed and key relationships are strengthening. From feedback after the event the mood was one of quiet satisfaction and pride at the progress being made, alongside patient acknowledgement that there is still a great deal of work to do.

The now customary welcome from Sir Andrew Cubie, chair of the Housing First advisory group, reminded everyone why they were there and what’s at stake as we roll out the programme. I had the pleasure of then outlining progress made and milestones reached since the previous Connect event, including reaching 118 people now in their own home.

A recurring theme across the day is that progress is not linear but instead ‘explosive’. The Housing First pathfinders have started designing-in capacity to work in this way – developing the insight and expertise to estimate as far as possible when referrals might increase, where properties will be available, when (and how much) recruitment will be required.

Representatives from all Pathfinder areas spoke honestly and powerfully on the three discussion points we posed ahead of the event. These were: what local change had been made to make Housing First work; how risk management is built into their work without slowing things down; how people with experience of homelessness are being consulted and included. We were also joined by a team from Westminster City Council, attending to find out more about Scotland’s approach to scaling up Housing First.

We heard that robust, well-attended referral processes are critical, and that comprehensive rapid rehousing arrangements must be in place so that no person ever feels the need to ‘present as more complex’ or consider ‘how to be eligible’ for Housing First. That Housing First sits within a rapid rehousing framework and should not the only rapid solution available. And it was recognised that this is exactly where Housing First has the potential to catalyse wider system change at local level.

One of the liveliest discussion points was in relation to colleagues and their own lived experience; around a third of the workforce have relevant personal experience of homelessness. How do we create space for people to bring more of themselves to their role at a level they feel is appropriate? Here at the Homeless Network, several colleagues have experience of homelessness and we know closely the valuable insight this brings. We want Housing First to lead the way in celebrating this and working it into the diverse expertise we have in our organisations.

The next Connect event for Scotland’s Housing First Pathfinders and Leaders will take place in Spring, by which time the Pathfinder will have been operating one full year. Nobody said it was going to be easy, but Housing First is now a very real, credible and compassionate response to the most acute experiences of homelessness. It is helping transform people’s lives – and it’s only getting stronger.

• Doug Gibson is business & innovation manager at the Homeless Network. Contact Doug to discuss and to get involved at Doug@ghn.org.uk or 01411 420 7272