ANNEX 3 - SERVICE USER INTERVIEWS: INTERVIEW SCHEDULE
Background
Homelessness prevention service users are to be interviewed by telephone. This will involve individuals recorded by case study LAs as having recently had their housing problems 'successfully resolved' through:
- Family mediation
- Assisted access to a private tenancy
Draft topic guide
First I'd like to ask you a bit about where you are staying now.
1. Do you currently have your own tenancy or are you staying with parents or in someone else's house or flat?
2. How long have you been staying in the house or flat?
3. Is this a temporary situation? - if Yes, could you briefly explain
According to [insert name] Council records you made contact with the Council during the past few months when you were at risk of becoming homeless [ensure, if necessary, that respondent appreciates that 'homelessness' as used here doesn't necessarily imply rough sleeping].
4. Roughly when (month) did you make this contact? [interviewer check that contact being described relates to service being evaluated]
5. What was the sequence of events that led to you approaching the Council for help? Did you seek help or advice from any other organisation at this time?
6. What was the accommodation you were concerned you might lose - your own tenancy or the home of parents, friends or relatives?
7. When you made your initial contact with the Council how long did you expect it would be before you actually became homeless? - that day, within the week, within the month? The Council's records show that help provided by housing staff tried to help you to avoid homelessness on that occasion. I'd like to ask you a few questions about what happened at that time.
8. Did you see the Council's responses to your query as (at least partly) aiming to help you sort out your housing problems? [If Yes go to question 11]
9. If No to question 8, why not - what was the Council actually trying to do? Why do you think this?
10. Did the Council's action nevertheless help you to avoid homelessness at that time?
11. [Ask all] How did the Council try to help you to avoid becoming homeless at that time? - Probe fully
12. Was this response the kind of thing you had expected when you made contact with the Council? - If not, what was expected?
13. Do you think the way help was offered by the Council was appropriate (or right for you)? - if not, why not?
14. Do you think the Council's help made a difference in sorting out your housing problems? [if No, go to question 17]
15. If Yes to question 14 can you tell me how the Council's actions made a difference? [Probe fully]
16. How satisfied are you with the accommodation the Council helped you to retain/access? How suitable is it for your needs? [Go to question 18]
17. If No to question 14 why was the Council's action ineffective?
18. [Ask all] Did any organisation other than the Council help you to avoid homelessness/sort out your housing problems? - If Yes, who helped? [If No, go to question 21]
19. If Yes to question 18 were you referred to the agency by the Council or did you make the approach completely on your own initiative
20. If Yes to question 18 how did the agency (try to) help?
21. Have the Council's housing staff made any contact with you since the time we have been discussing - e.g. to check how things are going?
22. (Apart from simply giving you a tenancy) could the Council have done more (or done something different) to help you avoid homelessness - if Yes, what?
23. [Link with questions 1-3] Has your housing situation changed again since being in contact the Council? [i.e. for the family mediation respondents, have they left the parental home; for the private renters, have they moved on from the tenancy accessed with Council help] - If yes, how did this occur [briefly]?
24. Do you now feel at risk of homelessness? - If yes, have you made [do you expect to make] another contact with the Council to help avoid this occurring? If no such experience/expectation, why not?
25. Finally, could you tell me a bit about yourself. When you contacted the Council for help with housing were you doing so as a single person, couple or family?
26. If 'single person' or couple on question 25 could you please tell me your age (and your partner's age) at the time you made the contact?
Thanks for your help.
END