“Ending homelessness in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole by ensuring everyone has a safe place to live that they can call home.”  

This board meets quarterly.

It is the ambition of this boards strategy to: 

• Ensure no one sleeps rough or lives in places which are not designed as a home, such as tents, vehicles, squats or non-residential buildings.
• That anyone staying in emergency or temporary accommodation has a rapid rehousing plan specifying their appropriate move-on housing which is suitable and affordable, and support being accessible and flexibly delivered.
• Everyone threatened with homelessness (whether over 56 days or more immediately) is provided with the advice, assistance and support they need to prevent their homelessness, and for people who leave institutional settings and survivors of domestic abuse to ensure that housing pathways are in place so that they do not become homeless.
• The Homelessness Reduction Board (HRB) was formed to provide overall strategic lead and governance for the Partnership. The Board includes representatives from various key services including the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group, Dorset Police, Probation, Adult and Children’s Social Care, Housing, and Third Sector representatives. As the Covid-19 pandemic started to impact, the HRB started to meet more frequently, initially every fortnight, before moving to the current monthly frequency
• The council has a statutory duty to produce a homelessness and rough sleeping strategy and BCP Council is taking this forward, building on the work of the legacy councils
• The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy supports the council’s Strategic Plan which includes a commitment to develop our vibrant communities, with an outstanding quality of life, where everyone plays an active role.

 ‘Everyone has a safe place to live that they call home’ is the shared goal of a four-year strategy co-produced by BCP Council and members of Homelessness Reduction Board.

Get Involved

We are looking for a VCS Involvement Partner to sit on the networks and forums to feed up to the strategic boards. The VCS Involvement Partner will be fully supported by CAN and will have access to our support, expertise and advocacy – along with our extensive contacts, enabling easy dissemination of information and the use of CAN Networks, Forums and Leaders exCHANGE ensuring they are well informed. To read more about our vision for community led VCS representation and find out about becoming a VCS Involvement Partner, follow the link below. 

VCS Involvement Partners