Partnership between Turning Point Scotland and Fife Council is helping people at risk of homelessness access the right support at the right time.
For more than a year, Turning Point Scotland Community Navigators have been supporting people in Fife who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
This role forms part of the partnership, which also includes working with Fife College, supporting a Whole System Approach to preventing homelessness.
The Cowdenbeath community is the focus for delivering the Whole System Approach, bringing support into places where people already live, study and seek help.
Andrew is one of the Community Navigators providing practical, person-centred support, helping people navigate the housing system and referral to other services, such as health support.
“The partnership is really important because it allows us to meet people where they are and help connect them with the services they need. For the people I support, a lot of my work is listening and finding a practical solution to the issues I can help with,” he said.
An important part of the Community Navigator’s role is learning directly from people using services. This helps identify gaps and barriers across the different systems people may need to navigate, helping inform the Whole System Approach Steering Group and work to make it easier for people to access support earlier.
Working closely with Fife College’s Health and Wellbeing team enables Andrew to support students experiencing housing difficulties to access services earlier.
Andrew said: “Many students I have worked with aren’t aware that they are legally considered homeless because they are staying with friends or sofa surfing. People have a certain image of what homelessness looks like in their head, which can be a person sitting on the street with a cup. But homelessness can look very different. By working with Fife Council, we can help identify those situations earlier and make sure people know what support is available to them.”
Cllr Judy Hamilton, Fife Council Spokesperson for Housing, said: "We know that homelessness can affect people at any point in their lives. It can have serious and long-lasting consequences in relation to debt, unemployment and health and wellbeing. One of the most effective ways of preventing homelessness is early intervention. At Fife Council, we are very pleased to have partnered with Turning Point Scotland to try to help anyone at risk of becoming homeless to get the help and advice they need at the right time.
Carol Hunter, Health & Wellbeing Adviser at Fife College, said: “For students, experiencing housing difficulties can have a significant impact on their wellbeing, studies and ability to achieve their goals. This partnership is helping us identify and respond to those challenges as early as possible, bringing specialist support closer to where students are and making it easier for them to access the help available.
“Working collaboratively with Turning Point Scotland and Fife Council means we can take a whole-system approach, ensuring students don’t have to navigate complex services alone. By listening to students’ experiences and connecting them with the right support at the right time, we can help prevent housing difficulties from escalating and give students the stability they need to achieve their goals and thrive during their time at college.”
Community Navigator support is available through four morning drop-in sessions each week:
- Fife College Kirkcaldy campus – Mondays
- Fife College Dunfermline campus – Wednesdays
- The Maxwell Centre, Cowdenbeath – Thursdays
- The Clearing, Cowdenbeath – Fridays