Op FORTITUDE
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Op FORTITUDE is funded by The Armed Forces Covenant Fund to deliver a centralised referral pathway into veteran supported housing. The remit of the team will be to work with individual veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness, supporting them either into suitable accommodation, or supporting them to maintain their current home.
The approach involves creating a pathway from the veteran at risk or experiencing homelessness to veteran supported housing or organisation that can support them to keep their current home and avoid becoming homeless in the first place, as well as other unsupported veteran housing. At the centre of this is a team dedicated to making that link.
The underlying issue causing the person to be at risk of homelessness could be one or more of a range of issues, including income maximisation, employment, mental or physical health, substance misuse etc.
The Veteran Charity Sector has a rich history of providing support to veterans in these and many other areas and have a vital role to play in preventing veteran homelessness. Op FORTITUDE will also prove to be a critical resource for these agencies and any veterans they are working with who may be homeless.
The Op FORITUDE Pathway will open for referrals on 3 July 2023, with an initial focus on tenancy sustainment and high-risk referrals and will be fully operation by the date at which the Op FORTITUDE funded supported housing goes live on 1 September 2023.
Op FORTITUDE Service Design Overview
Referrals can come from a range of sources, including, but not limited to, the public, the homelessness sector, the veteran charity sector, Local Authorities, His Majesties Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), The Defence Transition Service (DTS), or directly from the veteran themselves.
Referrals can be made through a dedicated webpage, and telephone access, with referrals going to the team that will facilitate referrals.
On receipt of the referral, we will assess:
- The immediate safety of the veteran
- Their current housing situation and location
- Areas, levels, and complexity of need
From an assessment of need, and led by the veteran’s own choice, we will match the veteran with the appropriate supported housing or engage in tenancy sustainment activities to prevent homelessness occurring.
As mentioned, moving into supported accommodation may not always represent the best outcome, and we will need to consider wider implications, such as the impact of losing a local connection to the area they are currently residing in.
From an assessment of need, and led by the veteran’s own choice, there could be a range of supportive interventions taken, including, but not limited to:
- Tenancy sustainment, where is suitable and safe accommodation, through Local Authority Homelessness Reduction Act Duties
- Referral to Veteran Charity Sector Organisations to provide additional support
- Referral to veteran supported
Referrals can be made to Op FORTITUDE:
By our online referral form https://riv.org.uk/opfortitude
Or by Freephone 0800 9520774