What steps is the Welsh Government taking to ensure that staff working in local authorities' Housing Options teams are fully trained on the Housing (Wales) Act?
The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 is a significant piece of legislation which, amongst other things, introduced the licensing and registering of private landlords, and duties to help to prevent homelessness and to meet the accommodation needs of gypsy and traveller communities.
The Welsh Government has worked closely with local authorities and the Welsh Local Government Association to ensure a smooth transition to new ways of working. This has included additional funding to assist the transition to the new homelessness legislation and to set up and operate Rent Smart Wales, and support to local authorities to fund new gypsy and traveller sites.
A national training programme was delivered to more than 600 front line staff to ensure a good understanding of the homelessness legislation, and an awareness programme for social services staff has just been piloted. Training sessions have been held on the requirements for undertaking gypsy and traveller needs assessments and we have also worked with Rent Smart Wales to deliver a series of training events for local authority staff. Training provision has been supplemented by a range of new guidance or the updating of previous guidance; for example, the Code of Guidance for Local Authorities on the Allocation of Accommodation and Homelessness 2016.
We are continuing to support housing teams and are working with local authorities to support and monitor the implementation of legislation. This and the findings of the independent evaluations which have been commissioned for parts of the Act will inform the need for further support.