Extracts from proceedings in the Welsh Assembly - Mar 3

Mark Drakeford AM (First Minister of Wales): I thank the Member for that question. The Welsh Government has invested an extra £20 million in this financial year in tackling youth homelessness. In carrying out that work, we work closely with partners across Government, the public and third sectors in support of that aim. Tackling youth homelessness is also informed by our engagement with the End Youth Homelessness campaign.

David Melding AM: I thank the First Minister for that answer. I wonder if you would join with me in congratulating the Salvation Army, as the lead agency joining with Taff Housing Association and the Church Army, to create the Cardiff young persons' supported accommodation partnership, which was launched in the Pierhead last week. This partnership has been commissioned by Cardiff Council, I think as an instance of best practice, as a system-change partnership that understands that each young person has individual needs and presenting styles. We need supported accommodation to respond to many of these and 106 units will be planned in Cardiff. And at its heart is the concept of no eviction into homelessness, which I think is essential, and offering young people influence and control over their housing needs. So, I do congratulate all those, including Cardiff Council, for coming together. Is this not the sort of partnership approach that you should be encouraging all over Wales?

Mark Drakeford AM (First Minister of Wales): Can I thank the Member for that supplementary question and for the way in which, over so many years, he has championed the cause of young people in distress in so many aspects of their lives? And seeing his announcement last week—his contribution on these matters will be missed in this Senedd in the future.

I want to agree with what he has said, of course. Taff Housing Association is in my own constituency of Cardiff West, and my office is not many hundreds of yards away from theirs, so we have a very good opportunity there to hear of the work that they do in bringing together the physical response to youth homelessness with the care and support needs that young people who find themselves in that awful position often need as well. And the scheme to which he refers is a very good example of that, making sure that young people have a decent place to live, but that they don't feel abandoned in it, and that they know that they will not be isolated and alone, but that they will have a network of organisations that they can turn to so that the difficult business of looking after yourself and being in charge of your own destiny—. Most of us are never on our own; we have families and others we can turn to, and we know that young people who find themselves homeless often don't have any of that. So, putting those things in place through the Salvation Army, the Church Army and the things that Taff Housing Association can do fills the whole of that gap. I commend, as he did, the work that they do. The point he made towards the end of his question about that principle of no eviction into homelessness is an absolutely central one that I know my colleague Julie James, as the Minister for housing, is emphasising in all the discussions that she has with social housing providers in Wales.

Extract from Welsh Assembly: Questions to the Deputy Minister

David Melding AM: Will the Deputy Minister outline the measures being taken to encourage the voluntary sector to apply for public sector tenders? 

Jane Hutt AM (Deputy Minister and Chief Whip): We provide support, encouragement and guidance through the Wales procurement policy statement and our third sector scheme. Our long-standing community benefits policy provides a flexible framework that enables public sector procurers to develop third-sector-friendly procurement approaches.

David Melding AM: Can I thank the Minister for that answer? You may have heard earlier that I asked the First Minister a question about the Cardiff young person's supported accommodation partnership, which is being led by the Salvation Army, but has Taff Housing Association in it, and the Church Army also. And that was encouraged, that partnership approach, by Cardiff council. And it seems to me that's a really good example of best practice, using the resources of the voluntary sector, and, in this case, also involving a faith community approach. And that's something that we want to open up, especially when they link up, as in this case, with a sort of public sector agency—I know a housing association is in that slight grey zone. But this does seem to me the sort of working we want to encourage.

Jane Hutt AM: Yes. And I would also like to add just a word of thanks to David Melding for his stewardship of the third sector. We both came from the third sector when we became two of the class of 1999, 21 years ago. But it's so important that you have championed the third sector and this partnership that you have described this afternoon is exemplary. It does engage with local authorities and the third sector, and could I just, in response immediately to that question, say that this is very linked to the Welsh Government's code of practice for funding for the third sector? It does set out those principles for public bodies, such as local authorities, on how they should comply in terms of ensuring that there are opportunities for the third sector. And I am now going to put this point on the agenda of the next funding and compliance sub-committee of the third sector partnership council.