MEH STUDY: QUESTION GUIDE FOR KI INTERVIEWS
INTRODUCTION
Who we are, what were interested in i.e.
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What your organisation does, services it supplies
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Particular priorities in the way you work with homeless people
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Your views on the causes of homelessness and social exclusion
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How your organisation/service interacts with MELPs
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Ways in which encounters with your services may help alleviate the social exclusion of users/prevent homelessness
Stress ESRC funded independent academic work.
PI sheet been given and read?
Consent form signed
Outline and emphasise informed consent and anonymity ask if required
Do they want their org identified?
OK to record for transcription?
PART 1 BACKGROUND TO ORG. /SERVICE
NB Check and request what info is available in printed/electronic form to save time in interview
Q1: Ask about:
Their position with org/service
Brief outline of orgs role
How did the service come about/emerge?
To whom are services provided and on what basis?
Get at background info/statistics
Prompts: Please outline the sort of work your org does?
Could you outline your position within XXXXX?
How would you describe this organisation’s role?
How is the org funded?
Do you have any performance targets/indicators that you have to hit in order to maintain funding?
Any conditions attached to your funding, any time limits?
How many users needs do you service at any one time?
Could you describe a typical client who might use your service?
Q2: How might a homeless person come to make use of your services?
Prompts: Referral, where from? Why? Who by?
Present themselves?
Actively sought out by service?
How do you make homeless people aware of your services?
Or for mainstream non ‘homeless industry’ service providers
Q3: Do homeless users present any specific challenges for your organisation?
Prompts: Get them to outline what they are
Failure to engage with service on offer
Lack of required attendance
Anti-social/disorderly behaviour
Lack of address
PART 2: CAUSES/SOLUTIONS TO MULTIPLE EXCLUSION HOMELESSNESS?
Q4: What do you think are the key factors that cause homelessness among your users?
What sort of issues do your users present with?
Describe a typical homeless user of your service?
Prompts: Financial problems: debt, loss of home due to unemployment, default on mortgages, eviction for rent arrears
Family/relationship breakdown: domestic violence, inability to cope with demands of family life, running away from home, abuse
Trauma: PTSD
Substance use/abuse: alcohol drugs
Shifts in institutional settings: leaving forces, entering/leaving hospital, leaving care
Lack of supportive networks
Isolation
Q5: Are there any particular aspects of your users’ lives that you feel are/may perpetuate their homelessness and or continuing exclusion?
Prompts: Lack of material resources/poverty
Continuing substance drug abuse
Mental/physical ill health
Lack of coping/life skills
Lack of paid work opportunities
Negative networks of MEH i.e. homeless culture
Unwillingness to make a change
Lack of available suitable accommodation
PART 3: HOW ORGANISATIONS WORKS WITH MEHPs
Q6: What are the main priorities for organisation/service?
What do you see as the primary role for your organisation/service?
Prompts: Providing emergency accommodation
Keeping people of the streets,
Providing training and skills to connect people to PLM
Training and support,
Reshousing people –long-term
Tackling substance abuse/addition problems
Supporting vulnerable tenants
Reducing or managing crime/disorder
treatment of underlying mental or physical health issue
Floating support/outreach
Q7: Do you have a particular way of dealing with the homeless people who present themselves to you?
Any specific training manuals/codes of practice e.g. H&S, equality provisions, risk assessment etc. about how you work with homeless people?
How do you make homeless people aware of your services?
Why do you prioritise that particular issue/approach?
What’s the rationale behind making XXXX the priority in your work?
Q8: What are the key things you are trying to achieve in work with homeless people?
Prompts: Change problematic behaviour
Rehouse people
Provide basic shelter/sustenance
Keep people off the streets
Stop people offending
Hit targets
Q9: How successful are you in achieving your aims with MEHPs?
Can you identify what it is your organisation is doing that may explain your level of success?
Prompts: evidence
Q10: How if at all could you improve your current service provision?
Prompts: Reach more clients
Get more funding
Change the way you work
PART 4: RULES OF ENGAGEMENT/REGULATION OF USERS
NB remember to ask for protocols, rules, regulatory frameworks etc. under which the service is provided
Q11: Does your org. work to any particular rules and regulations?
Prompts: Which ones?
Specific to a particular policy initiative/funding stream
Q12: Do you make any demands on users of your service(s)?
Prompts: Contracts, compacts
Reciprocal/conditional arrangements
Attendance at treatment/therapy
Abstinence from substance use
Non violence
Drug tests
Anything goes
Q13: What happens if somebody breaks the rules?
Prompts: A second chance or end game
Do you turn anyone away permanently?
ENDING THE SESSION
Is there anything else you would like to add or discuss?
Do you have any questions for me?
Thanks
End
Some, prompts, checks reminders for interviewer etc.
Can you give me an example..??
Ask for more details…??
Can I ask you to say a bit more about…???
So if I understand you correctly…repeat summary of a key point /issues
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