I have now been in the United Kingdon for one week, having a couple of days getting over jet lag in the midlands, then starting work in London visiting homeless services and local government managers who contract homeless services.
What is clear is that the GFC has most definitely had a serious impact on funds available to work with homeless people and those at risk of homelessness. Hard decisions are having to be made about the type and quality of services that can be delivered on reduced funds. I hadn't realized how protected we had been in Australia. Whilst we have definitely been hit by the GFC, it is nothing like I am seeing in London.
I met with Jeremy Swain yesterday, the CEO of Thames Reach, a multifaceted service that has a wide range of programs that work with homeless people as well as those at risk. They have had to cut staff wages to keep their programs operating. The cuts have been from the top down, and gave me a real sense of how tough it is on the ground. Small services would be struggling to exist in this environment. I believe services are having to be creative to keep a strong footprint on the ground to keep working with their client group.
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