why has NOTIFY been developed?
NOTIFY has been developed to improve access to services for homeless households in temporary accommodation. Homeless households are at particular risk of missing out on health, education and social services; they can be placed in temporary accommodation at some distance from their original home. NOTIFY can ensure that households receive the services they need by notifying the relevant agencies when they move into, between and out of temporary accommodation.
how does NOTIFY work?
Every week housing departments upload to NOTIFY information about all households currently in temporary accommodation and those that have left temporary accommodation recently. The system then compares households' current addresses with those on the system the previous week. Where it finds that a change has occurred, NOTIFY amends a household's information accordingly. It also sends a weekly email alert to the relevant agencies. This tells them how many homeless households have recently moved into, within and out of their borough. They can then access the notifications website and find out more about these households.
whose information is on NOTIFY?
Households placed in temporary accommodation by London boroughs under homelessness legislation that are either currently living in temporary accommodation or have left temporary accommodation within the last three months.
Are the data protection laws respected for each person involved in NOTIFY?
Yes. There is a detailed NOTIFY Data Sharing and Security Agreement and also the system has been designed so that information is available for viewing on a strictly 'need to know' basis.
which agencies participate in NOTIFY?
London borough housing departments, social services departments and local education authorities plus London primary care trusts. These agencies participate because they provide key statutory services.
what measures have been taken to ensure that NOTIFY information is not viewed by outsiders?
Security surrounding the system and information about the system was, and still is, a priority during all aspects of the development, implementation, and running of the system. Security of NOTIFY, relating both to hardware and software, conforms to advice provided by leading experts in the field. All users must be registered and go through a stringent process of verification before being granted access to notifications website.
how often is information regarding the movements of these households shared among the agencies?
Once a week data is uploaded onto NOTIFY and an email is sent to the registered users in housing, social services, education and health. This tells them how many homeless households have recently moved into, within and out of their borough. They can then access the notifications website and find out more about these households.
what is the geographical coverage of NOTIFY?
NOTIFY covers households placed in temporary accommodation by London borough housing departments. While most temporary accommodation being used by London boroughs is located within Greater London, there are several hundred households being accommodated outside the capital. Where households (being dealt with by London boroughs) are placed in, move between or leave temporary accommodation outside London, notifications will be made to agencies in the relevant local authorities.
who funds NOTIFY?
The London boroughs fund NOTIFY.
what is the homelessness legislation?
To be accepted as homeless by a local authority, households must be homeless and fall into one of the priority need categories set out in homelessness legislation. These categories include households with dependent children and/or someone pregnant, 16/17 year olds, 18-21 year old care leavers and people who are vulnerable because of old age, illness or having been in prison or the armed forces
what is temporary accommodation?
When households are accepted as homeless to a local authority or while their application is being investigated the family may be placed in temporary accommodation. Temporary accommodation includes bed and breakfast hotels, hostels, women's refuges and accommodation owned by councils, housing associations or private landlords used on a temporary basis. Some homeless people may remain 'homeless at home', which means that they stay in the property from which they become homeless (which would not be suitable in the long term) until their application has been dealt with and/or they are allocated a permanent home. In London, the vast majority of households applying as homeless are placed in temporary accommodation, often for long periods of time.
how do I access the secure sections of this website?
If you are a council officer wishing to view more detail about the NOTIFY system, please complete the registration form found on the right hand menu. If you are a registered NOTIFY user, you will have received details of how to access the section of this website for registered participants.