The Changing Futures programme is a joint initiative by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and The National Lottery Community Fund.
The Changing Futures Lancashire model has been co-produced with people who have lived experience of multiple disadvantages.
You can listen to our podcasts from people involved in the programme.
An online referral form is available for partners to quickly identify potential beneficiaries and then be directed to a multi-disciplinary team.
Before you complete the form, please check that:
- the person you are referring agrees to being part of the Changing Futures programme
- the person you are referring is over 18 years of age and has 3 out of the 5 complexities:
- homelessness
- substance misuse
- mental health issues
- domestic abuse
- known to the criminal justice system (currently or in the past)
- you have as much demographic and background information as possible about the person you are referring as we will ask for this on the form. We recognise that disadvantaged people have no ID or contact details, some of this information may be difficult to gain but we do need a good level of background information on the disadvantage and lifestyle of the person we want to help
- the person you are referring is not currently engaging with other services or support, and would benefit from the Changing Futures programme to help connect them up to services
If the answer to any of these four points is ‘no’ then please do not make the referral at this time, as we can only consider people experiencing multiple disadvantage.
If you would prefer to speak to someone about a referral prior to completing an online form, please contact the Team Managers in each locality.
The Fylde coast locality will not be accepting new referrals from the 5 December 2023 to 9 January 2024.
We are currently unable to accept referrals from Changing Futures East at the moment.
Before completing a referral, you will need a MyBwD account. Watch a tutorial on how to create an account if you do not have one.
Once the referral is submitted, the Locality Multi-Disciplinary Team will meet to discuss the person's situation using the New Directions Team assessment as a guide, alongside professional judgement. When the MDT has taken place, a decision will be communicated back to you on the outcome.
In the event that the person who has been referred is not able to be supported by Changing Futures, we will provide advice and guidance on who may be better placed to help them.
Find further information on the Changing Futures programme on the GOV.UK website.