Changing Futures Programme : coproduction and peer support service relating to multiple disadvantage

The Changing Futures programme is a £64 million joint initiative by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK. The fund is for local organisations to work in partnership to better support those who experience multiple disadvantage, including homelessness, substance misuse, mental health issues, domestic abuse, and contact with the criminal justice system. It will run from July 2021 to March 2024 and includes additional funding for 15 local areas to test new ways of working. This service will fulfil two elements of our transformation programme: • Increase the influence of people with lived experience of multiple disadvantage on the design and delivery of relevant services and the city’s overall strategy and approach to multiple disadvantage. • Increase the number of peer supporters and volunteers, to provide a route for people with lived experience of multiple disadvantage to give something back and develop their skills and employability; and for people currently experiencing multiple disadvantage to benefit from empathetic and credible role models. These elements will be primarily delivered through the development of ‘peer and lay’ roles which will work widely across all services and organisations, regardless of sector, that have regular interactions with adults experiencing multiple disadvantage. The Service will run from 16/02/2022 to 31/03/2024 with a contract budget (funded by government grant) set at £420,000 for the contract term.