Supporting joined-up homelessness pathways across Scotland
People do not experience homelessness, mental health, substance use, financial pressures and other support needs in neat organisational silos. Yet too often, the systems around them still work that way.
That is one of the central themes of Homeless Network Scotland’s Raising the Level 2026 summit in Perth. The event focuses on improving outcomes for people experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage, with particular emphasis on moving away from fragmented responses and towards support built around whole lives.
At CDPSoft, this is something we have been working on for many years.
What if someone only had to tell their story once?
The infographic below shows a simple example.
John has multiple support needs. In a traditional service model, he may complete several forms, be assessed repeatedly and provide the same information to different organisations. Each service may hold only part of the picture.
A coordinated approach is different.
With the right information-sharing arrangements and a configurable shared platform, services can work from a common assessment and maintain a clearer, up-to-date picture of the person’s needs, risks, referrals and outcomes.
From separate services to a coordinated pathway
CDPSoft supports local authorities, commissioned services and partner organisations to create shared pathways without requiring every organisation to work in exactly the same way.
Depending on the service model, the platform can support:
- a single point of access or gateway
- shared referral and assessment information
- coordinated multi-agency working
- configurable workflows for different services and providers
- needs and risk information
- housing and support planning
- referral status and service availability
- outcome and progress monitoring
- appropriate information sharing between participating organisations
- a clearer picture of activity across an entire pathway
The objective is not simply to put more information into one system. It is to help services use information more effectively, reduce unnecessary duplication and make it easier for people to move through support without repeatedly starting again.
Why this matters now
Scotland continues to face significant pressure across homelessness services. In 2025/26 there were 41,443 homelessness applications, while 34,964 applications remained open at 31 March 2026, 10% higher than the previous year. At the same point, 19,004 households were in temporary accommodation, the highest figure in the published time series. Scottish Government
The challenge is therefore not only how services respond to individual needs. It is also how councils, providers and partner organisations coordinate increasingly complex pathways at scale.
Better information cannot solve homelessness on its own. But fragmented information can make an already difficult system harder to navigate.
Technology should support the service model, not dictate it
CDPSoft provides configurable case management and service-management software for local authorities and providers.
That means organisations can design workflows around the way their services actually operate, rather than forcing services into a rigid software process.
CDPSoft technology is already used to support multi-agency and cross-provider environments, including gateway models where multiple organisations need to coordinate referrals, support and outcomes while maintaining appropriate controls over information.
At Raising the Level?
CDPSoft is attending Raising the Level, 6–7 October 2026 at Perth Concert Hall. Homeless Network Scotland
If you are exploring how your council, service or partnership could improve:
shared assessments • referrals • gateways • multi-agency working • homelessness pathways • provider collaboration • outcomes • service coordination
come and speak to Keirron Goffe and the CDPSoft team at the conference.
Alternatively:
Talk to us about your service model – Email: keirron.Goffe@cdpsoft.com