Rough sleeping

On average 1600 rough sleepers sleep on Westminster's streets each year. On any given night, the number if people sleeping on the streets averages between 100 and 200.

On average, 65 new rough sleepers arrive on Westminster streets every month.

It is important that we assess rough sleepers quickly and help them get off the streets, reconnecting them to services in their home area where possible.

Literacy toolkit for homelessness organisations

In 2011 Westminster City Coundil won runner up prize in the Andy Ludlow Awards for our work tackling literacy issues among rough sleepers and hostel residents.  The literacy toolkit for homelessness organisations sets out the essential elements of the tried and tested, flexible model that we think all homelessness organisations can use.

Soup Run and Rough Sleeping Byelaw application 

In March, the council proposed a Byelaw to regulate the provision of free food and refreshment, and rough sleeping, in a designated area in South Westminster. The consultation period closed on Friday 25th March. Please find below a letter explaining the process, the draft byelaws, a map of the proposed designated area, and a list of answers to Frequently Asked Questions. You can find our response to the consultation here.

Building Based Services for Rough Sleepers 

On 1 July 2005 Westminster became the first Local Authority in the country to move the core part of their outreach services for homeless people from the streets into buildings.

This new approach has meant that outreach workers are now based at day and night centres with extended operating hours, where rapid and assertive needs-led assessment and support planning takes place.

Westminster has ensured that dedicated street workers are available to assess vulnerable rough sleepers who can still be met on the streets, and a specialist mental health team (the Joint Homelessness Team) will continue to carry out mental health assessments on the streets.

Building Based Services - Frequently Asked Questions

Three Building Based Services act as the first point of assessment and action planning for homeless people across Westminster - The Passage Day Centre, St Mungo's Rough Sleepers Assessment Centre, and Connection at St Martins Day Centre.

www.passage.org.uk

Tel: 020 7592 1850

www.connection-at-stmartins.org.uk

Tel: 020 7766 5544

www.mungos.org/other/day_centres/day_centres4.shtml#wldc

Tel: 020 7724 9256

The Met Police Safer Streets Homeless Unit (SSHU)

Westminster have a dedicated borough-wide police team who deal exclusively with rough sleeping and associated anti-social street activity (including begging and street drinking)

www.met.police.uk

Tel: 020 7321 7560

Rough Sleeping Helpline - Tel: 020 7641 3841

This is a dedicated helpline for members of the public who are concerned about people sleeping rough in their area. The number is available 24 hours a day to members of the public who notice new people sleeping rough or are concerned about the deteriorating health and wellbeing of familiar rough sleepers. Information given to the helpline will be passed on to the building based rough sleepers services and help directed accordingly.

In a medical emergency, an ambulance should always be called.

Rough Sleeping Strategy 2010-13

The strategy is available here, and can be obtained in hard copy from Alastair Reeves on 020 7641 2254.

Also attached here is a summary of responses received during the consultation process that fed into the strategy.

Evaluation of Building Based Services

In November 2006 an independent evaluation report was carried out into the Building Based Services model, by Geoffrey Randall and Susan Brown.

Read the report here (PDF)

Soup Runs

In 2008 LSE was commissioned by Crisis and WCC to undertake a study into the work of soup runs in Westminster.  The findings of the research are contained in the folloring documents:

• Soup Runs in Central London (Executive Summary)

• Soup Runs in Central London (Full Document)