There’s no one reason why someone ends up rough sleeping. Each person’s situation is complex and multi-faceted and is often triggered by both personal and environmental problems.

Similarly supporting people from the streets into accommodation often require complex solutions. Most of the time there’s no quick fix and for some it will take more than one placement in order to stabilise and engage with the support on offer.   Often just providing a home does not always solve a person’s issues or long-term housing situation, they need support to deal with addictions and mental health problems.

The council commissions Julian House and BCHA to provide a Rough Sleeping Prevention Service that engages with rough sleepers on the street and supports people to move off the streets and into commissioned accommodation that meets their needs. 

It can often take multiple engagement in order to build trusting relationship before assessment of the individual’s needs and life skills can take place.   A multi-agency forum meets weekly to oversee placements into supported housing and to identify which project will be best suited to meet an individual’s needs.  This can range from intensive onsite help in supported accommodation to lighter touch tenancy sustainment support in independent accommodation through floating support services.