Bedford Borough Council: Rough sleeping reduction plan

Expertise in strategic approach and establishment of Partnerships to tackle Rough Sleeping. 

The formulation of a multi-agency Rough Sleeping Reduction plan has ensured ownership of the issue by all agencies involved with clear lines of accountability and reporting through the Rough Sleepers Task Group to the Bedfordshire Supported Housing Forum.

The Bedfordshire Supported Housing Forum (BSHF) is an independent Multi-Agency County wide forum, which established a Rough Sleepers Task Group after 10 people were counted during the April 2007 Rough Sleepers Count. The Task Group reviewed service provision and identified 10 actions necessary to improve services for Rough Sleepers. Accountability for the actions was vested in the Task Group with bi-monthly reports to the BSHF as well as through Homelessness Strategy update reports to the Council’s Community, Culture, Policy Review and Development Committee. Since September 2007, they have established (amongst many others) a rough sleepers multi-agency panel, a street outreach project, a night shelter admissions policy review, and a reconnections protocol.