Newcastle - rough sleeping champions

Early intervention and housing options
 

The Council's Housing Advice Centre (HAC) provides outreach sessions at a local day centre and this is being extended to other non-residential services in Newcastle. The HAC also has a key role in preventing evictions from hostels and supported housing by offering intervention and advice to individuals who are struggling to sustain their accommodation.

The Rough Sleeper Coordinator and Senior Homeless Prevention Officer are in the process of building on the Housing and Returning Prisoners (HARP) protocol with HMP Durham to implement a case management approach for prisoners who are being released to prevent episodes of rough sleeping and to ensure adequate support and accommodation is available upon release. There will be monthly liaison between a homelessness prevention officer and the prison resettlement worker to discuss individual cases which will then be raised at the weekly case management meeting.
 
There is an established Hospital Discharge Protocol and Homelessness Prevention Protocol.