No one should be left out in the cold

As Britain prepares for the coldest night of the year, Homeless Link is repeating its call on every community to ensure they have services in place so that no one is left sleeping on the streets.

Winter is a particularly testing time for people who are homeless. Prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures without shelter can be life threatening.

With reports that rough sleeping is on the rise in many areas, local authorities must be prepared to deal with increased demand and ensure they have winter provision in place.

To help, Homeless Link has produced two guides to support local authorities and homeless services to cope with increasing demand:

• Severe weather emergency protocol and extended cold weather provision: read about good practice from across the country and see example protocols and supporting paperwork to help you develop suitable responses during the cold weather period.
• Preparing for winter - a guide for day centres: a practical guide to preparing frontline services in order to manage risk and maximise engagement during cold weather, including information on healthcare, engagement, resources and service provision.

Click here for a list of shelters across England on the Homeless UK website, or here to download a list of London-based shelters (PDF format). If your shelter is not listed, please email: info@homelesslink.org.uk.

Commenting, Mark McPherson, Director of Regions and Practice for Homeless Link, said:

“Local authorities, charities and faith groups are working closely in many areas to ensure that no one is left out this winter. We just need to go that extra mile to ensure that the right response is in place in every area.

“If financial reasons are preventing a community from acting, we urge them to get in contact.”

Contact your Homeless Link regional manager