Early / mid-September   

Recruiting counters

Many local authorities look for volunteers from their own workforce (in return for time off in lieu or overtime), as well as looking for volunteer counters from the local statutory and voluntary sectors or faith and community groups, e.g. police, park rangers, day centre staff, street pastors and advice workers. This is a good opportunity for agencies to learn more about each other’s work. If there is a local outreach team, they should be fully involved. Local authorities should always involve volunteers who are independent of the council and its outreach team (i.e. non-commissioned), as this strengthens the credibility of the count.

Where the process does not involve at least one independent partner, Homeless Link will not be able to assess the quality of the process as ‘fully assured’. Therefore, please involve at least one independent partner.

If local authorities would like any help with engaging faith & community groups to be involved in the count, feel free to contact Housing Justice as follows:

  • London – Mark Brennan, Partnerships and Development Manager, London
    m.brennan@housingjustice.org.uk
  • Outside London – Isabella Harriss, Best Practice & Innovation Team Manager: i.harriss@housingjustice.org.uk

All those involved in the count should be asked not to share the date of the ‘typical’ night chosen, beyond essential contacts.

Mid-September – count night   

Organising a count base  

A count base is necessary as it allows teams to be briefed beforehand, to ask any questions and to de-brief and share figures afterwards. It also ensures access to toilets and handwashing facilities during the night.

Coordinators should make an assessment on how the base of operations is able to meet any new public health guidelines that may come into force. The count base should have a risk assessment in order to be used on the night of the count. Please notify Homeless Link at the earliest opportunity if you have any issues with your count base: verifiers@homelesslink.org.uk

Mapping, counting teams and access  

It is good practice to liaise with neighbouring areas and, if possible, organise a count on the same night over a county or wider sub-regional area. This reduces the risk of double counting people who move across local authority boundaries. Even if the count starts at midnight, always use ‘night of into morning of’ to ensure clarity about the date and aid travel/work planning e.g. night of Weds 13th into morning of Thurs 14th.

You don’t need to cover every street or park in the local authority area, and it’s unlikely you’ll have enough counters to do this. It’s better to use your prior intelligence gathering to focus on ‘hotspot’ areas where people are known to sleep and areas where people are sometimes seen bedded down. If you know that sleep sites are occupied but inaccessible or unsafe, consider using the evidence-based estimate meeting process including a spotlight count to achieve greater accuracy.

Coordinators should divide the area being counted into segments for each counting team.

Each counting team will need a map clearly showing the boundaries of their segment and any hotspots within it. Agree exact boundaries, identifying individual streets or parts of streets, and draw them on the map. It is important to be precise about boundaries so that areas are not double counted or missed entirely.

Wherever possible, the areas covered should be well known to the teams and individual counters. The most effective counters are those with knowledge of where people are likely to be sleeping rough in that area, for example workers from local outreach teams. Try to include someone with knowledge of local rough sleeping in each team, alongside volunteers from other agencies and independent partner(s).

Check that you have recruited enough volunteers to cover each mapped segment. It is advisable to plan at least one mobile counting team in a car to cover outlying areas and support other teams if they encounter delays. At least one person, usually the coordinator, will need to stay at the count base to deal with queries and check in with counting teams during the night.

Plan ahead to gain access to non-public areas where people may be bedded down (e.g. hospital or college grounds, parks, building stairwells, car parks). Do not plan access for volunteer counters to areas that will be unsafe. You might need to contact police, park rangers or security firms to gain access and support the count. In previous years, some local authorities have obtained keys to stairwells of flats where people were likely to be sleeping, which ensured counters could check these areas. This approach is recommended, as long as safety is maintained.

There are particular challenges associated with counting in rural and urban areas, and with certain groups of people sleeping rough. The following section offer guidance on including rough sleepers who might be in hidden or otherwise inaccessible locations:

  • Tips on intelligence gathering
  • Where to count and challenges to consider

Preparing a data protection statement  

The coordinator should provide copies of a data protection statement on the night of the count. This is in case a person seen sleeping rough wants to know how their information will be used or stored, or to assist the person doing the count to answer any questions, from volunteers or members of the public for example. The GDPR lists the kinds of information that must be provided. For further information see the ‘Data sharing’ section below.

Making contingency plans – emergency accommodation and severe weather (SWEP)

Speak to local homelessness and housing services to agree the response to people found sleeping rough who want to access accommodation and support e.g. a hub, B&B or hostel. The count should not stop people from accessing accommodation. If there are severe weather conditions on the night of the estimate, the local authority may activate their Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP), if they have one. This provides support for individuals during extreme weather. If people sleeping rough do take up emergency accommodation as part of the SWEP, they are still included in the count.

Unusual circumstances such as severe weather conditions (e.g. activation of the severe weather emergency protocol (SWEP), snow, heavy rains or flooding) or man-made events such as riots or protests may have an impact on numbers. In some circumstances, it may be impossible for the count to go ahead.

If the planned count coincides with unusual circumstances – in particular activation of SWEP – the coordinator, in consultation with Homeless Link and the Quality Assurance Verifier, may decide on one of the following courses of action:

  • Postpone the count – it still has to happen by 30th November.
  • Proceed as a spotlight count that is used to inform an evidence-based estimate meeting, based on actual numbers counted plus others, such as people in SWEP provision on the night of the count, who would otherwise have slept rough. This is the most common approach due to the strict Oct-Nov timeframe.
  • Cancel the count and instead follow the evidence-based estimate meeting process, based on a single ‘typical’ night before 30th November where SWEP is not in force. You will need to follow the guidance, choose a new date and plan an estimate meeting with partner agencies.

2 weeks before the count   

Information to/from counters, Homeless Link Quality Assurance Verifier and police

Confirm availability of counters and at least one independent partner, their contact details and addresses.

Meet with the Homeless Link Quality Assurance Verifier to complete phase one of the count-based estimate quality assurance process, as set out above.

Ensure there is a plan for everyone to get home safely – it is the coordinator’s responsibility to provide transport for counters. Depending on the start time and location of the count base, transport to the count may also be required. Please do not ask counters to arrive more than an hour before the count starts – it’s already a long night for everyone involved.

Send the ‘Briefing for street count teams and volunteers’ to the counters along with details of the date (‘night of x into morning of x’ format), time and base of operations for the count. Ask them to bring mobile phone, torch and ID if possible. Confirm their transport home and get their postcode details if you need to arrange transport.

Notify police of the count taking place.

The week of the count   

Practical preparations  

Ensure that you are ready for the count night:

  • Check the weather forecast and review SWEP contingency plan.
  • Book taxis to/from venue for counters or put the taxi firm on standby.
  • Print maps for each counting team showing the area and any hotspots to cover.
  • Ensure each team will have a torch and phone, plus alarms and reflective jackets/armbands if using. Consider supplying hand sanitiser to counting teams.
  • Prepare packs for counting teams: map, pens, definition of rough sleeping, ID letter, H&S checklist, rough sleeping count forms, any relevant local service info, language chart.
  • Assign counters to teams, including an outreach worker or someone with local knowledge in each team.

The night of the count   

Count process  

  • Check availability of emergency accommodation/assessment hubs on the night.
  • Ensure each counting team has a mobile, torch and pack – check you have the right mobile numbers.
  • Talk through the Briefing for Count Teams and answer any questions.
  • Agree timing of check-in calls to teams during the count.
  • If possible, offer hot drinks/snacks at the base of operations.
  • If there have been any safety concerns during the count, ensure counters are debriefed and agree a follow up call.
  • Agree a final figure and demographic information with partner agencies and the independent partner once all forms have been returned.
  • Check that each counter has a safe route home – coordinate sharing taxis/lifts home.

Safety considerations  

Count coordinators have a responsibility to ensure the safety of all those involved in the rough sleeping count. You should balance the need to keep people safe with the need to gather as much reliable information about people sleeping rough as possible.

To get this balance right, the coordinator should:

  • Give clear guidance to counters about whether or not to wake up any unknown/new people found sleeping rough during the count. This would be to find out more about them and to offer support and, where available, assessment/accommodation. In most cases, unless counters are outreach workers, it will be safer not to wake the person, but to leave some information about local services and arrange for outreach to look for them on the next shift. Please note that demographic information can be recorded as ‘not known’.
  • Organise the count so that counters work in teams of at least two and have relevant equipment e.g. torches, phones. The coordinator should be aware of each team’s planned route to and from their counting area and check in with them by phone at least once during the count.
  • The conduct of the counters is of paramount importance and the pre-count briefing should set clear expectations. They should be given clear guidance beforehand about their role and should be sent home from the count if they are unsuitable (e.g. intoxicated).
  • Counters should be told not to enter areas that they feel are unsafe without support from the police.
  • Local police should be asked to assist with counts and are often willing to do so. Having police officers available on the night means that there are more options available around waking up unknown/new people to get information and offer support, but this must be done sensitively.
  • A safe initial meeting and debriefing venue should be arranged, such as a local authority building or day centre, where counters can meet and return to once they have completed their section. There should be clear arrangements for getting to and accessing this building.
  • Arranging safe transport from (and potentially to) the count base is the local authority coordinator’s responsibility.
  • Counters should carry identification and a letter from the local authority explaining their purpose in being out late at night and in unusual locations. It is common for counters to be challenged, for example by building concierges and car park security guards.
  • On the night of the count, the count coordinator should go through the safety procedures carefully with counters and give counters time to ask questions. This will cover: when to call in, how to respond to emergencies, when to leave an area, and how to deal with any aggressive behaviour.
  • While rare, there have been incidents of concern during counts – coordinators may want to seek advice from police in advance about potentially risky areas and adjust patches/exclude areas accordingly. If safety concerns mean that you are unable to visit certain areas, yet there is intelligence that individuals will be rough sleeping in this area on the ‘typical’ night, then a count-based estimate would not be suitable and you may not be verified as the figure would be inaccurate for your area. Please consider an evidence-based estimate, including a spotlight count instead to ensure all individuals (including those in the inaccessible unsafe areas) are counted. If you change approach due to intelligence, then inform Homeless Link at the earliest possible stage as this will affect the quality assurance process.

Please also refer to the Count Risk Assessment (for coordinators) and Health & Safety Checklist (for counters) in the Useful Forms & Other Resources section below.

Briefing the counters  

The count coordinator should start the evening at the count base with a briefing session for counters. The briefing is to ensure that everyone understands:

  • The definition of rough sleeping.
  • The role of the count coordinator and the independent partner.
  • Any local arrangements for recording detail of individual people sleeping rough (MHCLG only require the single figure and demographic data) and support/accommodation options on the night.
  • Safety considerations, as listed above.

Please also refer to the coordinator’s briefing notes in the Useful Forms & Resources section below.

Interventions on the night  

It is strongly recommended that prior arrangements are made so that emergency beds are available for people found on the count who want to move off the streets. If people sleeping rough are supported with any intervention on the night of the count (including referral to an assessment hub, use of emergency services, referral to SWEP or other emergency provision) they should still be counted as bedded down for the purposes of the count and recorded within the single figure. If someone is asleep and you have made the decision not to wake the individual because you have no offer of accommodation, leave a letter or card to let them know how they can contact the outreach team, local authority or other forms of support. Where possible, make a plan to return to their sleep site the following night.

Recording the data  

On the night of the count, local authorities should use the Rough Sleeping Count Form (see Useful Forms and Other Resources) or create an alternative form for local use. The local authority should ask counters to collect any data about individuals, trends or hotspots that will be relevant to local planning.

  • Counters should record each individual person on a separate line on the form, rather than writing totals on the form which cannot be verified as an accurate record.
  • Information about each person sleeping rough may be recorded from previous knowledge of the person and their sleeping site, rather than having to wake them.
  • If an individual is not known, and where it is safe to do so (see above), the counter may attempt to wake each individual to record their details. Even if the counter cannot observe or establish any details about the individual (for example because they are unable to wake them and they are covered up) they should still record them individually and use the ‘not known’ category for demographic details, unless counters know the individual (from the individual accessing their service, for example) and their details.
  • Establishing the identity of a person sleeping rough on the night of the count will help with follow-up and referrals. However, note the data protection rules below.
  • The count process includes collecting data on the number of non-UK nationals represented among people sleeping rough. To plan local responses for migrants sleeping rough see Homeless Link’s guidance here. Note that all people recorded and verified during the count must be included in the single figure, regardless of nationality or recourse to public funds and including people whose faces are covered and are not woken. Every person seen that meets the rough sleeping definition must be counted towards the final figure for your area.
  • As counters might find people who do not speak English as their first language, it’s useful to give them a language ID chart. This enables the person sleeping rough to point at their preferred language. Use the Refugee Council chart and provide copies for each counting team:
    www.esht.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Language-identification-chart.pdf     
  • It is useful for counters to give as much information as possible on the location of people sleeping rough, as this may help with future planning of services, as well as more immediate offers of support.
  • Counting forms must be completed on the night of the count. Ideally, this should happen without the coordinator present. Counting forms are kept by the local authority and destroyed following your data protection policies.
  • Data should not be uploaded to DELTA until the quality assurance process has  been completed and the signed off form sent from verifiers@homelesslink.org.uk.
  • If demographic data changes (e.g. new information comes to light), inform Homeless Link as soon as possible as we will be cross-checking our verified data (the data on the quality assurance form) with data submitted to DELTA. Where data does not match, and discrepancies are not resolved in time, DELTA submissions will not be certified.
  • Details of individuals sleeping rough are confidential. Information should be stored and shared in line with the protocol of the local authority (or the agency coordinating the count), which may include information sharing arrangements with relevant local services.

Data sharing

  • The local authority hold and own any personal data collected; they are the data controller. It is their responsibility to ensure that the correct procedures are in place to adhere to the Data Protection Act 2018.
  • Homeless Link and MHCLG receive aggregate data, via DELTA. No personal data is shared with either organisation therefore they are not data controllers in this process.
  • As part of the count, it must be made clear to individuals that they are providing their personal details (name, date of birth) voluntarily, and are not obliged to provide them. If a person refuses to give their personal information, they should still be recorded as sleeping rough, and demographic information including gender, nationality, and age will be recorded as “not known” if this is not known.
  • The count coordinator should provide copies of a data protection statement on the night of the count. This is in case a person seen sleeping rough wants to know how their information will be used and stored, or to assist the person doing the count to answer any questions. The GDPR lists the kinds of information that must be provided.

After the count   

Please do not submit your data to DELTA until you have received the quality assurance form with the verified data from verifiers@homelesslink.org.uk

Following the remote quality assurance process, local authorities should submit the single figure and demographic data using the MHCLG’s DELTA online system. See the DELTA guidance below for further information.

Data must be submitted to MHCLG by the local authority using DELTA by Friday 5th December 2025.