Rough Sleeping Conference 2026: Programme

09:00 - 10:00

Registration and refreshments

10:00 - 10:15

Welcome and housekeeping

• Rick Henderson, CEO, Homeless Link

10:15 - 11:15

Opening plenary

• Catherine Bennion, Deputy Director, Communities Strategy and Policy, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)
• Matt Downie, Chief Executive, Crisis
• Kira West, Director, Hjem til Alle Alliancen (Home for All), Denmark

11:15 – 11:35

Exhibition and refreshments

11:35 – 12:35

Breakout session 1 – your choice of the following sessions:

Stopping rough sleeping before it starts: Practical prevention strategies

• Fiona Colley, Director of Social Change, Homeless Link (Chair)
• Samantha Hall, Director Housing & Environmental Health, Test Valley Borough Council
• Louise Thorpe, Regional Head of Operations, Aster

Maximising the potential of Day Services: Empowering people to move beyond rough sleeping

• Vicky Album, National Practice Development Project Manager, Homeless Link (Chair)
• Eve McCallam, Programme Lead, Housing Justice
• Matt Harris, Centre Manager, The Booth Centre (morning only)
• Jas Sahota, Head of operations and Community Relations Manager, Woolwich Service Users Project (afternoon only)
• Andrew Ashley, Expert Link

Beyond the city: Innovative approaches to rough sleeper outreach in rural communities

• Viv Griffiths, National Practice Development Project Manager, Homeless Link (Chair)
• Shirley Hilton, Rough Sleeper Resettlement Manager, Cornwall County Council

Working effectively with couples who are rough sleeping where domestic abuse is a risk

• Alex Smith, Interim Head of National Practice Development, Homeless Link (Chair)
• Lucy Campbell, Assistant Director of System Change (Women’s Homelessness and Multiple Disadvantage) and Domestic Abuse Organisational Lead, Single Homeless Project
• Amy Smith, Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance Accreditation Manager (Homelessness & Supported Accommodation), Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

Effective support for people released from prisons: the Departure Lounge model

• Lucy Horitz, Senior Learning & Development Manager, Homeless Link (Chair)
• Gaynor Lester, Service Manager, Nacro
• Helen Thompson, Resettlement Advisor, Nacro

The Wanderers’ Forum: Coordinating multi-agency actions to remove persistent barriers to healthcare for long-term complex rough sleepers

• Jo Turner, National Practice Development Project Manager, Homeless Link (Chair)
• Iona Brown, Target Priority Group Womens Lead, St Mungo’s
• Barney Wells, Director, Enabling Assessment Service London

Refugees and asylum seekers: addressing rough sleeping and supporting positive move-on

• Alex Worrell, Policy Manager, Homeless Link (Chair)
• Jo Walby, CEO, Mustard Tree
• Community Ambassador, NACCOM

12.35 - 13:30

Lunch and networking

13:30 – 14:30

Plenary: A multi-disciplinary approach to reducing long-term rough sleeping

• Rick Henderson, CEO, Homeless Link (Chair)
• Oliver Hilbery, Chief Executive, MEAM
• Mark Joyce, Senior Responsible Officer, Changing Futures Northumbria
• Neelam Sunder, Head of Designing Out Homelessness, West Midlands Combined Authority

14:30 – 14:50

Exhibition and refreshments

14:50 – 15:50

Breakout session 2 (repeat of breakout session 1 choices)

15:50 – 16:30

Panel discussion: Workforce development and outreach

• Rick Henderson, CEO, Homeless Link (Chair)
• Kate Alaway, Head of National Workforce Development, Homeless Link
• Joanna Mark-Richards, Director of People, Thames Reach
• Ben Tomlin, Head of Strategic Housing, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council

16:30

Conference close