SWEP and winter provision toolkit

What is SWEP (Severe Weather Emergency Protocol)?

• SWEP is a locally agreed procedure and offer, followed to minimise harm or death to anyone who might be sleeping rough in severe weather, through the provision of emergency accommodation.
• There is no legal requirement for Local Authorities to provide shelter for everyone during severe weather. However, it is widely accepted that there is a humanitarian obligation to provide SWEP and prevent death.
• The Local Authority commissions SWEP and is responsible for opening it.

What is the difference between winter provision and SWEP?

Where winter provision (emergency accommodation) is often available throughout the winter period, SWEP is a temporary response to a heightened risk. It is additional to winter provision, because it is coordinated by the Local Authority (while many shelters are independent), may open at any time of year and does not have restrictions on access e.g. it is open to people with no recourse to public funds or with no local connection to the area in which they are sleeping rough.

SWEP and winter provision toolkit

• The SWEP and winter provision toolkit is designed to support Local Authorities to provide SWEP responses in order to prevent deaths of people sleeping rough during the winter. It also contains guidance for organisations who are setting up winter provision, including suggested accommodation models.
• The ‘Key considerations for planning SWEP and winter provision’ document contains a series of questions to help local authorities and voluntary organisations think about what is needed prior to agreeing protocols/accommodation arrangements.
• These resources are designed for local authorities, frontline homelessness services, and faith and community groups.