Rough sleepers

You can report concerns about rough sleepers at any time through the national Streetlink service.

Hastings Borough Council and partners work closely to understand and meet the needs of the street community in Hastings. The street community is made up of around 40 people who may be rough sleeping, street drinking or begging. They are not all rough sleeping.

Partnership working has identified that there is a continuous stream of new rough sleepers in Hastings. The effective joint working and assertive outreach services enable local organisations to understand movements of individuals and share information to find solutions to each person's challenges. There is a strong commitment to tackling rough sleeping from a wide range of statutory and voluntary organisations.

Read Cllr Peter Chowney's response to the Government's proposed private members bill. The bill requires all councils to do homeless prevention work and find accommodation for all people in their areas that have been made homeless.

Addressing rough sleeping is a challenge but generally people who are new to rough sleeping are more willing to engage with services and can be helped very quickly. Where people are sofa surfing or rough sleeping on and off, they generally have more complex needs.

Levels of engagement for these rough sleepers are often lower and their issues are more challenging to address. This can limit their housing options and make resolving housing and support needs more difficult.

Tackling rough sleeping in Hastings

There are a number of initiatives which aim to ensure rough sleeping is kept to a minimum and the best possible outcomes for rough sleepers are being achieved, including:

Rough Sleepers Outreach Service

This service is funded by the council and the Seaview Project. The service is delivered by the Seaview Project and carries out proactive outreach work 3 times per week, generally between 5am and 7am, to identify people who are rough sleeping and to help them connect with local services and support, and to facilitate reconnection with home authorities where appropriate.

Hastings Street Community Local Action Team meeting

This monthly meeting is facilitated by Hastings Borough Council and represents a wide range of organisations that can draw on their knowledge and expertise to ensure the needs of rough sleepers, street drinkers and the community are addressed, and the risk of harm is minimised. Action plans are discussed and progress monitored between agencies.

Rough sleeper panel meeting

Formed as part of the Hastings Street Community Local Action Team, the panel meets once a week to discuss rough sleepers who are not engaging with any support services related to housing, health or social care. The group takes a multi-agency approach to reduce/prevent rough sleeping and to improve the rough sleeper's chance of resolving their homelessness and reduce the risks associated with rough sleeping.

Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP)

The Council continues to deliver a Severe Weather Emergency Protocol in accordance with national guidance from Homeless Link. This protocol has two key aims:

• To ensure that no one dies on the streets due to extreme weather
• To ensure that every effort is made to engage with individuals during the extreme weather period so that they can access appropriate services

Housing and wellbeing hub

Open access service with different agencies present every Thursday morning, including housing navigator, a housing options officer, St John's Ambulance, Pohwer advocacy services, Adult Social Care, street triage mental health team and Home Works. Rough sleepers can access these facilities in one place if needed. Breakfast and lunch available for £1, as well as showers and clothes washing facilities.

Other available facilities and services

A specialist housing options officer for rough sleepers at Hastings Borough Council can provide housing advice from Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm.
Hastings Information Centre, Queens Square, Hastings, TN34 1TL
Telephone: 01424 451100
email: housingadvice@hastings.gov.uk

BHT Housing Advice Service

Providing housing advice for rough sleepers or those at risk of rough sleeping from Monday to Friday between 9am and 4.30pm
Advice and Community Hub, Renaissance House, London Road, St Leonards
Telephone: 01424 452610

Emmaus Hastings & Rother

Offering accommodation within the Emmaus community and active involvement in the community's business of collecting, restoring and reselling donated items.
Whitworth Road, St Leonards, TN37 7PZ.

Home Works (Hastings and Rother)

Delivering a generic floating support service that can support rough sleepers or those at risk of rough sleeping.
Telephone: 01273 898700
Text: 07773 377 754
e-Mail: referrals@home-works.org.uk

STEPS

STEPS - Housing and advice for over 60s. Telephone 0300 123 2422, text 07944 140016 or email referrals@stepseast.co.uk.

STEPs can help you with:

• Ensuring your home is safe
• Looking into more suitable accommodation
• Dealing with tenancy or mortgage worries
• Keeping warm and reducing energy bills
• Managing household bills and debts
• Obtaining daily living equipment.

Xtrax

Youth Hub Housing Advice for ages 16-24. 23 Priory Street, Hastings, TN34 1EA. Telephone 01424 722524.

Links Project

Support for asylum seekers and refugees. Drop in service at Concordia Hall, St Leonards on Wednesdays 10.30am to 4pm. Any other times call 07752 495508 or email marc@hvauk.org

Snowflake Winter Night Shelter

Charity providing supervised overnight accommodation for people who are homeless, from the end of November to mid March. People must be referred to the service through the Seaview Project, St John's Ambulance, Hastings Borough Council and the police before accessing this service.

Hope Kitchen

Thursday and Saturday evenings between 7.30pm and 9pm at Wellington Square Baptist Church, Wellington Square, Hastings.

Seaview Project

An open access wellbeing daycentre offering showers and advice on housing, benefits, and accessing other services. Daily activities are available including a gym. Hot meals for £1 from Monday to Friday at 1pm
Open: Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm (Wednesday 10am to 2pm, Thursdays 8.30am - 2.30pm)
Southwater Centre, Hatherley Road, St Leonards
Telephone: 01424 717981

Salvation Army

General support, advice and refreshments.
Open: Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 10am to 12 noon.
St Andrews Square, Hastings
Telephone: 01424 426894

St John Ambulance Homeless Service Hastings

Offering wound care, health advice, foot care and help to access GPs etc.
Open: Clinics at Seaview Project (Southwater Centre, Hatherley Road, St Leonards) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from Midday to 2pm and Hope Kitchen (Wellington Square Baptist Church, Wellington Square, Hastings) on Saturday from 7.30pm to 9pm.  Podiatrist available on Mondays.
Telephone: 01424 435358

Station Plaza Health Centre

Walk in Health Centre, GP surgeries and sexual health clinic. 
Open: 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week
Station Approach, Hastings
Telephone: 01424 884410

Volunteering Opportunities

The Seaview Project can provide further information on local volunteering opportunities supporting people who are rough sleeping.
Open: Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm (Wednesday 10am to 2pm, Thursdays 8.30am - 2.30pm)
Southwater Centre, Hatherley Road, St Leonards
Telephone: 01424 717981