This section of the handbook considers the published literature on rough sleeping and related issues over the past 10 years, which reflects or predicts changes in policy and practice. Much of the research that has been carried out in this area in recent years has looked at the overall approach to resettling rough sleepers, with street outreach services comprising one part of this.
CLG (2007) Guidance on Evaluating the Extent of Rough Sleeping: 2007 Revision, London: CLG
This is a guidance paper intended to help local authorities, in partnership with other local agencies, to evaluate the extent of rough sleeping by carrying out a count of people sleeping rough in their area. The guidance contains updated information on government policy and contact details for further information. This report stresses the importance of a consistent methodology to measure accurately the changing situation over time and to allow meaningful comparisons between different areas. There are examples of good practice from Camden, Westminster and Plymouth.
A report published by CLG, which articulated the Government’s aim to bring rough sleeping ‘as close to zero as possible’. The report covered key topics including: Coming in from the Cold, Rough Sleeping Reductions, Hostels Capital Improvement Programme, Move on Plans Protocol (MOPP), Adults Facing Chronic Exclusion (ACE).
This document outlines the revised strategy for Westminster City Council on Rough Sleeping, from 2007 to 2008. It covers background and supporting information, as well as outlining seven priorities: commissioning effective multi agency services, reconnecting to appropriate services, physical and mental health, accommodation services, anti-social behaviour, individuals with no recourse to public funds and soup runs.
This report outlines the draft reconnections protocol for rough sleepers.
This publication details the background and justification for reconnections protocols. Key principles and outcomes are highlighted, and guidance on designing a reconnections policy is provided, including key focus on the need for information gathering, consultation with stakeholders, procedures for establishing if reconnection is appropriate and the need for effective monitoring. The guidance stresses that the reconnection protocol will not be appropriate for all rough sleepers.
CLG Supporting People Programme Grant Conditions
The grant conditions govern the use of Supporting People funding by Administering Authorities, and include reference to local connections.
Randall, G. and Brown, S. (2002) Helping rough sleepers off the streets, London: ODPM
This evaluation of the work of the Rough Sleepers Unit reported that, although the target had been met, ‘the remaining rough sleepers have high levels of support needs, including mental health and substance abuse problems, particularly the use of hard drugs.’ The report also gave a positive account of the work of Contact and Assessment Teams (CATs), the outreach model put forward by Coming in from the Cold.
DETR (2000) Coming in from the Cold: delivering the strategy, London: DETR
This document is a companion to the Coming in from the Cold report and sets out the key areas on which the Rough Sleepers Unit should be focusing, how the Government intended to implement the strategy in London, how the Government intended to implement the strategy in other areas in England and nationally, how the Unit intended to allocate and manage funds. As a result this document offers ‘a wholly new approach to street work in London.’
Randall, G., and Brown, S. (1999) Homes for Street Homeless People: An Evaluation of the Rough Sleepers Initiative, London: CLG
An evaluation of the Rough Sleepers Initiative undertaken on behalf of the DETR, predecessor of the CLG, an initiative started by the previous Conservative government in 1990. The report covers a range of key recommendations on, for example, assertive outreach, specialist support for rough sleepers with mental health and substance abuse problems and provision.
Randall, G. and Brown, S. (2007) Review of Hostels for Rough Sleepers in London, London: CLG
This report was commissioned to review the effectiveness of arrangements for access to hostels for rough sleepers in London.
In July 2005, Westminster City Council introduced a new service for people sleeping rough known as Building Based Services. This report assesses this programme.
Randall, G. and Brown, S. (2006) Steps off the Streets, London: Crisis
This report focuses on issues concerning ‘street homeless people’ and outlines practical measures that local authorities and partner agencies can take to help street homeless people to move off the streets. The research identified four best practice examples of local authority street homeless strategies, and draw on the lessons learnt in these areas to develop guidelines for successful programmes to help street homeless people move off the streets.
Rough Sleepers Unit (2000) Coming in from the Cold: Progress Report on the Government’s Strategy on Rough Sleeping, Summer 2000, London: ODPM
This publication examines the progress from the Social Exclusion Unit’s 1998 report and the government strategies in practice including: more focused outreach approaches, rebuilding the lives of former rough sleepers, and prevention of a new generation of rough sleepers.
Rough Sleepers Unit (RSU) (1999) Coming in from the Cold, London: DETR
This seminal document sets out six key principles for reducing rough sleeping by two thirds.
Social Exclusion Unit (1998) Rough Sleeping, London: Social Exclusion Unit
The present government’s policy on rough sleeping dates back to the Social Exclusion Unit’s 1998 report on rough sleeping, which set a target of reducing rough sleeping, as recorded in official counts, by two thirds and to ‘as close to zero as possible.’
This publication by the leading user involvement and self-help organisation working in the field of Homelessness in the UK, Groundswell, is the result of research undertaken to examine service provision from the client's perspective. Both ex-rough sleepers and rough sleepers (often untapped valuable resources of expertise) were consulted in order to establish the barriers that exist/have existed to them and the positive assistance they have received.
This report presents the findings of a research project carried out by Homeless Link and the Resource Information Centre (RIS). It provides the first clear picture of the extent and nature of key services for homeless single people and couples without dependent children in England. It analyses existing data about hostels, supported accommodation and day centres and gathers information from a survey of service providers.
Prochaska J. O. & DiClemente C. C. (1986) ‘Toward a comprehensive model of change’, in Miller W. R. and Heather N (Eds) Treating Addictive Behaviors: Processes of Change (pp3-27) New York: Plenum Press
Prochaska and DiClemente developed a model, commonly known as the Stages of Change Model, which identifies a cycle of change that people rotate through before effecting permanent change of addictive behaviours. These stages include pre-contemplation, when the individual is not considering change; contemplation, when they are considering change but have not adopted any action; planning, when strategies have been selected but not yet used; and action, when attempts are being made to change the behaviour; and finally the maintenance phase, when people are attempting to consolidate change. There is an assumption of relapse within the cycle. Motivational interviewing is used as a technique to help addicts find new ways to change aspects of their behaviour.
See here for the information on the states of change model.
The assertive approach to street outreach work adopted in recent years takes many of its techniques from assertive mental health outreach, which was developed in the United States in the 1970s and plays a significant role in community mental health services in the UK.
The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (2001) Mental Health Topics: Assertive Outreach
This report examines the number of ways that services aim to help their clients through mental health outreach. These topic areas include: hospital admissions, finding accommodation, sustaining relationships, money management, daily living skills, general health and quality of life.
Homeless Link’s Central and Eastern Europeans project is concerned with the minority of this group who find themselves homeless. The project considers entitlements, services available to clients, resources such as guidance, research and statistics.
FEANTSA (2004) UK Rough Sleepers Strategy, Brussels: FEANTSA
This report by the European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) examines the impact of the UK Rough Sleepers Strategy (RSS) using a peer review research system.
The project aimed to identify successful community-wide approaches to reducing homelessness and achieving stable housing for the difficult to serve people who routinely live on the streets. The report contains some examples of good practice in engaging “street homeless” people and the ways in which the communities have embraced new strategies.
Broadway runs CHAIN, a London database containing details of individuals, assessments of their needs, contacts and interventions. It is compiled by agencies in London that work with rough sleepers or others engaging in street activities that cause concern in communities and need a welfare response.
Link is a secure, web-based client recording system, which allows an organisation to input and monitor details of clients and the work done with them. Key homelessness agencies use Link to help ensure that services can be more effectively delivered to clients. Currently, a range of agencies within London uses the Link system. Reports from the system can be used to maintain records with funders such as Supporting People teams.
CLG funds St Andrews University to manage the analysis of clients supported by housing support services funded by the Supporting People programme. The website provides access to Client Records data which is a source of information on housing-related support services and the clients who access them. Client characteristics, economic status, ethnicity, client group, source of referral and previous tenure are just some of the variables collected and analysed. The website also offers access to Outcomes data which provides key measurable outcomes that can be used to demonstrate the tangible benefits and outcomes that are being achieved as a result of housing support services being funded by the Supporting People programme.