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Models and approaches to street outreach
This page examines the different ways that outreach services can operate and the key considerations required when choosing which model or approach to adopt.
Street or building-based service?
Outreach services should be developed in a way specific to the needs of an area, the requirements of the rough sleepers and the facilities that are available. However, in general, outreach services are delivered either through the traditional street based model or through the more recently developed building-based services (BBS). All outreach services share the same core aim of getting people off the streets and in to accommodation.
Street-based outreach
Traditional outreach work involves workers going out on to the street late at night or early in the morning to find rough sleepers and advise them on accommodation and other services.
This type of work usually includes the following:
- contacting people where they are sleeping rough
- working to establish and build relationships with rough sleepers
- undertaking an assessment of their needs
- making appropriate referrals to accommodation and other services
- further support, as appropriate, sometimes including support to people in accommodation.
Assertive outreach is a more recent street based method that takes a persistent approach to rough sleepers. Assertive outreach staff expect to see their clients frequently and maintain contact. This is designed not to be time limited, and with a no drop-out policy.
Building-based outreach
Building-based outreach is a model in which rough sleepers are encouraged by outreach workers to attend day centres and other indoor services with the aim of helping them during this time with appropriate referrals to accommodation and other services. Workers are usually based in day centres.
The Westminster Building Based Service (introduced in July 2005) is one example of a building-based approach; Randall and Brown (2006) highlight the reasons for introducing a BBS in Westminster:
- Street based services for homeless people (particularly street handouts) could attract people onto the streets for help.
- Traditional outreach services created a perverse incentive for clients to sleep rough in visible areas in order to make contact with outreach staff and other support services.
- Building based work was perceived as being safer for staff.
- Resources (e.g. electronic databases such as CHAIN) and specialist support workers are readily accessible in building based services.
- BBS provide certainty on where and when rough sleepers could meet workers and extended opening hours allow these services to be open for longer.
- Service users can be treated with more dignity, giving them time and space in day centres and special sessions could be held for those who avoided the usual busy services.
It was still necessary for outreach workers to verify that service users were genuine rough sleepers by observing them bedding down.
Balanced working
Although the above list of advantages to building based services make it an attractive option, consideration still needs to be made to ensuring that those that are most entrenched (i.e. those who are least likely to use services) are accessed. Randall and Brown (2006) also highlight this concern when operating building-bases services alone. One option is to find the balance between street based services and BBS by ensuring that a visible site is available for those willing to access immediately and also a street team working to identify and support those who are wary of services. This on-street support can aim to bring those who are entrenched indoors to the BBS team and to begin movement towards accommodation. The City of Westminster work very closely with the Safer Streets Homelessness Unit and the Street Rescue Service in order to provide on-street support with rough sleepers which helps identify, verify and, subsequently, move them into services such as BBS.
Approaches to working: individuals, teams and patches
Approaches to working relates to the way frontline staff are organised to support rough sleepers.
Individual (one assigned worker for each individual client) – this approach requires staff to have smaller caseloads with a more in-depth, intimate approach. This allows a worker to know all the services involved with a client and the specialist needs that he/she may have. It is a very useful approach for developing rapport with clients; some clients have difficulty forming and maintaining relationships of trust, which causes them to be mistrustful of institutions and/or individuals. This approach aims to break down this barrier.
Team (where a group of workers has responsibility for clients) – this is a collaborative method that involves joint decision-making and sharing responsibility for client work. This approach is feasible for the smaller caseloads that assertive outreach teams support; it allows workers to get to know all current clients ensuring consistency and continuity of service. This method is successful in applying different techniques with a single client and prevents dependency on individual workers who will move on at some point. Services using this approach feel that there are significant staff benefits too including reduced levels of stress and enhanced, thoughtful practice.
Geographical patches – this is where a given area or zone is allocated to an individual worker. This can be beneficial to the service as the worker becomes familiar with the areas used for sleeping and those who have become entrenched and following a particular pattern of behaviour. This system can also be easier to manage for senior staff. Services should consider rotating the patches for which an individual worker has responsibility. This can bring new approaches and individual attributes to an area resulting in an enthusiastic fresh approach. Clear communication between workers on patches is also desirable so that relationships with individual rough sleepers are maintained.
NOTE: On street outreach shifts, it is essential that lone working does not take place and that workers are within each other's line of sight at all times.
Checklist
Checklist for structuring an approach or model to deliver an outreach service
Has an audit of rough sleepers and their needs been developed and completed? Which model is most likely to engage these people?
What facilities are available to base the service in?
Can the street and buildings based models be combined? Can other services and organisations support your service?
Which working approaches meet the needs of the area?
Have staff been consulted on approaches to working?
Is there a review process in place to ensure effectiveness?
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