Stoke-on-Trent Reviews Rough Sleeping Support Ahead of Christmas

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is reviewing how it supports people sleeping rough as part of the Government’s new national drive to get everyone in for Christmas.

The council is considering a range of options for future provision, including alternative locations and different models of accommodation and support.

The review will also consider how services can be provided in appropriate locations, ensuring provision is well distributed across the city and suitable for both service users and local communities.

This will build on the success of a recent pilot for a night shelter in Burslem, which is coming to an end this month.

The night shelter has had a positive impact, supporting 96 people over the six-month period.

While the pilot demonstrated the value of providing a safe place for people sleeping rough to engage with support services, the dormitory-style model and requirement for people to leave during the day are not considered the best approach for longer-term provision.

The council is now looking at alternative models that can provide more appropriate accommodation and enable better ongoing engagement with people sleeping rough, while also considering the impact on local communities and businesses.

The council will work with Swan Bank Church and Adullam, who ran the Burslem night shelter, alongside its own Rough Sleeper Team and partners including VAST, as it develops its future approach.

The Rough Sleeper Team will also continue to work directly with people sleeping rough, offering support and helping them access accommodation and other services where appropriate.

Discussions will also continue with Swan Bank Church about how the existing night shelter could potentially be used for emergency provision during periods of extreme weather.

Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said:

“We welcome last week’s Government announcement of the new national drive to get everyone in for Christmas and in particular the funding to help people leave the streets behind, move into secure homes and get the support they need to rebuild their lives.

“The Burslem night shelter has shown what we can do by simply providing a bed and a safe space to engage with support agencies and we will take the learning from that project into new schemes we will develop to meet the Government’s target of getting everyone off the streets of Stoke-on-Trent.

“But we know that for people who have experienced entrenched rough sleeping, a bed alone isn’t always enough. We need to provide the right support alongside accommodation to help people make a lasting move away from the streets.

“We are looking carefully at different locations and models that could provide the right type of support, while also considering the needs of local communities and businesses.

“I have heard from local residents of the Kiln Gate area and understand the concerns they have about increased ASB in a residential area. Our teams are working hard to find alternative solutions.

“In the meantime, our Rough Sleeper Team will continue to engage with people sleeping rough and provide support to help them move away from life on the streets.”

People concerned about someone sleeping rough can report it through StreetLink at https://thestreetlink.org.uk/.

Alternatively, concerns about rough sleeping can be reported to the council on 0800 970 2304.