ROUGH SLEEPER WORKPath's Rough Sleepers Team works with people on the streets of Plymouth, aiming to support them into accommodation. It also works with those at risk of sleeping rough, preventing them from reaching the street. Path leads on strategic work around rough sleeping with partner agencies, supporting and ensuring coordinated approaches to addressing rough sleeping.
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Outreach Work |
Through early morning outreach sessions we work directly with new and entrenched rough sleepers. We carry out follow up support sessions for specific case work. The purpose of outreach work is to enable quick first contact, engage with those on the streets and motivate them to participate with the support that is available. This essential service identifies those who are not engaged with services and supports them in engaging or re-engaging.
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Preventative Work |
This is delivered five morning a week at the Shekinah Mission and at other locations as needed. We offer this service for rough sleepers, former rough sleepers at risk of returning to the streets, and those at risk of becoming rough sleepers because of their current lifestyles. The purpose of this work is to provide timely advice and refer appropriately to those agencies that are setup to meet the clients' needs.
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Coordination |
Managed by Path and monitored by Plymouth City Council, the city's Rough Sleeper Development Worker is a part-time post tasked with coordinating the city's approach to rough sleeper work, ensuring consistency and communication between both statutory and voluntary sectors.
The primary task is to support, review and monitor implementation of the Rough Sleepers Strategy for the city. In addition, this post currently manages the Plymouth Rough Sleeper team. |
Case Study
G has been using homeless services and hostels for the last 20 years. For the majority of that time she lived either in hostels or spent many years sofa surfing with family and friends. The sofa surfing arrangements were hugely damaging and dysfunctional.
G has been in prison and arrested multiple times for alcohol fuelled behaviour. But we supported G to break the endless cycle of homelessness by first offering a place in our MARS House, accommodation based around individual needs. Here we were able to encourage small steps towards progress, using positive reinforcement. Despite her many hiccups we were able to guide and nudge her along and she was open to developing positive working relationships with staff and other professionals.
From her period at the MARS house we were able to put her forward for our Housing First scheme in partnership with Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) and G is now a very proud 'homeowner' in a social housing tenancy.
G’s willingness to attend appointments with us has enabled us to work with her to establish her forever home.
G has been in prison and arrested multiple times for alcohol fuelled behaviour. But we supported G to break the endless cycle of homelessness by first offering a place in our MARS House, accommodation based around individual needs. Here we were able to encourage small steps towards progress, using positive reinforcement. Despite her many hiccups we were able to guide and nudge her along and she was open to developing positive working relationships with staff and other professionals.
From her period at the MARS house we were able to put her forward for our Housing First scheme in partnership with Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) and G is now a very proud 'homeowner' in a social housing tenancy.
G’s willingness to attend appointments with us has enabled us to work with her to establish her forever home.
