Homeless - agencies and communities
Agencies and communities provide a rich source of information and insight into the lives and welfare of vulnerable groups.
Barnardos Moving On project
Barnardo's works with homeless families as well as young people who are homeless or living in insecure accommodation. Barnardo's helps young people to access the right accommodation and supports them in their tenancies, and for some young people, such as young care leavers, actually provides supported accommodation. Barnardo's Moving On project works with young people aged 16 to 25 who are homeless or in housing need and is part of the Barnardo's North West Homelessness project.
Big Issue
The Big Issue exists to offer homeless and vulnerably housed people the opportunity to earn a legitimate income through selling the Big Issue magazine. The Big Issue Foundation is a registered charity which links vendors with the support and services which will help them address issues which have contributed to them becoming homeless and help them to fulfill their potential.
Broadway
Broadway is a homelessness charity supporting people across London providing a range of services to meet the mental, physical and social needs of homeless and vulnerably housed adults. Its vision is that every single person finds and keeps a home. Broadway manages the Combined Homelessness and Information System (CHAIN), which collects information about rough sleeping and the use of services.
Catholic Housing Aid Society
The Catholic Housing Aid Society aims to "provide homes for the elderly in a secure friendly environment" and works to provide support systems and develop a sense of community in each development run by the society.
Council for the Homeless Northern Ireland (CHNI)
CHNI represents organisations working with homeless people throughout Northern Ireland through providing training, information, research and collective representation. Its membership comprises over 100 organisations from the community / voluntary, statutory and private sectors.
Crisis
Crisis offers a range of facilities, activities and services for homeless people including free courses and study support. Crisis also campaigns and develops policy and research on homelessness.
FEANTSA (European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless)
FEANTSA is an umbrella of not-for-profit organisations which participate in or contribute to the fight against homelessness in Europe and is the only major European network that focuses exclusively on homelessness at European level. The website aims to be a "one-stop resource for information on homelessness in Europe, giving information on the scope and nature of homelessness in all European countries, as well as policy and practices across the continent".
Groundswell
Groundswell is a UK wide charity promoting user involvement and self help in finding solutions to homelessness. It aims to increase homeless people's influence in policy and decision making and enable homeless people to set up and run their own projects, and has produced various resources to support this. The website also provides an online directory for UK groups and individuals working in the field of homelessness.
Homeless Link
Homeless Link is the national membership organisation for frontline homelessness agencies in England. It performs key functions on behalf of its membership which include representation and acting as an advocate on behalf of the sector as a whole, technical and capacity building through training and conferences, supporting policy development, and service co-ordination across agencies to minimise duplication and ensure the complex needs of homeless people are being met.
Homeless UK
Information on over 9,000 services, including hostels, day centres and other advice and support services for homeless people. The Resource Information Service researches and publishes information about services for homeless people.
Housing Justice
Housing Justice is “the national voice of Christian action in the field of housing and homelessness” and enables local groups and churches to provide practical help to people in housing need. It works in partnership with all denominations to influence housing policies at national and local level.
National Homeless Advice Centre (NHAS)
The NHAS is funded by Communities and Local Government and "offers advice agencies the specialist support and professional resources to enable advisers to give the most appropriate, accurate and timely housing advice to people".
No Second Night Out
No Second Night Out (NSNO) began as a pilot project in April 2011 aimed at ensuring those who find themselves sleeping rough in central London for the first time need not spend a second night on the streets and from June 2012 is operating across all London boroughs. The Mayor of London has committed to end rough sleeping in London by the end of 2012 and to try and ensure that no one arriving new to the street will sleep out for a second night. The project stresses the importance of reconnecting people with their families or other support networks and returning to their home area. “Evidence suggests that people are more likely to succeed where they have the most support and knowledge of an area”. Since the launch of the project 70 per cent of all new rough sleepers did not spend a second night out.
The project website advertises a 24/7 phone line to report someone sleeping rough and an online referral facility organised by London borough. Briefings and reports can be downloaded. Guidance published by Homeless Link provides initial learning from the London NSNO project to support local authorities and their partners in developing similar services - see Adopting the No Second Night Out standard.
The Pavement
The Pavement is the free magazine for homeless people in London and Scotland which also includes an up-to-date listing of basic support services. In London over 4,000 copies are distributed to day centres, hostels, homeless surgeries, soup-runs and libraries. The magazine can also be downloaded from the website which lists the services available for homeless people in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and has links to services elsewhere in Britain.
Queen’s Nursing Institute: ‘Opening Doors’
This new project will provide provide resources for community nurses and other health professionals working with the homeless to enhance and develop healthcare for their service users. There is a network which is continuing from the QNI Homeless Health Initiative (2007-2010). There are contact details for the network and for further information about the project.
Scottish Council for Single Homeless (SCSH)
The Scottish Council for Single Homeless is the national membership body in Scotland for organisations and individuals tackling homelessness. It acts as an information source for policy makers and other interest groups and offers support to those implementing homelessness services and other services relevant to homeless people. SCSH also aims to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience between members.
Scottish Homelessness and Employability Network (SHEN)
SHEN is the national membership body for organisations and individuals working to improve opportunities for people facing homelessness through engagement with education, training and employment.
Shelter
Shelter is a UK wide charity that works to alleviate the distress caused by homelessness and bad housing through giving advice, information and advocacy to people in housing need, and by campaigning for lasting political change to end the housing crisis for good.
Simon Community Northern Ireland
The Simon Community Northern Ireland aims to provide accommodation for the homeless and actively responds to the needs of homeless people through initiatives aimed at prevention, provision and progression to independent living.
St Mungo's
St Mungo's is London's largest charity for homeless people running emergency shelters and outreach services and supporting homeless people in their recovery.
The Connection at St Martin-in-the-Fields
The Connection at St Martin's helps homeless people by providing specialist services – including a day and night centre, outreach for rough sleepers, skills training and career advice, activity programmes and specialist support for complex needs – to over 200 people in central London every day.