If you are concerned about someone sleeping rough, please get in touch so we can connect them to local services. You can do so by visiting Street Link or calling 0300 500 0914.
What is No Second Night Out?
In July 2011 the government published its report on tackling homelessness with a focus on ending rough sleeping, ‘Vision to ending rough sleeping: No Second Night Out nationwide'. The government has called on all local authorities to adopt a No Second Night Out (‘NSNO') approach and have the right services in place to meet the five NSNO principles so that:
- New rough sleepers should be identified and helped off the streets immediately;
- The public can alert services if they see anyone sleeping rough so that they can get help;
- Rough sleepers can go to a place of safety, where their needs can be quickly assessed and they can receive advice on their options;
- Rough sleepers can get emergency accommodation and other services, such as healthcare, if needed; and
- Rough sleepers from another area or country can be reconnected back to their local community, unless there is a good reason why they cannot return, where they can to access housing and recovery services, and have support from family and friends.
The eight local authorities of Worcestershire and Herefordshire (Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Councils, Herefordshire Council, Malvern Hills District Council, Worcestershire County Council, Worcester City Council, Wychavon District Council and Wyre Forest District Council) have agreed to work together towards a NSNO vision to tackle rough sleeping across the two counties.
No Second Night Out is due to be piloted for 6 months in the Local Authority areas of Worcester City, Wyre Forest and Malvern in December 2014. The remaining districts will implement following the pilot period.
We will meet the 5 NSNO principles by:-
- Joint working with the rough sleepers outreach team (Worcestershire Homelessness Intervention Team to identify and help new rough sleepers)
- The public can alert services of rough sleepers through Street Link either by phone on 0300 500 0914 or via their website www.streetlink.org.uk.
- New rough sleepers have their needs jointly assessed by housing officers and the outreach team and will be made a Single Service Offer.
- The Single Service Offer (SSO) constitutes a plan for a client's departure from the streets and will generally consist of a reconnection, accommodation placement or a referral into support services.
- The SASH (Services Addressing Single Homelessness) partnership has been established involving County Council, district councils, Fortis, Police, Probation, Homeless Link, Health and Wellbeing, Commissioners of mental health services, substance misuse and housing support for vulnerable people to help rough sleepers access the services they need
- The pdf Herefordshire and Worcestershire Reconnection Policy (172 KB) has been adopted so that rough sleepers from other districts can be reconnected where appropriate, so that they can more easily access services and support from their originating local authority.