West Mercia Police award for housing officers working with rough sleepers in Shrewsbury

Two Shropshire Council officers are to be commended for their work in supporting rough sleepers in Shrewsbury.

Rob Caffery and Teri Dunham of Shropshire Council’s housing services team have, along with the other members of the Homeless Outreach Street Triage (HOST) team, been nominated by the West Mercia Shropshire Command Team for a West Mercia Police Superintendent’s Commendation, in recognition of the outstanding work undertaken by the HOST project.

HOST is an outreach vehicle from Team Shrewsbury. The team comprises of a plainclothes police officer, a mental health social worker from The Redwoods Centre, an outreach worker from Shrewsbury Ark, a Shropshire Recovery Partnership worker, and a housing officer from Shropshire Council. The HOST service works alongside other partner agencies forming the Rough Sleeper Task Force Group, who meet every three weeks.

The team visit those who are living rough on the streets in the town, to fast-track the help and support available to them, and get them into accommodation as quickly as possible. HOST discusses with the individual the impact that they may be having on local residents and businesses, and reinforces the need to engage with agencies that can help them off the streets.

Shropshire Council’s housing services work in partnership with Shrewsbury Ark throughout the year, but especially so at this time of year when cold weather predominates. This is when the council’s Cold Weather Provision is activated, to ensure that people sleeping rough are not at risk of harm or, in the worst case, of dying during periods of cold and severe weather.

Rob, who is a senior temporary accommodation officer, and Teri, a housing options officer, will be attending an official presentation on Wednesday 7 March 2018 where they will be presented with their award.

They said:

“We are delighted to have the work of the housing options team recognised, and are pleased to be able to show that a multi-agency approach can be successful in providing the best possible outcomes for those most in need. We are grateful to all the agencies involved who support and enhance our work to support rough sleepers.”

Inspector Edward Hancox, who put forward Rob and Teri for the award, added:

“Rob Caffery and Teri Dunham have been instrumental in helping support rough sleepers across Shropshire through the HOST project. They have a wealth of expertise and knowledge between them, and have been a real asset to the team. They often go above and beyond what is required of their job descriptions, working with partners to achieve the best possible outcomes for individuals who often find themselves in complex situations.” 

How can I help a rough sleeper? 

If you are concerned about someone who has been sleeping rough, please contact:

• The outreach service: Shrewsbury Ark currently provide the outreach service for those living rough on the streets in Shrewsbury, and will take direct referrals by telephone – 01743 363305 – or through attendance at the day centre.
• Streetlink – This is the national rough sleeper reporting service. More information can be found at http://www.streetlink.org.uk/
• Housing options team:  rough sleepers can be encouraged to present as homeless to the team by accessing one of the Shropshire Council hubs, telephone – 0345 678 9005) or email housingoptions@shropshire.gov.uk. Similarly, the public and other agencies can use these methods to connect a rough sleeper to the service.

The council continues to fund the rough sleeper outreach role which is managed by Shrewsbury Ark, and has just confirmed this funding for a further 12 months from April 2018.

For more information visit about HOST visit: https://www.westmercia.police.uk/article/23558/Homeless-Outreach-Street-Triage-HOST

For information about housing options and homelessness visit: https://shropshire.gov.uk/housing-options-and-homelessness/