Minister for Homelessness meets P3 team in Gloucester
Luke Hall MP, the Minister for Local Government and Homelessness, visited the Gloucester Somewhere Safe to Stay Hub to find out how P3, in partnership with Gloucestershire County Council and Cheltenham YMCA, are working alongside people who are homeless in the county.
In December 2018, Gloucestershire County Council secured over £950k funding as part of the government’s £100m Rough Sleeping Strategy. Gloucestershire is one of 11 Somewhere Safe to Stay centres across the country.
Mr Hall met some of the staff from the local P3 team, who provide the service on behalf of the county council, and congratulated them on the work they have done so far to change people’s lives. He spoke to some of the people who have come through hub, about their experiences, and how the hub was helping them get their lives back on track.
The hubs complement the wider services to address homelessness, which includes P3's Gloucestershire Street Outreach team, assessment centre services and a wider network of supported housing. In July alone the homeless outreach service was able to help 23 people come in from the streets; 22 were coming into the hub as their first step away from homelessness. In just six months 43 people have been helped to access temporary accommodation; 11 have been positively reconnected to their local communities and families; and 18 have been able to secure long term accommodation with the help of the hubs and their staff.
Luke Hall MP, said: “The team has done a fantastic job in putting the funding they’ve received to good use to support people sleeping rough in Gloucestershire off the streets and to move forward with their lives.
“However we know there is more work to do, which is why we will continue to work with local authorities, such as Gloucestershire, as we work towards the goal of ending rough sleeping once and for all.”
Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “The Somewhere Safe to Stay Hubs allow frontline staff to work with vulnerable people 24/7 whenever they need support, and provide practical help quickly to those who need it. Simply having this facility in our county makes a huge difference to people’s lives, adding to the work we do with many different partners across the county.
“If you spot someone sleeping rough I would encourage you to contact Streetlink online or by using the app. This will be sent immediately to the local street outreach team P3 who will try to find the person as quickly as possible and if necessary bring them into one of the Somewhere Safe to Stay Hubs.”
The county’s homeless hubs, located in central Gloucester and central Cheltenham, are staffed 24 hours a day seven days a week to provide a safe environment away from the street. On arrival to the hub, staff will provide a ‘sit up’ service to rapidly assess a person’s needs and design a personal housing plan to assist them to access relevant support to help them stay off the streets. Specialist support for complex needs might include mental health problems and substance misuse.
