Rough Sleeping in Plymouth,
Context and Opportunities

A Report by Path

Rough Sleeper Numbers, Plymouth, Dec 2005

This brief report aims to provide a summary of reasons for increased numbers on the street. It is based on: ongoing service provision by Path (especially through Outreach); a report from the Outreach Lead; a survey of rough sleepers (RS) carried out through Outreach; and a report by the Approved Social Worker linked to Path.

1. Context

The number of persons sleeping rough has trebled in the past 12 months. Plymouth generally sees an increase in rough sleepers in the summer months and a tapering off with the approach of the winter months.While the good weather may make it amenable to ‘sleeping out doors’, there are other factors that have been detected which may partly explain the increased numbers.

We estimate half of the 16 rough sleepers out at the end of Aug had no local connection to Plymouth. Many present with alcohol or drug issues or other concerns that prevent them from accessing services readily. Some eventually will be absorbed into services; others will choose to move on as a life-style choice.

A small minority are encouraged to reconsider their options where they have support networks or local connection. In the last 12 months we have helped 26 people with travel expenses to return. Most of the 26 people struggled or failed to secure accommodation and were glad to have been given the opportunity. In all only 2 came back again to the Plymouth area, making the scheme reasonably successful.We should add that we probably turned down half as many for help for not being appropriate.This snapshot is likely to be representative throughout the year

2. Reason

A. Significant reasons for increased numbers

Local connection policies

Some cities have strict policies or implement their local connection policy incorrectly.This displaces homeless persons to areas where there is less enforcement, such as Plymouth.We have, for instance, seen people moved on from Bournemouth and Brighton. Certainly, we see significant numbers (we estimate up to half of the total at any time) from out-of-area. Linked to this, we should mention bad practice. Other LAs or CAT teams have placed very vulnerable persons on to trains to sleep rough in Plymouth.This is seen as an easy option of dealing with some homeless persons. Likewise, people are being released from prison and given travel warrants to places where they have no support networks.

Opening up of EU countries

In the last 12 months we have seen homeless over 10 non-British people, mostly from the (new) EU. While many do not have entrenched issues, many end up sleeping rough for a few nights before sorting themselves out.

No access to mainstream drug treatment

There is a perception across the city that ’rough sleepers’ are still not seen as a priority group for treatment.

Drug treatment services are not currently taking on new caseloads.They have had staff shortages for the past 15 months and will have for the foreseeable future. Supported Housing providers are loath to take people with drug issues and most won’t feel able to, even if a client has a script / care plan. Most providers would need the individual to be drug free for at least 3-6 months before consideration. Lack of access to treatment will undoubtedly mean longer stays on the street for some homeless and increased risks.Those who are in hostels without scripts are difficult to move on, invariably blocking valuable bed spaces.

Residential Rehab (Broadreach)

In past 12 months at least 5 persons who we know of who have dropped out of treatment, having been referred their by out of area teams, ended up sleeping rough or accessing hostels in Plymouth with little chance of obtaining permanent accommodation.

Prison

Again, numbers on release end up sleeping rough or with the Gates being used as a preventative measure for probation /ex-offender clients. It seems unclear (and / or inconsistent) as to the level of support offenders get when they are due to be discharged.

B. Other / possible reasons for increased numbers

Refugees / Asylum seekers

We are not able to confirm numbers sleeping out (more likely to be asylum seekers, anyway), though refugees regularly present in duty as RS. Refugees are unlikely to use hostel accommodation because of cultural differences, and private rented is very scarce. Options are very limited and often the language barrier makes it a very frustrating process for refugees to understand their options.

Big Issue

While there are many positives to the scheme, a general concerns would be the ease of getting ‘badged up’ relatively quickly. Some critics have also cited other concerns, namely that the image that vendors represent does not fit in with the image the city as a whole would like to present. They would also question: what the extra income is spent on; how meaningful the work is, and whether the scheme is actually structured enough to help the homeless progress; or whether it actually enables vendors to live a life style that the city is trying to discourage.

Soup Run

Soup run sees between 40 and 80 persons on any one night. Again, while there are many positives to the scheme, it can also be seen as a ‘support’ or even ‘attraction’ that maintains rough sleepers and possibly even encourages homeless people to meet up and thereby perpetuates street culture. The more comfortable we make it to survive on the street in terms of free food, clothes, blankets etc then can be seen to be less motivation or desire to come off the street.

JDs Café

This is a well used/popular venue that has targeted rough sleepers in terms of providing informal support.The main concern is; there appears to be little structure to its operations and in a sense this is another service that can be viewed as an attraction that maintains street culture /rough sleeping.

Benefits

Still relatively easy to move from town to town and register for benefits. Again, this links in with the prospect of enabling people to move to another city,‘exporting’ their issues from town to town. Path sees people daily who appear in Plymouth, having given little or no thought as to how they will secure accommodation.

Geographical reasons

Plymouth is located by the sea and is on the main route if travelling through the south west.This makes it appealing to stop off or even pitch a tent. We estimate we have seen about 12 contacts in tents over summer months especially. We would also estimate that 20% of the rough sleepers we see are in transit and stop off in Plymouth to make use of local resources.Though if resources are inviting there may be a desire to stay longer than planned.

Hostels

Hostels are working better, in terms of partnership work and moving homeless on to supported or independent living. (Though if hostels have voids they may consider anyone from out of area.) The quality and availability, itself, is cited by some RS as an extra attraction to people sleeping rough, potentially giving availability to hostel accommodation when desired.

Hospital

Hospital staff are better at discussing the discharge of homeless persons than used to be the case.Though if there are no hostel bed options they will still get discharged to the street or sent to Midland House and then left to sleep rough if assessed as a non priority.

Increased use of ASBO

Out of the 20 regular hardcore rough sleepers in Aug at least 5 were ex PCC tenants. Some might have been evicted via ASBOs but, in fact, use is limited, possibly not significantly affecting RS numbers (at the moment).

PCC

For the client, accessing hostel and supported accommodation is by far a more effective option than sometimes making a full homeless application to the council, which is often a very drawn out process, sometimes lasting months and not flexible to meet the needs of some of the more chaotic individuals.They may find it difficult to articulate need, maintain appointments or even comprehend PCC eligibility criteria.

Housing capacity

Given the increasing levels of demand, there is comparatively limited availability of housing. Clients may begin the pathway from street to. tenancy, and move into hostels, but the pathway requires capacity at every stage for people to be able to move on, including the end stage of securing a tenancy. Local Authority and HA options are limited, leaving a private sector that has high rents and even higher demand. Amongst other factors, we have a university that manages to almost monopolise accommodation for single people.

3. Attractiveness of Plymouth

Ultimately, the biggest threat is the prevailing welcoming culture that exists in Plymouth. In so much, if we have 1000 people travelling the country at any one time, whose paths invariably cross, rough sleepers soon learn which towns are the most accommodating and which towns they can repeatedly return to. We know that Plymouth is seen as welcoming.

4. Summary

We believe that Plymouth’s services for Rough Sleepers are effective and work well together. They cater for many groups and needs. But some groups, such as ‘drinkers’, are not catered for: services mostly exist to support people to and through change, not to continue behaviour deemed ‘extreme’ or difficult.

As noted, there is a network amongst RS and, we believe, Plymouth is known to have a range of services and responses to rough sleeping. These make it an attractive place for some who come from out of area, possibly partly for broader environmental factors but also because of the opportunities and services here. This adds to demand for services, which is hard to meet, not only in terms of hostel spaces but at the end of the process, when people require their own accommodation.

As a city, if we are to lessen numbers, we need to either increase capacity (and / or add to breadth of services) or prevent people from sleeping rough through means such as moving people on (as some authorities do, using local connection criteria). Of course, this would divert the focus from prevention to assertive outreach, thus risking not seeing clients at point of crisis.

Alternatively, we need other LAs to stop implementing local connection policies and moving people on, including to Plymouth. Rough Sleeping in Plymouth

5. Opportunities

Focus:The key decision is whether Plymouth wishes to be supportive of rough sleepers (and their lifestyle) or to challenge it.

• Challenging could involve implementing a local connection policy. This is in line with one set of ODPM guidelines and against another. Clearly, such policies are enforced, such as in Bournemouth, where people are moved on if no local connection to the area. Some of them come here, so we are ‘victims’ of others’ policies. It can also involve giving RS options but requiring them to make an active choice, such as to engage with services (and have the chance to move through the system / pathway) or, if not, to receive no services whatsoever. This is a more assertive approach, which can be implanted alongside a local connection policy or on its own.
• Supporting RS could include establishing a wet hostel. Potentially, a wet hostel could take a substantial proportion of those currently sleeping rough. Our survey shows the dominance of drug and alcohol issues. This includes lack of access to treatment and, for some, lack of desire for same. A wet hostel would not necessarily tackle but would help manage problematic drinking, with attendant health and community safety benefits for both the clients and the public. Given the overlap with mental health issues, such a development would provide stability, too, for people vulnerable in other ways.

This could be developed into a longer term specialist unit, a 24 hour service with mental health and drugs support as well, working to prepare people for hostels. This model would entail initially managing but also addressing these issues.

Probably Plymouth wants neither extreme (of purely supporting or solely challenging) but a combination of approaches, continuing to improve (coordination of) services but also being somewhat more assertive. One (other) way this could happen would be to establish a Street Services team. This could be based around Path’s Outreach team but making it better linked with other street-based services. Outreach is well linked to the hostels but could be more the basis of a virtual team, potentially including: Police; Harbour Outreach; Street Wardens. Outreach may continue to go out, as now, but with the option of calling out those noted through named contacts.

For instance, a Tuesday morning shift might raise issues re drugs or mental health; if a dedicated team or worker elsewhere is linked to this new, wider Street Services team, then they could be contacted and asked to come out on the Thursday or maybe visit sooner. Or just be available through Path’s duty system. (I.e.To meet with a client who’s been encouraged to come in to Harwell.)

Again, a variation on this might see an emphasis on enforcement, the Police moving people to designated beds when assertive work has been ineffectual.

Equally, the named workers from the Street Services team could meet monthly / bi-monthly. This would be to establish and maintain the links between workers, and the identity of the team, plus to monitor and address health, safety and social issues re RS. I.e. It would have a complementary but different focus to the RSI Group, which is more housing- / hostel-based.

The Rough Sleeping Strategy provides opportunities for further review, coordination and development of services. The same can be said of the Supporting People strategy and review process. Indeed, both already play an active part in the successful coordination of services.

For more information, contact:

Rough Sleeping Services Co-ordinator
PATH
Harwell Centre
Western Approach
Plymouth
PL1 1PY

Telephone: 01752 255889
www.plymouthpath.org

Plymouth Access To Housing Ltd (Path) is a registered company (number 4478819) and a charity (number 1097772)