New ‘Street Support’ website launched
A new online service providing advice, support and resources for homeless people and rough sleepers has been launched in Brighton & Hove.
The Street Support – Brighton & Hove website and smartphone app has been launched by a coalition of faith groups, voluntary sector partners, working with the council and backed by Sussex Police.
The aim is that Street Support Brighton & Hove will work alongside street outreach services to become a one stop shop to help people experiencing homelessness and everyone working with them.
Street Support allows instant access to services and quick and easy booking of meetings with support workers.
The website and app holds a bank of information on providers of meals, drop-in services, food banks and accommodation, as well as health provision, financial advice and how to access services.
Services are searchable by category, postcode or organisation. Maps and other information can be printed from the site and given out as required.
The speed of which services can be accessed has been shown to reduce homelessness and help avoid deteriorating mental and physical health.
The coalition is led by Brighton & Hove Faith in Action and includes Holland Road Baptist Church, Emmanuel Care, Justlife’s Brighton & Hove Frontline Network, Arch Healthcare and Project Antifreeze, as well as the council.
The apps are free to download from Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Support for rough sleepers
The latest street count at the end of January showed there were nine people sleeping rough in the city – the lowest figure since we’ve been doing bi-monthly counts.
Our street outreach team continue to work with everyone sleeping on the streets to help them into safe, secure accommodation.
If you’re concerned about anyone sleeping rough in the city, please let us know by reporting through the Streetlink website or by calling 0300 500 0914.
Our Covid emergency accommodation remains available every day for anyone who needs the council’s help.
We’ve also been able to provide extra units of supported accommodation and food this winter for the most vulnerable rough sleepers, funded through a successful bid to the government’s ‘Cold Weather Fund’.
In colder weather, we open our council-run SWEP venue which has self-contained rooms to make sure there is an alternative safe place to stay in severe weather for anyone reluctant to take up the other offers of accommodation.
So far this winter, SWEP has opened 40 times, including over the current cold snap. As well as safe and warm accommodation, the service provides hot meals, snacks, drinks and support.
It’s important that anyone sleeping rough is offered help as soon as possible and that the assistance meets their needs, so accommodation is provided through referrals from organisations who understand what’s available and what support is needed.
When SWEP is triggered, we inform the services able to direct people into accommodation, including St Mungo’s, our housing options team, fire services, the police, and health and social care partners.
St Mungo’s Street Outreach Service will contact people by telephone and go out seeking the people we know to be rough sleeping during the day to find them self-contained warm accommodation.
Anyone not accommodated during the day will be referred into self-contained accommodation and provided with food.
Reporting where people are through Streetlink is the best way of making sure that people get the support they need.
This route has helped us get more of the people still sleeping on the streets into emergency accommodation since December.
Help to end the need for rough sleeping
Councillor Alex Philips, the council’s lead member for rough sleeping, said: “The street support service is a fantastic initiative that we fully support.
“Our ultimate aim is to end the need for rough sleeping in the city and we work closely with our partners to help people access the support they need.
“A single place where people can see all the support that’s available for people rough sleeping in Brighton & Hove will be a big help to make sure people can engage with the service that suit their needs and help them move off the streets as quickly as possible.
“Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone involved in putting the site together.”
Councillor Gill Williams, the opposition lead for housing, said: “I have been following the progress of this wonderful initiative and am very pleased that it is finally being launched.
“Street support will prove to be an invaluable resource and, no doubt, become the go to information point.”
Project Development Worker, Rik Child said: “Street Support – Brighton & Hove has long been a goal for people working in the sector and several attempts have been made to gather this information and get it on to a website for everyone to use.
“This has finally happened thanks to funding from Sussex Police, the Postcode Neighbourhood Trust, Holland Road Baptist Church and The National Lottery’s Community Fund as well as the hard work and dedication of others who initiated this activity.”
Jerome Lloyd, The Titular Archbishop of Selsey and Chair of BHFA one of the foundational partnering sponsors of ‘Street Support’ said:
“Street Support Brighton & Hove will present comprehensively to site visitors just how much the homeless sector in Brighton & Hove does for our homeless community - from projects that tackle the issues that contribute to homelessness, to those services that support homeless people’s lives, health and wellbeing, through to schemes that offer and provide a way out of homelessness.
“Street Support is bringing together the homeless sector in a positive way that will enable and enhance what we strive to provide our clients holistically, and introduce the wider public to our work and signpost opportunities for them to actively join and support our efforts.”
Gary Bishop, the CEO of Arch Health Care, the specialist GP surgery for people experiencing homelessness said:
"Arch is right behind the Street Support initiative because living without a secure home can have a devastating effect on a person's health and we believe this will make a real difference by connecting those who need support with the excellent services which are available the city.”
Greg Headley of Homeless Link, who first realised that Street Support was right for Brighton & Hove and started the process, said:
“From small conversations big things grow. The Bighton & Hove Street Support Network offers the city a great opportunity to deepen partnership working and create greater access to support for all those that need it.”
Gary Dunstan, co-founder of the Street Support Network which is now active in 24 cities, said: “I'm delighted that Street Support Brighton & Hove is available for the city.
"It now shows all the help that's out there in Brighton & Hove in a simple and accessible way, for those who are experiencing homelessness and for those at risk of homelessness who need to find help.
“Crucially it also lists what is needed by local homelessness charities and voluntary groups, so the public and businesses can help at this critical time. It's the 'one place' to go to find out about homelessness in Brighton & Hove and do something to help.”
Visit streetsupport.net/brighton-and-hove to find out more.
Make Change Count
If you’d like to support the charities and organisations across Brighton & Hove working with people to help them find a permanent solution to their homelessness, please donate to Make Change Count.
The Make Change Count campaign links local organisations experienced in supporting rough sleepers and preventing homelessness.
These organisations, like many in the city, are currently working during the Covid crisis to provide connections into services and help people meet their basic needs.
The current fundraising has now raised more than £36,000 - many thanks to everyone who has donated.
