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Street Homeless Prevention Service  - Leaflet
Day Centres - Information Leaflet

The Street Homelessness Prevention Team (SHPT) consists of 3 support workers, a volunteer and befriending co-ordinator and a team manager. They are funded on a short-term basis by the DETR to work on reducing the level of rough sleeping in Southampton. A consortium of agencies oversees the SHPT, which includes representatives of Health, Social Services, Housing and Homeless agencies.

The SHPT is available from 9-5 Monday to Friday.

The SHPT has worked with other homeless agencies in compiling a list of entrenched rough sleepers (30 people) with extensive rough sleeping histories. Work has been focused on completing assessments of these individuals' aims and needs and working with the appropriate agencies on resettlement plans. A similar approach is planned for clients who are difficult to move on from the direct access hostels. SHPT support worker's each have a caseload of clients, the role is flexible enough to be defined by the individuals need. Common examples include: co-ordinating or joint resettlement work, lifeskills assessment and training, prompting with motivation, budgeting, benefits advocacy, access to basic provisions, referrals to hostels, advocacy for detoxification. Support workers also conduct weekly outreach sessions to rough sleepers on the streets, this includes an early outreach from
7.00 am and an early evening outreach shift until 8.00 pm.

The befriending/volunteer scheme aims to offer volunteering work for people to work with homeless clients, as well as providing opportunities for homeless people to do volunteering work. The SHPT also co-ordinates homeless agencies in completing bi-annual night counts of the numbers of people sleeping rough.

The address given (Voluntary Action Centre) is a team admin base only. Whilst the SHP Team does take direct referrals from clients, clients are not to be sent to the Voluntary Action Centre. The criteria for acceptance is 'Any person who is homeless'.

Allocation of support worker time is prioritized against those on the entrenched list. SHP work is often task orientated and aimed at improving a person's standard of accommodation. The SHPT will sometimes review their involvement with resettlement after a 6 week period. Access to the Befriending Scheme/Volunteer Co-ordinator is currently via the SHPT caseloads.

In addition to accessing the direct access hostels; The SHPT is also one of the referral agencies for 'M.O.R.S. accommodation' independent flats as well as Two Saints independent flats.