Coventry SWEP protocol

This Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) sets out the arrangements that Coventry City Council (CCC) and partners will put in place to ensure that people are not at risk on the streets in Coventry during severe weather.

The Homeless Link guidance states that there is no statutory definition of severe weather or no statutory trigger for implementing SWEP (Severe Weather Emergency Protocol). Notwithstanding, there are recommended or ‘best practice’ approaches. For the avoidance of doubt Coventry will adopt the following definition and triggers for enacting SWEP.

Triggers for putting the protocol into place

Historically SWEP has been triggered when temperatures have been forecast at zero degrees or below for three consecutive days. However, this advice to Local Authorities was updated in October 2018 and now recommends that a common sense approach is taken, where the impact of the rain, snow and wind chill are taken into account, and the ‘feels like’ temperature is checked, along with conditions underfoot (i.e. ice), when deciding to implement SWEP provision.

Therefore, taking into account the revised recommendations, the SWEP Provision for Coventry will be implemented if the following criteria applies:

• Temperatures are clearly and reliably forecast to feel below 0 degrees Celsius
• An Amber or Red weather warning has been issued by the Met Office
• In addition, local conditions such as prolonged periods of heavy rainfall, flooding, snow on the ground, severe high winds, wind chill and other predicted extreme weathers will also be considered as potential triggers.

SWEP may also be enacted when a Yellow weather warning has been issued by the Met office. This decision will be made by The Salvation Army, following informed consideration by The Salvation Army in consultation with the City Council. This will have regard to direct engagement with rough sleepers, localised circumstances, conditions and other weather reporting as deemed appropriate by The Salvation Army.

Yellow weather warnings

The Met Office describes a yellow weather warning as:

Yellow warnings can be issued for a range of weather situations. Many are issued when it is likely that the weather will cause some low-level impacts, including some disruption to travel in a few places. Many people may be able to continue with their daily routine, but there will be some that will be directly impacted and so it is important to assess if you could be affected. Other yellow warnings are issued when the weather could bring much more severe impacts to the majority of people but the certainty of those impacts occurring is much lower. It is important to read the content of yellow warnings to determine which weather situation is being covered by the yellow warning.”

A yellow weather warning affecting Coventry will be considered in the following way:

• A yellow weather warning is issued by the Met Office on the Met Office website. The Salvation Army and Coventry City Council will examine the reasoning behind the warning, the geography of the area covered by the warning, the likelihood of it affecting Coventry and the extent to which it will cause a risk to the health of people sleeping rough. The Salvation Army will also engage with rough sleepers around localised conditions. The City Council and its partners recognise and accept that there will always be a degree of subjectivity around the decisions made in point b) above. If it is deemed appropriate to enact SWEP then they will follow the communications procedures. 

At times of extreme hot weather/heatwaves people sleeping rough may find it difficult to source drinking water and sun protection, increasing risks around dehydration, sunburn and sunstroke. Needs are likely to be more urgent during daylight hours, so a different approach to SWEP will be employed: i.e. the provision of water, sunscreen and support, rather than overnight accommodation provision.