Background
A Government commitment is that no rough sleeper should have to spend a second night out (Vision to end Rough Sleeping No Second Night Out July 2011) and in 2018 the MHCLG launched a Rough Sleeping Strategy setting out the Government’s vision for halving rough sleeping by 2022 and ending it by 2027. In September 2022, DLUHC (Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities) updated the national strategy for rough sleeping, ‘Ending Rough Sleeping For Good [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ending-rough-sleeping-for-good]).
The Council is committed to working with partners to link rough sleepers with the services that can help them find a way off the streets and into settled accommodation. However, in times of extreme and cold weather, rough sleepers are particularly vulnerable to harm and death.
This paper provides the Coventry approach to delivering this Winter Plan in Coventry. It sets out how the City Council and its partner organisations will ensure the city’s most vulnerable households are able to access appropriate accommodation and support during severe weather situations over the winter months. It is also founded on the principle that at no time does anyone have to sleep rough on the city’s streets.
In establishing the cities approach the City Council and its partners have had regard to a range of issues, including:
- The severity of weather conditions;
- The continuation of severe weather over a prolonged period;
- The capacity and resources available to the City Council and its partners; and
- The expectations and needs of rough sleepers
Purpose of the protocol
This protocol will ensure that the Council takes the necessary action to ensure that all rough sleepers have the opportunity to have access to shelter if it is believed that they are at risk due to sleeping rough during severe cold weather. This protocol refers to SWEP Guidance provided by Homeless Link. [http://homeless.org.uk/knowledge-hub/guidance-on-cold-weather-provision-swep-and-heatwaves/]
Defining Severe Weather and enacting SWEP
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 [http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings]. 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.
Eligibility
A rough sleeper will not be required to demonstrate eligibility for assistance (whether they have any recourse to public funds), priority need, intentionality or local connection.
The individual concerned must only:
- Be at risk if they continue to sleep rough during the course of the severe weather;
- Have nowhere to sleep indoors during the period of severe weather (indoors does not include cars, sheds or garages);
- Want the assistance offered
Many entrenched rough sleepers may be wary of services and less likely to engage. However, extreme weather increases the risk of death or serious illness for people who sleep rough. Continued refusal to accept assistance during severe weather conditions may therefore provide grounds to trigger referrals to other services, such as mental health services or Adult Social Services to safeguard the individual.
Communicating SWEP is enacted
To support the communication process, the City Council maintains a dedicated webpage that will provide regular updates on SWEP events, [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/swep] other weather warnings and available services. The webpage will include references to:
- Is SWEP enacted?
- What facilities are open to support rough sleepers?
- What services are provided at each facility?
- Any restrictions or requirements associated with accessing services.
All SWEP events will be confirmed by the Salvation Army in their capacity as the contracted provider. This will be done in consultation with the CCC Rough Sleeper Coordinator and/or the CCC Housing and Homelessness Commissioning and Partnerships Lead.
All key partners and agencies will be informed by the Salvation Army of the activation of SWEP via a cascade email sent through the Homelessness partnership forums open mailing lists.
The Salvation Army and CCC will promote the activation of SWEP through their websites and social media channels ( including when SWEP is activated out of hours).
All partners are encouraged to use their own communication networks and social media platform to notify people of SWEP activation.
It is important to note that SWEP can be enacted at any time of day in response to changes in forecasts and localised severe weather conditions. Every effort will be made to communicate the enactment of SWEP (and ending of the arrangements) at the earliest opportunity through all available communication channels.
Facilities available during SWEP and other extended winter provision
As the contracted provider of rough sleeper services in Coventry, The Salvation Army, already makes provision of 5 emergency units at their facility at Harnall Lifehouse.
During a SWEP event this will be increased by 7 and should be the first port of call for any rough sleepers looking to engage with the service. The use of planned Emergency Beds under SWEP will end and all Service users will need to present at Harnall at 7pm on a nightly basis until SWEP is cancelled. The allocation of beds/ spaces will operate on a first come first served basis. A basic risk assessment will be carried out by staff and a bed will be offered, once all 12 spaces are accommodated a call will be made to EDT for them to be placed elsewhere. if it is a Friday night we will offer the space until Monday morning due to the change in staffing.
The following morning TSA staff will, along with a member of staff from RSOT, ascertain the next steps for individuals, if it is a known rough sleeper they will be signposted to JCT or anyone else will be asked to attend Steps for Change.
SWEP provision will be regardless of priority need, recourse to public funds, local connection, previous exclusion from the service or any other reason that may otherwise prevent an individual from engaging with the service. No prior registration is required to access the service.
Should the Lifehouse reach capacity the City Council will work with The Salvation Army and other partners to accommodate rough sleepers in hotel provision. This will be undertaken through direct engagement with rough sleepers through the city council's outreach team and partners.
Engaging with rough sleepers during SWEP
Both the Homeless Link guidance and the West Midlands Combined Authorities (WMCA) Winter Plan highlight the importance of making efforts to engage with rough sleepers when SWEP is enacted. These efforts will be over and above normal engagement practices and provide an opportunity to discuss service options and support with rough sleepers who may not always choose to engage or be otherwise ‘hard to reach’.
When SWEP and extended winter provisions are provided across Coventry, service providers will be expected to collect information about those they are supporting and share this with CCC Rough sleeping team and other appropriate partners, (gender, ethnicity, age, status, accommodation status). To ensure GDPR compliance services are not expected to share names unless the individual has signed to agree to this.
The collection of this information will help the City Council and its partners engage with, and tailor support to rough sleepers, beyond just during SWEP or periods of extended winter provision.
By collecting this information partners will be able to track rough sleepers presenting at different services (if necessary and appropriate to do so) and engage jointly with each other to maximise the benefit of support provided.
Review
This protocol will be reviewed annually by the Housing and homelessness commissioning a partnership lead in consultation with key partners.
Any changes to the protocol will be shared and agreed upon with The Salvation Army and any other affected party or service.
Accountable Officer: Sophie Hall, Housing and Homelessness’ Commissioning Manager.
Reviewed 17/10/22