Rough sleeping support services

If you, or someone you know is currently rough sleeping in the Arun area, there is advice and practical support available through the Rough Sleepers Initiative in Arun which has partnered with Stonepillow and Turning Tides to provide a wide range of services to those in need. The initiative is funded through The Department of Levelling up Housing and Communities (DLUHC).  

The government Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) funding, allows councils and their partners to deliver services that reduce rough sleeping and improve local responses. Currently, we are in round 4 of RSI funding which is a 3-year project, to reduce the number of people rough sleeping across the country. In Arun, we were funded £1,714,261.00 for RSI 22-25 which has allowed us to move to a multi-year settlement, providing vital stability to service providers and users. 

The RSI funding is essential to enable ourselves, Turning Tides and Stonepillow to provide support, advice and “off the street” accommodation solutions for clients who have found themselves rough sleeping in the Arun area. 

Our dedicated RSI Team is outreach-based and works with individuals to provide as much practical support as possible. They provide help with the following:

• applications or referrals to other accommodation providers
• assessing eligibility for an “off the street offer” of non-statutory emergency accommodation
• access to income benefits (where eligible)
• searches for private rented accommodation
• access to substance misuse services
• registering with a GP surgery
• reconnecting with friends or family
• reconnecting with services in the local area
• attending appointments
• budgeting/managing finances
• connecting with the local Job Centre for assistance in job searches
• accessing skills workshops
• gaining employment  
•  assisting in day hubs with practical needs such as clothing, food, access to showers, washing facilities and essential items

The RSI team is more than just a street outreach service for rough sleepers. The team consists of tenancy sustainment and prevention workers (supported lettings team), support navigators, employment/skills support and dual diagnosis workers.  

Who is eligible to receive this support

The above interventions are available to clients who are currently rough sleeping, have recently rough slept in Arun, or are at risk of becoming a rough sleeper in Arun.  

The RSI outreach teams respond to all reports of rough sleepers either from Streetlink, members of the public or self-referrals. All other services are accessible by referral only.

Stonepillow, Turning Tides and our options team can refer into the above support services. It is important that anyone who is in need of this help is accessing day hubs, approaching our housing options team or are engaging with the outreach team first, in order to be referred to an additional support service.  

Who can access the above support? 

The above support interventions are accessible to clients who are currently rough sleeping, have recently rough slept in Arun or at risk of becoming a rough sleeper in Arun.  

Apart from the RSI outreach teams who respond to all reports of rough sleepers either from Streetlink, members of the public or self-referrals, all other services are accessible by referral only. Stonepillow, Turning Tides and Arun District Councils Options Team can refer into the above support services so it is important for anyone who is in need of this support is accessing the day hubs, approaching the Local Authority’s Housing Options Team, or engaging with the outreach team should they need to be referred to an additional a support service.  

Our current RSI 22-25 funding includes a dedicated sum of funds to support clients who are rough sleeping into “off the street” accommodation where there is no statutory duty to accommodate them by the local authority.  

These are usually short-term placements to stabilise their situations and work with our wide range of services to find longer-term accommodation.  

Whilst we try to ensure that all rough sleepers have had a suitable “off the street offer” as soon as practically possible, funds and bed spaces are limited.  

We do our very best to offer all clients this opportunity, though unfortunately this help isn't always welcomed by clients and in some cases clients are asked to leave where they have breached occupancy rules or failed to engage with move-on services. Asking clients to leave “off the street” accommodation is not a decision we take lightly and when this decision is made, we always continue to assist and look for alternative options, so long as the client is happy to continue working with us.  

You can report sightings or concerns for a rough sleeper via Streetlink. An alert will be sent directly to our outreach teams for action. The team will attend the site reported and, in some cases, (where contact information has been left) may contact you for further information if they are struggling to locate the person to whom the concerns have been reported.

The Streetlink system allows our teams to keep you up to date with the outcome of your reports and is an integral part of the service. Although we carry out regular outreach searches, it is impossible for us to cover the whole of Arun, your reports assist us in finding people who may need support but may not know where to find it.  

Please report all concerns through the StreetLink website.

Alternatively, you can email our rough sleeping team, however, this may not result in an instant response.  

There are several reasons and complications as to why we can't immediately move rough sleepers on within the Arun area. 

In most cases, where a person is rough sleeping on our council-owned land, we prefer to work with the support available to them and encourage them to access this, to find suitable accommodation.  

Whilst this is our preferred approach, there have been situations where clients are unwilling to engage or take up any offers being made available to them. In some instances, we see a rise in complaints about rough sleepers and the Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) they may be causing. 

When this happens the ASB team and other relevant teams work together to put together a reasonable approach to the individual circumstances of the situation. When all avenues have been exhausted, we may then begin “eviction” processes to regain access to our land. This is a long process that involves a court judgment to be made to enable us to enforce rough sleepers to leave the land they are occupying. 

In situations where rough sleepers are occupying land, that is not owned by us, it is the responsibility of the landowner to follow these proceedings and this cannot be enforced by us. 

During the winter months, our Rough Sleepers Initiative (RSI) team keeps a close eye on the weather forecast and looks out for any severe weather warnings in our area. Whilst this is mainly due to cold conditions this can also happen with severe heat in the summer months.

In the winter when The Met Office predicts severe weather warnings or low temperatures of “feels like” 0 degrees or less for 3 nights in a row, our duty of care as a local authority is to trigger our Severe Weather Emergency Protocols for all rough sleepers in the district.

Our outreach team works closely with partner agencies and other organisations across the district to ensure that all known rough sleepers are made aware of the provision when it is activated. Clients can be signposted to somewhere warm which has washing and laundry facilities as well as a hot meal and bed for the nights that the provision is in place. This is in addition to normal day services that are provided to support rough sleepers and vulnerable clients in the area year-round.

When SWEP is triggered, our housing options team can refer anyone new who approaches us and has no alternative accommodation, into the provision. We encourage the general public to support SWEP by reporting any concerns for rough sleepers via the streetlink website StreetLink - Connecting people sleeping rough to local services (thestreetlink.org.uk). Information is sent directly to our outreach teams who will attend any reported sites to notify any rough sleepers of the services available to them.

In the Summer months, if there is a severe heat warning, our team can support clients with access to water, sunscreen and advice about keeping in the shade and staying safe in the sun. We work closely with local partners and agencies to ensure that hubs and day centres can access clients to enable them to stay safe from the sun during the hottest times of the day.  

Our RSI team works hard to engage clients and support them with “off the street” emergency accommodation offers and longer-term accommodation solutions where clients choose to work with our services. 

Begging in the UK is currently seen as illegal. The Vagrancy Act 1824 still stands in the UK however, it is being repealed by the UK government to be replaced with new legislation. 

However, at present is deemed to be illegal to beg in the UK and therefore people seen begging may be subject to criminal law proceedings.  

Whilst we appreciate the generosity of our community, we do not recommend giving money directly to street beggars. There are other ways of supporting clients who are genuinely in need of help by donating to the wide range of services in Arun that ensure that those genuinely in need receive the support they require. 

Sadly, there are many cases across the UK where beggars are not genuinely homeless, and donations are not always used for the intended purpose.   

There are many diverted giving campaigns across the UK and in Arun, we always recommend you donate directly to charities so you can be sure your kindness is supporting a genuine cause. 

Supporting local homelessness charities

The following is a list of local homeless charity websites that the public can donate to, to help support rough sleepers:

• Ways to Donate - Turning Tides (turning-tides.org.uk) 
• One Off and Monthly Donations (donorfy.com)  
• DONATE | Grandads Front Room 
• Beam - Homeless Fundraising Campaigns  
• Homepage | The Salvation Army 
• Donate — My Sisters' House (mysistershouse.info) 
• The Trussell Trust - Stop UK Hunger 
• Keep the LA Community Fridge going this winter! - a Food and Drink crowdfunding project in Littlehampton by Sarah Renfrey (crowdfunder.co.uk) 

Support for those currently rough sleeping or at risk of becoming a rough sleeper can be accessed via day hubs. The direct access hub in Littlehampton is run by Turning Tides and the hub in Bognor Regis is run by Stonepillow, more information on both of these hubs can be found on their websites.

The support we provide – housing options service 

In addition to the Turning Tides, Stonepillow and RSI services, we have a duty to provide advice and assistance to all eligible applicants. By approaching one of our offices, an individual can be assessed by a member of our housing options team to establish what level of statutory help is available for them and create a housing plan tailored to their circumstances.  

Our officers can provide practical advice and information about services in the area, make referrals to local accommodations and assist with applications to the housing register if appropriate. If someone is assessed as having a high-priority need, our options team will also look into emergency accommodation for them.

If we do not have a statutory duty to provide accommodation, we then alert our RSI team, so they can work with clients to access alternative provisions.  

More information can be found on our advice about homelessness website page.

Non-priority need

If someone is assessed as not being in priority need, we still have a duty to provide advice and assistance providing they are eligible. Part of this would be to signpost to other services in the area. Our officers will notify our dedicated RSI outreach team of the individual's circumstances and make relevant referrals to organisations and accommodation providers to suit their needs.     

It is important an individual tells us where they are sleeping, so we can alert our RSI Outreach Team of how to find them to enable the support.

Support services information for rough sleepers and the homeless in the Littlehampton area:

1. Arun District Council housing options

Address: Arun District Council, Civic Centre, Maltravers Road, Littlehampton, BN17 5LF

Opening times: Monday to Thursday 8.45am to 5.15pm and Friday 8.45am to 5.15pm

Contact numbers:

• 01903 737 552 - if you are homeless tonight or under imminent threat of homelessness
• 01903 737 500 for emergency out-of-hours, the team will put you through to the duty officer if you have nowhere you can stay the night

2. Turning Tides

A first point of contact for adults who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Practical support, information and advice are available as well as access to food, clothing and washing facilities.

Address: Littlehampton United Reformed Church, 1 High Street, Littlehampton, BN17 5EG (access via St Martin's car park)

Opening times: Monday to Friday at 9am - 11am 

Contact number: 01903 680740 extension number 239

3. Littlehampton Community Fridge

Address: St. James’ Church Hall, 1, East Ham Road, Littlehampton, BN17 7AN

Opening times: Monday: 11am to 12pm, Wednesday 3.30pm to 4.30pm, Thursday 10.30am to 11.30am, Friday 11am to 12pm, Saturday 10.30am to 12pm

4. Littlehampton Food Bank

Address: Rear hall, Littlehampton United Church, 1 High Street, Littlehampton, BN17 5EG

Opening times: Tuesdays and Fridays at 1pm to 3pm 

Contact number: 07925 862289

Email: info@littlehamptondistrict.foodbank.org.uk

Website: Littlehampton & District Foodbank | Helping Local People in Crisis

Please see the map below of where you can find the above services labelled numbers 1 to 4 on the map. If you need help finding where these services are located - please get in touch via the service's contact information. 

 

Support services information for rough sleepers and the homeless in the Littlehampton area:

1. Arun District Council housing options

Address: Arun District Council, Civic Centre, Maltravers Road, Littlehampton, BN17 5LF

Opening times: Monday to Thursday 8.45am to 5.15pm and Friday 8.45am to 5.15pm

Contact numbers:

• 01903 737 552 - if you are homeless tonight or under imminent threat of homelessness
• 01903 737 500 for emergency out-of-hours, the team will put you through to the duty officer if you have nowhere you can stay the night

2. Stonepillow

Supporting people to link in with the appropriate community support services, as well as providing access to shower and laundry facilities.

Address: Glenlogie House (basement), Clarence Road, Bognor Regis, PO21 1JT

Opening times: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9am to 3pm, Tuesday and Thursday 4pm to 8pm
Saturday 9am to 1pm

Contact number: 01243 952243

3. Bognor Regis Foodbank

Address: Argyle Hall, Argyle Road, Bognor Regis, PO21 1DY

Opening times: Tuesday and Friday 10.30am to 2.30pm

Email: info@bognorregis.foodbank.org.uk

Website: www.bognorregis.foodbank.org.uk 

 

4. Bognor Housing Trust

Supported housing projects for single homeless people in Bognor Regis.

Address: Cornerways, 25 Glamis Street, Bognor Regis, PO21 1DH

Contact number: 01243 837 995

Email: office@bognorhousingtrust.org.uk

Website: www.bognorhousingtrust.org.uk

5. Grandad's Front Room

Offering fantastic support to local residents – whether you are looking to get some advice, pick up some food or have a chat and a cuppa we are here to support and signpost you to the best of our abilities with our knowledge of local services. We can also offer support in finding white goods and furniture to those in need (subject to
availability) We are always here to help.

Address: 2-4 High Street, Bognor Regis, PO21 1SS

Contact number: 01243 931798

Opening times (may vary): Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4.30pm

Website: www.grandadsfrontroom.org.uk/about

6. My Sisters' House

Providing support to women in the community suffering abuse, poverty, mental health or other disadvantages, helping them to live healthy lives and realise their full potential.

Address: 108b, London Road, Bognor Regis, PO21 1BD

Website chat:  www.mysistershouse.info

Please see the map below of where you can find the above services labelled numbers 1 to 6 on the map. If you need help finding where these services are located - please get in touch via the service's contact information. 

Additional support:

• Change Grow Live - Drug and alcohol support service
  Phone: 0330 128 1113
  Email: WestSussex.Firststep@cgl.org.uk
   
• MIND – Mental health support
  Phone: 0300 303 5652
   
• Bognor Regis Job Centre
  Gloucester House, High Street, PO21 1HH
  Phone: 0845 604 3719
   
• Littlehampton Job Centre
  Address: Crown Building, 33 Church Street, BN17 5ER
  Phone: 0800 169 0190
   
• Arun & Chichester Citizens Advice
  Phone: 08082 787969 (Monday to Friday 10am  to 4pm)
  Website: www.arunchichestercab.org.uk
   
• Stonepillow Chichester Hub
  Address: The Old Glassworks, St Cyriacs, PO19 1AJ
  Phone: 01243 775925
  Email: chichester.hub@stonepillow.org.uk
   
• Turning Tides Worthing Hub
  Address: 6-8 Marine Place, BN11 3DN
  Phone: 01903 680740.
  Email: info@turning-tides.org.uk
   
• WORTH Specialist Domestic Abuse Service
  Phone: 07834 968539 or 033 022 28181
  Email: DomesticAbuseServicesCentral@westsussex.gov.uk

Other useful phone numbers: 

• Mental Health Helpline - 0300 5000 101
• Samaritans - 116 123
• Social Services West Sussex - 01243 642 121
• NHS direct  - 111
• Police (non-emergency) - 101
• Police (emergency) - 999
• Shelter Advice Service - 0808 800 4444
• Wellbeing services - 01903 737862
• Christians Against Poverty - 0800 328 0006