#HOMELESS4AWEEK

I #HOMELESS4AWEEK M

HOMELESSNESS MATTERS ‘CHALLENGING PERCEPTIONS & ADDRESSING THE UNMET HEALTH NEEDS OF THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY IN LEICESTER’ April 2018

Contents Summary ………………………………………………...............................................................................................4 Jon Ashworth, Shadow Secretary of State for Health & Labour MP for Leicester South ………...……...5 Background……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….6 The European End Street Homeless Campaign, Leicester City report 2017 …………………………………..…7 Insights …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………8-23 Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………..…24 Final Thought ……………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………….....……… 25 Social media …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……..26 Contact details …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 27

Summary David Rowlands lived and slept on the streets of Leicester for seven days and seven nights between the 5th-11th March 2018, to raise awareness & hear the oftenunheard voices of the homeless community within Leicester.

David Rowlands, says; ‘ I set myself a challenge and I found it absolutely interesting on so many different levels. This project provided a refreshing insight into the real life experiences of the homeless community in Leicester, as well as breaking down the stigma, hopefully challenging your perceptions & influencing change in the future.’

‘Many services across the city are working collaboratively to encourage those with addiction issues to engage with treatment and care services, but often people’s voices are unheard. Moving forward preventing homelessness is going to require collaboration with a multi-disciplinary approach’ During ‘National Conversation Week’, he was visiting a range of support services available to the community to gain a better understanding of the unmet health needs of the homeless.

At 18.00 – 18.30 on each of these days, David was publicly speaking about his experiences of the day at the Town Hall Square fountain.

Staff, volunteers & services users were also invited to attend these events from where he has visited throughout the day.

Organisations will have an opportunity to speak about their projects, addressing some of the challenges they are facing & celebrate their achievements.

The focus for these events were... mental health, service access, drugs & alcohol, HIV, hepatitis C, relationships, health & Well-being.

Throughout the week he also collected donations by ww.JustGiving.com which will raise the profile of the project. This initiative was a great way to get people to back the project & help make it a reality.

Donations •Supported costs to produce a printed publication and video, •Generate start-up costs for new projects in the city, •Support existing organisations to make service developments.

This publication & video 'Homelessness Matters’ was produced to document his experiences over the week and to address and devise solutions for the key health challenges that matter the most to the homeless community in Leicester.

Other recording included a BBC Radio Leicester and an interview with Jon Ashworth, Shadow Secretary of State for Health & Labour MP for Leicester South These findings will be shared across the city with our supporters that we have collaborated with as well as patient organisations, healthcare providers, physicians, stakeholders & policymakers

Jon Ashworth , Shadow Secretary of State for Health & Labour MP for Leicester South.

I want to lend my support to David Rowlands for the phenomenal project he has taken on: sleeping homeless on the streets for a week. We have seen a disgraceful increase in rough sleeping and homelessness here in Leicester and across the country. In Leicester we have seen a 64% increase in rough sleeping in the past year We have had 8 years of austerity cuts, cuts to local authorities, cuts to housing, cuts to public services. You can really see the devastating impact this is having on people’s lives’ As a society we have got to do something about homelessness. We need a society where nobody should be sleeping rough on our streets.

Let’s build a society where everybody has a roof over their heads and nobody sleeps rough on our streets in the cold at night.

Background There are many reasons why people end up on the streets, from the financial to mental health or substance abuse.

The loss of private tenancies is the biggest reason behind homelessness while the “hidden homeless”, “sofa surfers” and those living in hostels and temporary accommodation, are also counted among statistics.

Here are the cold hard facts about rough sleeping and homelessness in the UK: Councils spend a total of £1.15 billion on homelessness services every year, including £845 million temporary accommodation (Homeless Link) There are 4,447 rough sleepers across Great Britain, according to Homeless Link’s snapshot from winter 2016. Government figures revealed, by autumn 2017, figures for England alone sat at 4,751 with London representing 24% of the English total rough sleepers. 14% of rough sleepers were women, 20% were non-UK nationals and 8% were under 25 years old.

However, these numbers are thought, by some to be an underestimate with CHAIN insisting that 8,108 people slept rough in London alone last year 300,000 people are classed as homeless in the UK, including one in 59 people in London and one in 27 in Newham, the worst-hit area (Shelter) There has been a 134% rise in the number of rough sleepers across the UK since 2010 – between 2015 and 2016 alone, the number of people living on the streets rose by 16 per cent (Homeless Link)

47% of rough sleepers in London were struggling with poor mental health in 2013 (Thames Reach)

The loss of a private tenancy is the single leading cause of homelessness with 3 in 10 households seeking statutory assistance as a result (Department for Communities and Local Government) In 2016 there was a 64% rise in people sleeping rough in Leicester, according to statistics released by the government.

Information collected from 27 Health Needs Audits across England showed…

86% reported some kind of mental health issue, diagnosed or undiagnosed, 44% had been diagnosed with a mental health issue, compared to 25% of the general population, 41% said they take drugs or are recovering from a drug problem, 27% are recovering from an alcohol problem.

The European End Street Homeless Campaign, Leicester City report 2017 • 93 homeless people were surveyed in Leicester across Connections Week between 6th and 11th November. The findings in the report are based on the 91 responses collected in the main exercise from 6th to 10th November.

• 83 respondents were male and ten were female. The majority were from the UK. • The vast majority (95%) of homeless people interviewed had medium to high vulnerability scores.

• The commonest answer in response to the question on where people slept (48 respondents) was ‘outdoors’.

• Homeless people in Leicester face multiple and complex health needs with the most severe cases involving physical health, mental health and substance use issues.

• 40% of respondents replied that their homelessness had followed a traumatic episode or experience.

• There was a mixed picture of ‘aspiration’ and ‘hope’ with no clear link between levels of hope, age or length of homelessness.

Conclusions • Homelessness is a complex issue and requires a multi-layered partnership response.

• Homeless people who answered the survey questions were provided with a bed and hot food if they wanted to come in from the street – but longer term solutions are needed for those who have been through the ‘revolving door’ of hostels and street in previous homeless episodes.

Recommendations

• The campaign partner agencies continue to work together to maintain momentum and involve the Leicester community with the aim to end street homelessness.

• The partners work with the social housing sector to trial the model of ‘Housing First’ and report on progress in future.

• Leicester partners disseminate their results to the wider Leicester community, and also with other Campaign cities.

• Observation and research to focus on longer term issues related to behaviours and preferences, and to examine why people may be returning to the streets even where an alternative is offered. Some research on potential issues of loneliness and disconnection, culture and community, would be pertinent in the future.

Insights

First and foremost, Action Homeless offer accommodation to people and families in housing crisis.

Housing projects are arranged in three tiers with varying levels of support; Crisis accommodation They provide emergency housing to single people in crisis from three sites in Leicester (Mayfield House, The Hollies and Jarvis House). Our crisis accommodation is designed to help those who have multiple and complex needs and therefore require intensive support to help them to prepare for independent living. Referrals to this service can be made via the Local Authority’s Single Access Referral Scheme (SARS). Rough sleepers can access emergency beds at Mayfield House. We can also refer them onto the ‘No Second Night Out Leicestershire’ pathway. Please contact Action Homeless for further information and advice about NSNO. For women and children fleeing domestic abuse or in housing crisis, our Bridge House project offers a safe and secure place to stay along with specialist support to help women to overcome trauma and prepare for independent living.

Accommodation Assist Their second stage offer is high quality temporary housing for people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness and need a safe place to live whilst identifying more stable and permanent housing.

Their accommodation across Leicester varies to include small shared houses, bedsits and self-contained flats. This accommodation is suitable for individuals and couples who still need a low level of support but have a degree of independence and are largely able to manage their own lives on a day to day basis.

Accommodation Plus Finally, Accommodation Plus offers longer term homes to people who are independent but may benefit from the social aspect of communal living. Our Accommodation Plus properties range from shared houses, self-contained flats to family homes. With Action Homeless acting as the landlord, tenants benefit from the stability and security of having somewhere to call home for as long as they want it.

To make a referral to their Crisis Accommodation, Accommodation Assist, or Accommodation Plus please contact their Duty Desk on 0116 2211 857 Building Blocks Building Blocks is an Action Homeless project for very young children affected by homelessness. It offers play groups, family trips and parenting support for families with children aged 0-4 years who have been affected by homelessness. Play sessions take place at various locations across Leicester and are open to any children who’ve experienced homelessness or unsettled housing situations. www.actionhomeless.org.uk @action_homeless

Mark Grant, CEO - Action Homeless.

Leciester has some real challenges around housing and homelessness. It has some of the highest house prices in the country and we have a real shortage of affordable housing and a great level of poverty and exclusion within the city, all of those combined make it very difficult for people to find a safe and secure stable home.

Not having enough houses is the core cause of homelessness in Leicester, but there are lots of other issues around homelessness which we need to tackle. One of the problems around homelessness is that a lot of accommodation is only temporary, even if we can support people off the street they are only given temporary accommodation and we never really break that cycle of homelessness.

What we are championing at Action Homeless is something we call ‘housing first’, where we think the only way to break that cycle of homelessness is to give someone a permanent home, give them that safety and security and help them rebuild their lives.

Insights

They aim to improve the health and wellbeing of the homeless and other marginalised groups of people through the delivery of responsive and high-quality healthcare services. As a viable socialenterprise they invest in the continued development of our unique and innovative services, working in close partnership with our partners, staff, service users and other stakeholders.

They are always looking for opportunities that will benefit the health and wellbeing of vulnerable people. As of 1st April 2015, they were delighted to become the provider of Leicester City Assist Practice for asylum seekers and refugees.

Patient Services Inclusion Healthcare offers a full range of primary care services to vulnerable groups.

They offer registration to homeless people, residents of two approved hostels and women working in prostitution.

Appointments are available with either one of our GP’s or our Practice Nurse.

Range of services include:

• Ophthalmic Optician • Access to a Midwife • Practice Therapist for common Mental Health problems • Health Checks e.g. blood pressure, asthma. Diabetes, Weight Management and Urine tests

Alcohol In addition to primary care we are also able to offer specialist support for people with alcohol related difficulties.

Patients can self-refer or discuss a referral with another member of the clinical team.

Substance Misuse Inclusion healthcare offers support for patients with substance misuse problems.

We offer substitute opiate prescribing and treatment for our registered patients through a shared care model.

Patients who would like help with any drug or alcohol related problem should make an appointment to talk to a Nurse or GP. To make a referral contact their Duty Desk on 0116 221 2780 www.inclusion-healthcare.co.uk @InclusionHealth

Wayne Henderson, Specialist Substance Misuse Nurse & Director of Specialist Services - Inclusion Healthcare.

Inclusion Healthcare have been operating in Leicester for approximately 18 years now, we are a social enterprise and a not for profit organization.

We believe that homeless people should have the same service as everyone else. This is the principle of what we are here to do, we don’t believe that homeless people should be any less deserving of health services than anyone else and that is what we aim to achieve by having our own specific services.

We believe that Leicester provides a good service to the homeless that has been recognised across the country and we are always working towards improving the services with our service users, partner organisations and with national agencies.

Homelessness & hepatitis C in Leicester 77% Had or were unsure if they had ever injected drugs

65% Had or were unsure if they had shared drug taking equipment

75% Had never tested for hepatitis C

97% Felt they didn’t know their hepatitis C status

67% Accessed support services in Leicester

Data collection: Gender - Male (69%) Female (31%) Age - Under 24 (11%) 24-34 (39%) over 35 (50%) 36 participants between 05-09/10/2017 in Leicester city centre

David Rowlands The homeless community faces so many different challenges and we all as a society need to support people through their challenges, difficulties and get them on the right path.

During this week I have meet many homeless people living on the streets of Leicester, many living with hepatitis C. What I find shocking is that many people can’t engage in the services that they need, and that people don’t understand or realise the consequences of living with hepatitis C.

Many people are going to needle exchanges which is fantastic, but often these people are not engaging in services. They do not know about the new hepatitis C treatments, which are taken over a shorter duration, and have both better treatment outcomes and fewer side-effects.

The people I have spoken to, don’t feel they deserve or have the right to treatment. This needs to change, we need to increase hepatitis C testing for people on the streets of Leicester. We need to engage in places where people are able to take medication which is right for them and to get their health back on track

Insights

The Adhar Project empowers people to take control of and manage their own mental health difficulties. We achieve this by using a holistic approach and delivering services in a culturally relevant and personalised way.

They work primarily with the BAME community in Leicester and the surrounding area, our services include: Therapeutic support using arts, social and cultural activities delivered as individual support and group sessions Advice, information and signposting to additional services Advocating on behalf of individuals and communities on mental health issues, ensuring they understand their rights Educating society on mental health issues, challenging stigma and encouraging people to seek early intervention Contact the project on 0116 220 0070 www.adharproject.org @AdharProjectUK

Ivor Humphrey, MARCUS (Music, Art, Recreation, Culture, Universal and Socialisation) I am one of the founder members of MARCUS, it is a new project which was born last year on World Mental Health day.

We are using the power of music for mental health recovery using workshops and performance. To build a base of musicians, known as the musicians collective, we are inviting singers and musicians to come out and support worthy causes within the community.

I, myself am very passionate about homelessness, I see it as one of the basic human requirements. I recognise that music and mental health is something very powerful.

My experiences working with musicians who have had mental issues and depression, is they have really found a sense of wellbeing for what they are doing and as a musician myself, I am trying to provide a platform for these musicians to inspire other people.

Insights, David Rowlands Its one very cold morning, I have had 4.5 hours sleep, I do feel refreshed, but it must be difficult for the homeless population, I have just got a nice hot chocolate which I am enjoying, and I am going to try and keep warm here.

I have just spent the morning with a lady who is 37, who has been living on the streets of Leicester for two months. While she is quite vulnerable, quite lonely and bored , she finds it hard to engage in different services and this is why it is important that the outreach teams continue to do there fantastic work within Leciester city centre.

I have meet an interesting charter, he is 47 years old, he’s from the travelling community and he spends about two weeks in Leciester and then moves on to different places. He suffers with drug and alcohol related issues and he was on mamba and drinking when I first met him.

He is really, really struggling and doesn’t know where to access services, but what shocked and surprises me was at 4.30am this morning he was woken up by someone urinating on him. These are just some of the challenges people face on the streets face.

Its quite shocking how quickly you can feel lonely living on the streets of Leciester, often people ignore you, they don’t give you the time of day, you feel like a second class citizen. Saying that, some people can be quite generous, one person gave me an apple and another a blanket, which I was very grateful for. I will be donating this to a homeless person at the end of this project.

We must not forget that people do have voices and often these voices are unheard, we should give people the more time of day and the respect they deserve.

I have spent the morning speaking with some homeless men in the park in Leicester, many have drug and alcohol issues which to a certain extent I can understand. Mamba in Leicester is a big issue and a real major cause for concern. I was speaking with once gentlemen who lost his friend from overdosing on it. Loneliness and boredom pay a big role in this and I can see why people turn to it.

Simply put nobody should be homeless.

Homelessness matters to us all

Assam Ali, Meals at the Market Place in Leicester every Wednesday evening Leciester community services is a community-based organisation. We integrate communities regardless of faith, gender, creed, or cast from many backgrounds. We are here help vulnerable and feed the homeless community in Leicester.

Insights

Trade Sexual Health is a health and sexual health charity, providing free, confidential health advice, information and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGB&T) communities of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

They offer a range of services including information and support on sexual health and HIV; one-to-one emotional and practical support; support around sexuality, gender, relationships and 'coming out'; rapid HIV testing; community based sexual health clinics; safer-sex packs; social and support groups; outreach services, and a fully qualified counselling service.

They have always aimed to break down barriers to accessing health services, reduce isolation, stigma and discrimination, and encourage or enable LGB&T people from diverse backgrounds to share in the life of the whole community.

They believe that by providing a wide range of services, people are able to make more informed choices about their overall health and wellbeing.

Can you get involved?

Volunteers are a vital part of Trade, so there’s plenty of opportunity to get involved directly with the work they do.

You can get more information on our currently volunteering opportunities online, or if you have a specific project or event in mind, call them on 0116 254 1747.

www.tradesexualhealth.com @Trade_S_Health

Salim Khalifa, Co-Director - TRADE Sexual Health

We do a lot of work around sexual health and HIV prevention with individuals who identify with many different needs. Within the LGBT community homelessness is an issue and it is increasing, particularly among young people.

There are a lot of the issues are around mental health, like in the general population but compared to their heterosexual counterparts, the added problems which arise are the fear of rejection, homophobia within a household. We also have cases where people are forced into marriage and sexual exploitation, because of that we are seeing more of the LGBT community on the streets.

There are lots of great charities which work within Leciester as well as nationally, but to make sure that we have support networks as well as places for people who are homeless we need to make sure there is a multi-agency approach.

So, as well as homeless agencies working together, they need to work with agencies like TRADE when LGBT people on the streets feel they can’t access services and meet there needs. It is important that we work together to do training and make sure that people are sign posted to the relevant agencies.

Insights

Leicester has 22% of the population living in income deprived households and we are based in a very deprived area of the City.

The Mentoring Project

There clients are amongst the most marginalised people in the City and often have complex multiple problems in addition to or as a direct of homelessness. Some they have been excluded from mainstream services or do not access them because they feel stigmatised.

“Mentoring through The Bridge has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on my own life; it is such a rewarding scheme to be involved with. It gives me an immense feeling of achievement to see my mentee achieve a personal goal, knowing my input has assisted her in getting here”

They began our mission to the disadvantaged in 2009 when a group of local Christians started providing an outreach ‘Soup Run’ service to homeless people in Leicester.

Food Provision

Today their volunteers come from many backgrounds and faiths; we accept those from all faiths and none. They all have a common goal to help those who are on the street to move from despair to hope. Since 2009, we have grown to now deliver various specialist services ourselves, alongside an expanded hot food service.

As they have so many volunteers, we are able to offer a ‘front line’ service at a minimal cost as well as providing opportunities for our volunteers to gain experience.

Our welcoming environment helps marginalised people to build up trust in us and provides the ‘starting point’ for them to access other services. We aim to offer nonjudgemental companionship to all who walk through our doors.

Warm Clothes Provision The Bridge Leicester maintains a small store of warm clothes – hats, gloves, scarves, coats, socks and underwear – and sleeping bags which it gives to those in demonstrable need. www.bridgeleicester.org @LeicesterBridge

Steve, Trustee – The Bridge Leicester I am one of the founders of The Bridge - homeless to hope. We serve breakfast six mornings a week and Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon meals which we do for the less fortunate.

We also run an advice centre here with organisations coming in to give advice, including women, keep fit and art a project. We also run a mentoring service for those who need one to one support.

We have been in these premises for nearly a year now and things are starting to take off.

We do it because we want to help those who are less fortunate than us, a lot of us are Christians and we feel its Christ command that we should help those who need help, that’s why we do it.

We have many volunteers who serve fifty hot two course meals to the community provided by Leicester College catering department, with is fantastic.

Insights

The Zinthiya Trust is a registered charity that offers support to woman and families from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as those who may have found their way into crime, sex work, long term unemployment or those that are homeless or victims of domestic violence.

Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan, CEO - Zinthiya Trust

We provide a free, completely confidential service that can help you change your life and get you back into work or education.

We offer advice on a wide range of issues, including skills development and career guidance. We’re never judgemental, we’re just a friendly face who will listen and help you find the best way forward.

We can support with making housing applications, looking for alternative accommodation and we also run a women’s group. Our advisers can give you advice on welfare, claiming benefits, looking at homelessness and if you want to get into employment finding volunteers opportunities or work placements.

Their drop in service provides a relaxed environment where you can pop in for a confidential chat, or to meet others and have fun. We also hold one-to-one mentoring sessions where we can really get to know you personally. Any advice or guidance we give you can then be tailored to your specific needs.

Equally if you are women fleeing violence then you can come to us and we will be able to support you through this process.

They work closely with local employers.

Giving you a great opportunity to gain useful on-the-job experience and training. It also helps us change attitudes and perceptions towards women in long-term unemployment or trapped in crime.

Contact them on 0116 254 5168 www.zinthiyatrust.wordpress.com @Zinthiya_Trust

We support disadvantage people in Leicester and Leicestershire. We work with a variety of people who have been homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Insights Kenneth Coney, Independent Healthcare Consultant Sexual health is very important for everyone, particularly for people living on the streets. It is essential that you take the chance to be tested as often as possible for the full range of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV. HIV can be treated these days and people who live with it, can have a long and fulfilling life.

There is now a drug which allows people that have been potentially been exposed to HIV to have a course of treatment which will hopefully stop them becoming fully infected, this is called PEP. (Post-exposure prophylaxis) It is important because it is available to anyone including the homeless, its available should you have had unprotected sex, or had shared a needle with someone who is potentially HIV positive.

Homelessness Leicester

&

HIV

in

80% Have had unprotected sex

To access it you either need to visit a sexual health clinic or your local A&E department, there you will be asked to take a HIV test and providing you are already negative they will be able to prescribe you with a 1 month course of a drug which you take one tablet each day and this gives you a very good chance of preventing HIV. It is essential that you do this as soon as possible and certainly within 72 hours of the potential infection.

67% Had never tested for HIV

17% Have not tested for HIV within the past 2 years

78% Felt they didn’t know their HIV status Data collection: Gender - Male (69%) Female (31%) Age - Under 24 (11%) 24-34 (39%) over 35 (50%) 36 participants between 05-09/10/2017 in Leicester city centre

Acknowledgements Our supporters

Media partners

With thanks To Jon Ashworth , Shadow Secretary of State for Health & Labour MP for Leicester South,

.

Kenneth Coney, an Independent Healthcare Consultant & HMP Rye Hill

What is most important is that we have had the engagement from the homeless community in Leicester.

We shouldn’t forget them, we need to give them a voice and moving forward we need their voices to be heard to the whole public, to better understand their health needs moving forward.

www.DR-web.co.uk

@DR_tweetUK David@DR-web.co.uk David Rowlands brings together the healthcare industry & patient organisations to address & devise solutions to the key challenges that matter the most.