Press release – No Second Night Out in the North East

Launch on December 11th 2012

The 12 North East local authorities have agreed to work together towards implementing a No Second Night Out approach to tackling rough sleeping. No Second Night Out (NSNO) is a national initiative, based on a London pilot which started in 2011, aiming to make sure that no-one new to the street has to spend more than one night sleeping rough.

The five key principles of No Second Night Out are:

·  Identifying rough sleepers and helping them immediately

·  Involving the public in reporting when they see rough sleepers on the streets or elsewhere

·  Assessing needs quickly and safely

·  Accessing emergency accommodation and other services

·  Reconnecting to support, accommodation, family and friends, in this country or elsewhere

Councils in the North East recognise that rough sleeping is the worst form of homelessness, and causes harm to those involved in it, including rough sleepers themselves, their friends and family, and wider communities. People who sleep rough are more likely to die 30 years earlier than an average person of the same age, are more likely to be assaulted, suffer mental health and have substance misuse problems. The aim of No Second Night Out is to get rough sleepers of the streets quickly so that they do not fall into a dangerous rough sleeping lifestyle.

The vision of the 12 local authorities is set out in the agreed North East Standard for NSNO: Our vision is to end rough sleeping in the North East. The first step in doing this is to ensure that by the end of 2012 no one has to spend a second night sleeping on the streets.

The launch of the North East regional campaign takes place on Tuesday 11th December, tying in with a national conference on Rough Sleeping and the launch of a national phone-line and website – StreetLink. The StreetLink helpline, run by the charities Homeless Link and Broadway, will make it easier for concerned members of the public to help connect rough sleepers with local advice and services they may not be aware of.

A call to the helpline will lead to details being relayed to the local authority working in the area where the rough sleeper has been reported. The local authority will then ensure that contact is made with that rough sleeper, to offer support to help them access housing and recovery services.

Posters telling members of the public about the national freephone helpline are going up in each area of the North East. There are also to be posters for local agencies telling them how they can help to make sure that help gets to people who are sleeping rough and what role they can play, and small cards to give rough sleepers telling them how to get help.

Rick Henderson, Chief Executive of Homeless Link, says:

“Homeless Link are delighted that the North East region has joined the campaign to end rough sleeping in this country. Every night, someone sleeps rough for the first time. We know that the longer they stay out, the worse their problems can get and the harder they can be to overcome. A life on the streets can lead to substance misuse, crime and serious physical or mental health problems.
“No Second Night Out is a simple standard that means putting the right services in place so no one spends more than a single night on the streets. Everyone in the North East can take a step to help make sure this happens – if you are concerned about someone sleeping rough in your community just call the telephone line, Street Link, to connect them to local services. The North East is leading the way on this commitment and we look forward to supporting them on their journey.

“If you have ever wanted to help a rough sleeper, save the StreetLink number - 0300 500 0914 - on your phone right now and next time you see someone, make a call.”

In the current economic climate, local authorities in the North East region have been sensitive to the need to build on existing local services and strengthening partnerships between local agencies, as a way of improving the help given to people who have lost their homes and ended up on the streets.

ENDS

Homeless Link is acting on behalf of the North East region. See sheet at end for contacts in individual councils.

Notes to editors

  1. The North East NSNO Standard:

http://homeless.org.uk/sites/default/files/NE%20No%20Second%20Night%20Out%20Standard.pdf

  1. The Government published its vision to end rough sleeping, and to introduce in the publication Vision to End Rough Sleeping, published in July 2011: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/visionendroughsleeping. This was followed by Making Every Contact Count which looks at ways of preventing homelessness and exhorts each local authority to adopt NSNO https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-every-contact-count-a-joint-approach-to-preventing-homelessness

StreetLink is a telephone line and website available across England which enables the public to alert Local Authorities about rough sleepers in their area. This service offers the public a means to act when they see someone sleeping rough and is the first step someone can take to ensure rough sleepers are connected to the local services and support available to them. Simply call 0300 500 0914 or log on to www.streetlink.org.uk StreetLink is funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government as part of the commitment to end rough sleeping in England.

  1. The 12 local authorities have been working together, alongside local representatives from national partner agencies Homeless Link, Shelter and Crisis, for over a year. The partnership work has helped to spend the regional fund wisely, ensuring that there is a consistent and effective way to address rough sleeping, that local authorities are working together where people move across boundaries, and that we share ideas about ways of preventing homelessness amongst this group of people.
  1. The work of the pilot in London can be read here No Second Night Out. The North East work has also been built on the regional forerunner set up in Merseyside in February 2012 http://www.whitechapelcentre.co.uk/no-second-night-out.html

LA / Person / Job title / e-mail / phone number / Local NSNO No. for publicity / NSNO Comms contact email
Darlington / Janette McMain / Team Leader - Housing Options / / 01325 388544 / 01325 388542 /

Durham / Andrew Burnip
Rachel Hirst-Dean / Housing Solutions Core Team Manager /
/ Andrew
03000 262543
07766 698059
Rachel
07824 606561 / 0191 371 0541 /
Gateshead / Catherine Hattam / Housing Options Manager / / 0191 433 2177 / 0800 056 8588 /
Hartlepool / Lynda Igoe
Siobhan Rafferty /
/ Lynda
01429 284177
Siobhan
01429 284313 / 01429 284313 /
North Tyneside / Christine Cross
Fiona Robson / Housing Strategy Enabling Officer /
/ 0191 643 7669
0191 643 6202
Or 0191 643 7863 / 0191 643 2520 /
South Tyneside / Angela Lamonte / Homeless Team Leader / / 0191 424 7215
0740 773 6450 / 0191 427 1717 /
(in lieu of comms person)
Middlesbrough / Maureen McCaul
Sharon Caddell / Principal Homelessness Co-ordinator /
/ 01642 233789
01642 729369 / 0800 461 600
Erimus Housing /
Newcastle / Neil Munslow
John Davison / Housing Services & Welfare Rights Mgr
Lead Practitioner – Rough Sleeping /
/ 0191 211 6351
0191 277 1702 / 0191 277 7888 /
(0191 211 6053)
Northumberland / Julie Young / Housing Services Manager / / 01670 623076 / 0845 600 6400 /
(01670 622 417)
Redcar & Cleveland / Erika Grunert / Housing Service Manager / / 01287 612457 / 01287 612457 /
Stockton / Caroline Wood
Julie Lathan / Housing Options Manager
Team Leader Housing Options /
/ 01642 526639
01642 528670 / 01642 528 389 /
(01642 527 309)
Sunderland / Peter Smith / Access to Housing Manager / / 0191 561 1635
07795 315111 / 0800 731 2963
*may change in NY /
(0191 561 1385)