Letter to government: why we must act to protect the lives of people facing homelessness

Thames Reach has signed a letter to the government requesting the expansion of the Protect programme based on the principles of Everyone In, as well as ensuring that frontline workers and vulnerable people in emergency accommodation are prioritised for the vaccine.

Letter to government: why we must act to protect the lives of people facing homelessness

Thames Reach have signed a letter to the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government requesting the expansion of the Protect programme based on the principles of Everyone In, as well as ensuring that frontline workers and vulnerable people in emergency accommodation are prioritised for the vaccine(s). Other organisations working in homelessness have also signed the letter: Crisis, Homeless Link, St Mungo’s, Housing Justice, Groundswell, The Passage, Pathway and Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health.

New variant SARS-CoV-2: why we must act to protect the lives of people facing homelessness.

As organisations working with people facing homelessness, and delivery partners of the government’s Everyone In scheme, we are calling on the Westminster Government to work with us to urgently sanction the next phase of Everyone In to protect people most exposed to coronavirus.

People facing homelessness are extremely vulnerable to severe health outcomes and mortality from Covid-19. With the discovery of the new SARS-CoV-2 variant, which is believed to be more than 50% more transmissible, there is projected to be a large and rapid increase in incidence with levels of hospitalisations and deaths in 2021 expected to be higher than in 2020.

Current Tier 4 measures put in place to protect people from the new variant are due to be expanded in the new year. These measures, while necessary, are extremely challenging and in some instances impossible to follow whilst homeless including in congregate settings that have shared facilities. For a time-limited period until high levels of vaccine uptake has been achieved, we would like to work with the government to realise:

1. Expansion of the Protect Programme based on the life-saving principles of Everyone In, and including a commitment that no one returns to the streets
2. Ensuring that people who are homeless in emergency accommodation, and frontline staff, are prioriitised for the COID-19 vaccine(s). 

Expanding the Protect Programme based on Everyone In principles

Through the extraordinary efforts of national and local government, nearly 30,000 people have been supported to move into emergency and other forms of accommodation since the start of the pandemic. In London, where the most robust data is available, London Councils reported that on May 4th there were 3,630 people in emergency accommodation.

 This bold and world-leading action saved lives and relieved pressure on the NHS at a critical time. A recent study published by the Lancet showed that because of this response 266 deaths were avoided during the first wave of the pandemic among England’s homeless population, as well as 21,092 infections, 1,164 hospital admissions and 338 admissions to Intensive Care Units.[1]

 However, as the pressures of the coronavirus pandemic on people’s jobs and lives remain, many continue to be pushed into homelessness as the pressure becomes too much. From July to September 2020 in London, data shows 1,901 people were seen sleeping rough for the first time, which is 55% of the total number of people seen sleeping rough in this period (3,444 people).[2]

While government funding and initiatives have continued to support people sleeping rough, or at risk, into safe accommodation, the funding has had conditions attached. This has meant some people are falling through the gaps in support and therefore remain sleeping on our streets at a time where the new strain of coronavirus makes homelessness a heightened risk to life.

This includes through the new Protect Programme. While incredibly welcome, the programme reaches 10 local authority areas and focuses on supporting people who are defined as clinically vulnerable. However, barriers to accessing healthcare mean that people experiencing homelessness may not be recorded as being clinically vulnerable, even though they would meet this definition if they were diagnosed. Anyone living on the streets and many people who experience other forms of homelessness are by definition vulnerable.

With people newly becoming homeless, and the new strain of coronavirus increasing the rates of the disease, we are ready and willing to work with the government to expand the support available for people sleeping rough or in unsafe accommodation. With the success of Everyone In, local councils and charity partners have the experience of arranging self-contained accommodation, cohorting, and socially distanced support, and can act quickly.

As a result, we would like to work with the Westminster Government to expand the Protect Programme based on Everyone In principles. This will mean all local authorities once again fully funded to support everyone who needs it, regardless of immigration status, local connection, and priority need, into safe and fully self-contained accommodation. Given the increased transmissibility of the new Covid variant, it will be critical that accommodation is provided with individual washing and other facilities to avoid any need for shared spaces.

Once supported into self-contained accommodation, local authorities and support services can also work with individuals as they have continued to do so throughout the pandemic to provide a plan for move-on accommodation. We welcome the move-on options that have been developed as part of the original Everyone In programme and ask for a renewed emphasis on helping people into stable, long-term accommodation to help ensure that no-one is forced to return to the streets when coronavirus restrictions ease.

Ensuring people facing homelessness and frontline staff receive are vaccinated

These measures are urgently needed to not only protect people from the new strain of coronavirus, but to also support access for people facing homelessness to a coronavirus vaccine.

Priority for the vaccine to date has been predominantly based on age. However, parallels can be drawn between the vulnerability shared by the chronologically old and the biologically old, and while age is a key proxy for vulnerability to Covid-19, chronic homelessness could also be considered a valid and justifiable equivalent proxy.

For example, a recent study found that among a sample of homeless hostel residents in London, the levels of frailty were comparable to 89-year-olds in the general population. Participants had an average of seven long-term health conditions, far higher than people in their 90s.

Further, around a third of people who are experiencing the worst forms of homelessness would be deemed ‘clinically vulnerable’ and 1 in 10 would be deemed ‘extremely vulnerable’ to the virus. But unless people who are homeless and vulnerable to the virus are plugged into health services and reached with the vaccine, many people will remain at serious risk of the virus.

The increased threat for people facing homelessness is also recognised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). It acknowledges the health inequalities faced by people who are homeless and advises that a targeted approach will be needed including through the use of local Screening and Immunisation Teams. As such, we are asking the JCVI to prioritise people who are homeless in emergency accommodation, and frontline staff for vaccination due to increased risk of outbreaks.

This will need to go hand in hand with a comprehensive delivery plan to ensure people facing homelessness can access the vaccine. This should include access to people in provision provided by faith and community groups, or non-commissioned accommodation services such as those supported by the Homelessness Winter Transformation Fund.

Through an expanded Protect Programme which supports people into self-contained accommodation, people facing homelessness most at risk to the dangers of the new strain of coronavirus would be more easily identifiable, which would facilitate provision of the vaccine.

To ensure the success of such an approach, local health and social care teams can be involved in the support offered through the Protect Programme, by ensuring that enhanced infection, prevention and control measures are strictly implemented and adhered to across every facility accommodating people who are homeless.

Again, as delivery partners to local and national government, homelessness charities stand ready to assist the roll-out of vaccination to people facing homelessness and to front-line staff working in homelessness.

 

[1] Lewer, D. et al (2020) ‘COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness in England: a modelling study’. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30396-9/fulltext

[2] Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) reports: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/chain-reports

[3] Raphael Rogans-Watson et al. Premature frailty, geriatric conditions and multimorbidity among people experiencing homelessness: a cross-sectional observational study in a London hostel. July 2020.

How Thames Reach are preventing homelessness in the community this winter

Area manager, Zandi Zungu, talks us through how Thames Reach are actively preventing homelessness in the community this winter

How Thames Reach are preventing homelessness in the community this winter

Thames Reach’s mission is to help homeless, vulnerable people to find decent homes, build supportive relationships and lead fulfilling lives.  The work of our Prevention teams are a key part of our strategy to encourage client independence through the support of rough sleepers, or individuals in temporary accommodation. Area Manager for Prevention, Zandi Zungu, talks us through Thames Reach’s prevention offer, consisting of a wide range of different services which centre around providing skills, employment or accommodation with the aim of preventing homelessness.

Our Peer Landlord scheme will undergo an expansion in Hackney as we will be providing supportive accommodation to individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.  Peer Landlord will be offering accommodation to people who are working, and in a new aspect of the scheme, we will offer rooms to individuals whom have no recourse to public funds.

Within our Greenwich Private Rented Sector (“PRS”) scheme, we have successfully housed 64 individuals in private accommodation over the last year across several London boroughs.  The scheme has a tenancy sustainment rate of 82%.

The Sustaining Tenancies Accommodation & Resettlement Team (“STAR”), works in partnership with Shelter, St. Mungo’s and Stonewall Housing to prevent homelessness across London by supporting people with complex needs to get and keep a home, find employment, build their skills and improve their mental health.  Recently, the STAR team has responded to concentrations of rough sleepers previously inaccessible due to lockdown.  As a result of this work, there has been an increase in the number of service users assisted by the team.

Within the Central European Homeless Assistance Service, (“CEHAS”), we work with rough sleepers within the six North London boroughs to access employment and training including those who might have additional support needs.  A key part of this is helping people regularise their status, particularly where they have a history of working in the UK.  Presently, we have helped 17 clients achieve full settled status, and obtain Universal Credit, thus leading them closer to employment.

Located in Lewisham, Deptford Reach is our day centre within our Prevention offer.  At Deptford Reach, we provide case management, health services, mental health support, and social engagement activities to people who are vulnerably housed.

The Employment & Skills team at Thames Reach provides basic skills, digital skills, work readiness support, job opportunities, and in work-support to individuals who have a history of rough sleeping, or are currently living in hostels.  Throughout the lockdown, the Employment & Skills team has redefined their delivery model to engage with the most socially isolated and vulnerable service users.

Interview: Supporting homeless people in Hackney at The Greenhouse

Lead manager of The Greenhouse, Qasim Bandali, discusses new remote support for people experiencing homelessness in the borough of Hackney

Interview: Supporting homeless people in Hackney at The Greenhouse

As with all Thames Reach services, The Greenhouse in Hackney has adapted to ensure the best service can be provided to those experiencing homelessness, whilst respecting social distancing. We spoke to The Greenhouse lead manager, Qasim Bandali, who discusses the various needs of new clients in Hackney who are facing homelessness. We talk about how remote working has allowed the service to help more people with a wider range of needs.

Can you tell us about your service and what you do on a daily basis? 

The Greenhouse is a single point of entry for homeless people in the London borough of Hackney. We get referrals from four main routes: self-referrals, those from external organisations such as the Job Centre; prisons and probation services, whereby we arrange to see clients from their day of release, and finally Homerton Hospital discharges, so there is a commitment on both sides to help the service user.

What is the process of helping service users once their referral to you has been successful?

We assess the client within three working days of receiving a referral. Clients will present from one of the pathways I mentioned and then we carry out a triage which usually takes thirty minutes before we book them in for a main assessment. At the moment there is a two-week waiting list for appointments, which we’re looking to reduce but with limited capacity in the building due to health and safety restrictions, this isn’t possible at the moment. Within The Greenhouse we work to HRA [The Homeless Reduction Act] 2018, so if a client is triaged and there is reason to believe that they will be homeless on the day, then we will request temporary or emergency accommodation straight away. We work closely with the temporary accommodation team within Hackney council. We can signpost elsewhere if they are not eligible, such as the Citizens Advice Bureau or Streetlink.

What happens at the appointment?

A housing officer will complete the assessment; if emergency accommodation is required it can be triggered with the council. The housing officer does all the relevant checks, in terms of ID, records, etc., in order to establish the local connection to Hackney. Any clients applying for supported living or hostel placements need to have been connected to Hackney for three years. If the need isn’t housing related, The Greenhouse can still provide assistance if they have had a connection to Hackney for six months of a twelve month period.

What is the client group you work with at The Greenhouse?

Increasingly it is low needs. Historically it has been the case that a lot of people coming through our doors have high or multiple support needs, but really we have an incredibly diverse group of clients. This is due to us being a collaborative project with Hackney council. We are a service for single people experiencing homelessness, so we don’t work with families or people with rent arrears, they would consult Hackney Service Centre, who work to keep clients in their properties.

What particular challenges have you faced in your project since lockdown?

Similar to other projects, we have moved to a completely remote service, with staff working from home and contacting people over the phone. In terms of space we are very small, so we could only meet with two clients at a time due to the size of our premises, but we now know we can offer the service well over the phone and work with more people. However the human face-to-face impact is a big part of what we do, from understanding body language to the personal touch of being in the same room as a client; all of which is very important to both clients and staff. Without these interactions we are unable to have people come to the service with their ID documents, so they are being emailed over instead, which has slowed things down.

Working with people remotely has been a positive learning curve. When things go back to normal, there are still clients we want to work with over the phone. For example people coming to us from the justice system can start working with us weeks before their release date if we have that level of contact.

What part of The Greenhouse’s recent work are you most proud of?

We have been able to house a lot of people in hostels with various needs, such as substance and alcohol dependency, mental and physical health support needs, and a lot of people into the private rented sector. We are learning from the work we’ve done well, and developing this so we can help more people into their own accommodation.

How does The Greenhouse work collaboratively?

Our work wouldn’t be possible without our strong connections in the community and within Thames Reach; internally we work with Hackney SORT, who do outreach working with people who have been rough sleeping in the borough. They often bring them to The Greenhouse to be assessed. We also work with TST (Tenancy Sustainment Teams) for information about tenancies. We have our own liaison officer at Homerton Hospital; he will do triage for any client due to be discharged from the hospital.  Risk assessments and referrals will be done there too.

Looking to the future, what does your project need to continue providing the best support?

As with many other projects similar to ours, more resources would always be good. We are, in due course, looking to recruit volunteers to help with project work. As I said, we have good relationships with external organisations but we can always build on them and make them stronger. This includes drug and alcohol services, mental health agencies, and other various charity organisations in Hackney like the food banks, social services, occupational therapy and housing supply teams.

Blog: A new normal at Croydon Reach

Support worker George Slater discusses his work at Croydon Reach and how the team have adapted to support people into longer-term accommodation

Blog: A new normal at Croydon Reach

George Slater, support worker at Croydon Reach, tells us all about his service, and his role in helping people rough sleeping across the borough to escape homelessness and then supporting them into new accommodation. George discusses his progression from Thames Reach’s Traineeship programme to a support worker, how the Croydon Reach team have come together to produce fantastic results, and how they feel prepared for future challenges.

I started at Croydon Reach in May last year as a Trainee and have since been given the opportunity to work my way up as an assistant support worker and then support worker.

Croydon Reach is responsible for handling the casework of verified rough sleepers in the local borough; we support our clients from the point of verification and then into temporary accommodation through their local council and back to more long-term independent living. Since becoming a support worker I have taken on the responsibility of overseeing the outreach side of our work and monitoring our rough sleeping population.

It’s been a very interesting year for Croydon Reach. We normally coordinate the Floating Churches Shelter during the winter months but this had to be cut short once lockdown measures were introduced, but all clients were found alternative accommodation that same afternoon! We also suddenly lost access to our daily drop-ins hosted by partner agencies such as Crisis, Salvation Army & Turning Point, as well as the ability to immediately place new rough sleepers into the No Second Night Out and Somewhere Safe To Stay Hubs.

The nature of our workload dramatically changed when the Government introduced the “Everyone In” policy at the end of March. Overnight, we suddenly had all of our rough-sleeping client base in local authority and Greater London Authority (GLA) hotel accommodation, giving us the opportunity to find sustainable, more permanent accommodation options for everyone. On the outreach side of things, we experienced a huge increase in the number of new rough sleeper referrals from Streetlink, and consequently we had a much higher volume of newly verified clients to work with. Thanks to the availability of GLA hotels we were able to accommodate everyone.

Despite the tragic consequences of COVID-19, Croydon Reach have had really positive outcomes in being able to get 90% of our clients immediately into temporary accommodation and placing 80 clients into permanent accommodation, including many of our most entrenched rough sleepers with a history of non-engagement. Although we’ve had to limit the usual face-to-face work that we do, the team has been able to work in the office safely and we’ve had the chance to streamline our workload and become much more efficient. The amount of increased casework we’ve experienced since March has been a positive learning curve for us all and we feel well prepared for the challenges we may face in the near future.

Homeless Healthcare: Croydon Hospital Discharge Project

Lead worker Teena Raval discusses her work at Croydon Hospital Discharge project, ensuring people do not return to the streets after being discharged from Croydon University Hospital

Homeless Healthcare: Croydon Hospital Discharge Project

The Croydon Hospital Discharge project sees a Thames Reach staff member based at Croydon University Hospital, working with medical, social care and administrative staff both on wards and in the A&E department to avoid patients being discharged out onto the street. 

The service offers a person-centred approach to hospital patients focusing on enabling and supporting individuals specifically with support needs related to housing and welfare benefits. Thames Reach lead worker Teena Raval discusses how the project has adapted to the pandemic and plans for the future.

“One of the issues that has arisen during the pandemic is that people with pre-existing medical conditions have fallen through the net, as non-COVID medical procedures and appointments had to be cancelled. Anxieties around coming to appointments have also been a huge part of this, so mental health support is also really important in helping clients during and after the pandemic.

“The numbers of referrals from other services are about the same as usual, but we’re waiting to see what a second wave of the virus could mean for us. As the public integrate more, there is an increased risk, and people who were shielding will still need extra support and to take caution. The demand for our service didn’t ever decrease so we’ve been moving people on at the same rate as normal; 100% of people we were working with throughout the pandemic have been suitably housed.

“I’m the only Thames Reach member of staff on the project, so my role involves collaborating and liaising with a range of different services across Croydon and beyond, such as outreach services, other support organisations, as well as hospitals to ensure patients are receiving adequate support. These are long-running partnerships and we’re really proud of the work we do as a team. Each organisation has an important part to play, and we regularly work with the Salvation Army, Turning Point [drug and alcohol services], the council, Rainbow Health Centre [homeless health service] and Crisis to ensure a well-rounded support package is available to prevent individuals returning to hospital.

Moving forward, I’ll be looking at recruiting volunteers to support the project; there is only one of me from Thames Reach so we’re looking at doing training for new volunteers so we can run longer hours in the project. This wouldn’t be for a full service, but just for signposting and advice out-of-hours. Our service is vital to the hospital so we need to grow it accordingly.”

 

How learning and development has gone virtual at Thames Reach

We spoke with Sarah Jeeves, Learning and Development Officer, about her work coordinating staff training as it moves online

How learning and development has gone virtual at Thames Reach

Learning and development is a crucial part of working at Thames Reach, and during the Covid crisis the ways in which staff have developed their roles and gained new skills have had to adapt. Thames Reach provide a year-round programme of training opportunities including Health and Safety, First Aid, Equality and Diversity and Social and Corporate Responsibility. We spoke with Sarah Jeeves, Learning and Development Officer, about how training has adapted to a new virtual way of working.

What were your main concerns about continuing your learning and development when lockdown started?

At first we were wondering what to do. Of course it wasn’t something we were prepared for, there was no Plan B but I wanted to keep the energy and strategy going despite lockdown. I’d never taught or facilitated teaching online before at Thames Reach, but I realised that we needed to adapt straight away. We still had the annual training programme to accommodate, as well as the Pathways Into Management initiative and the ILM [Institute of Leadership Management] qualification, both of which are training a group of internal candidates to progress in their career within Thames Reach into management roles.

How is virtual training going?

It’s been really well received. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how well people have been engaging with everything. Staff seem to be taking it as an opportunity to improve confidence, as they can access training that would usually be done in groups from the comfort of their own home or office, so often will be more comfortable to ask questions and get involved. Across all training, places have stayed fully booked, so people are still engaged and ready to learn. We also have our cohort of trainees, who have come through the traineeship programme which is very popular. They were inducted at the start of May and are now on placement across Thames Reach, adhering to the same social distancing measures as all other staff. It’s going really well, I’ve been in regular contact with lead managers and the trainees’ supervisors and the feedback has been good so far.

How has training adapted?

While it’s definitely nice to have face-to-face interaction, under these circumstances we have to deal with the fact that this isn’t really possible. Now that we’ve gotten used to tech and the administrative side of things, we’re finding that training actually works better online, it’s more efficient. Our Cultural Diversity training, for example, works really well, as everyone can be in one virtual space at once while the trainer is talking, then we can split them into smaller groups once or twice over the course of the day. We do regular Emergency First Aid and Mental Health First Aid courses too, which can’t be done remotely due to the nature of the teaching, so that has been postponed for the time being.

As I said we haven’t been able to do Emergency First Aid as it’s not available from any trainer until lockdown is fully lifted, but it’s been great to see Senior Management get involved with training, and it’s clear that staff really appreciate it. I’ve been making and securing new relationships with trainers and organisers, which has been a big benefit. Homeless Link is one example who have been great to work with; they will be providing training on Managing Conflict, Violence and Aggression, to replace our Working with Challenging Behaviour training that had to be cancelled.

So it sounds like it’s generally been a positive experience. What are you bringing forward into learning and development in the future?

Building relationships with people internally and externally has been really good, I don’t usually get to sit in on training so I’ve learned a lot too. Even just getting to chat with other staff before the training starts has been really nice. I’ve been more hands-on with the tech and administrative sides of training, so it’s been a good learning curve for me. We’re definitely going to make the most of Zoom and Microsoft Teams in the future so training can fit around other work commitments and staff won’t have to travel. I was concerned that ILM and Progression Into Management candidates would lose motivation and momentum but we’ve seen people come together and make the most of virtual opportunities such as webinars, so we’re encouraged by this and looking forward to using these techniques going forward. I also organised Thames Reach’s first Staff Wellbeing Week last September, which was very successful. We’re currently working on doing an adapted version for this year, taking on board everything we’ve learned, so watch this space!

 

NB: Of course, the photo above was taken long before lockdown, from the fantastic Mental Health First Aid training run by MHFA England, which will resume for staff once lockdown is fully lifted

Lockdown interview: Drug and alcohol support at Thames Reach Greenwich

We speak with Ola Fabowale, Lead Manager at Thames Reach Greenwich, to discuss how residents are adapting to lockdown and being supported to take the next step towards recovery

Lockdown interview: Drug and alcohol support at Thames Reach Greenwich

Ola Fabowale is Lead Manager at Thames Reach Greenwich, a residential service based in the London Borough of Greenwich, which provides support for people with experience of homelessness who have been through the criminal justice system or who have drug and alcohol support needs.

Service users are housed for a period of up to 18 months with the aim of recovering from substance abuse. During their time in the project, which has 37 rooms across six properties, residents are helped to find employment and take further steps on the path towards independent living. We spoke with Ola about changes during lockdown, and how residents are staying engaged with services.  

What service does the Thames Reach Greenwich provide ordinarily?

We provide support for residents with drug and/or alcohol issues. We help them to get the best support possible with specialist services and encourage sessions with the Westminster Drug Project, the current service we’re working with. Some of the residents have issues with Universal Credit, so we also assist with computer literacy and make sure their information is up to date in the system. If benefits are not up to date it affects housing, so we’re there to make sure they’re up to date.

Is there quite a collaborative element to TR Greenwich then?

Definitely, as mentioned there’s the Westminster Drug Project, which has a base nearby in Woolwich. Generally we look at individual wants and needs, so for example some residents need to improve their literacy skills, so we encourage them to attend classes through Thames Reach’s Employment & Skills team; some prefer practical work, and there’s a centre they normally go to called Flower Skills which provides vocational training for jobs in areas such as security and construction. We also work with some people who have come through the criminal justice system, so we liaise with probation workers too.

How have the residents been affected by lockdown?

They are mostly keeping to themselves and staying inside. There are less people to socialise with outside the house as people living on the streets have been rehoused in hotels for the time being. The residents do tend to forget things, so we’re still here to make sure things are maintained and the two-metre distance is being respected. As for the psychological impact, we have therapy sessions available to residents so we actively encourage residents to attend those. The group sessions aren’t happening at the moment to allow for social distancing but hopefully they’ll be back soon.

Have you noticed any positive changes coming out of this difficult situation?

There have actually been a lot of positive things coming from this, mostly around engaging with clients. Clients have been more willing to engage with drug and alcohol services, and have been keeping up the two-metre distance. External services have had different opening times and have changed what they offer but there have been no negative changes here. We are still moving people on into new accommodation and we have moved new residents in too. We always deep-clean the rooms before a new person comes in, but we have increased this due to added risks with Covid.

One particularly good development is that we now have a volunteer coming every Tuesday evening to run a quiz night for the residents. The feedback has been great so far, residents look forward to it every week and they’ve said they find it relaxing. They’re getting involved and they’re happy.

 

World Hunger Day – Thank you!

We are marking World Hunger Day by highlighting the work of the Good Eating Company, who have generously donated over 2,500 freshly prepared meals since lockdown for those in need

World Hunger Day – Thank you!

As part of World Hunger Day, Thames Reach would like to thank those who have donated large numbers of meals to feed the homeless and vulnerable people using our services during the current pandemic.

The Good Eating Company, based in East London, are one such generous donor. They have donated over 2,500 meals to Thames Reach, which have been distributed to people using the following services: TST, Thames Reach Greenwich, Waterloo Project, Robertson Street hostel, Lambeth Night Shelter and Martha Jones House. As a result, hundreds of vulnerable people have been able to enjoy nutritious meals cooked by talented chefs; we are incredibly grateful for their generosity during this difficult time. We spoke with Chris Daynes, the company’s Director of Food & Development.

 Tell us about the Good Eating Company and how you got started

The Good Eating Company (GEC) was started in 1999 to provide a bespoke workplace dining solution for clients who wanted more than just a ’canteen’. Our focus was and still is to use the best seasonal ingredients and to work with local suppliers to create the definitive standard in work place dining. Seasonal, simple and fabulous! I started with the GEC in 2003 as a head chef and now I’m the Director of Food & Development.

How did you hear about Thames Reach and what made you think of Thames Reach?
I have heard about the work you do through various media outlets. I was also aware of Thames Reach because some of our team have been exploring various ways of us working together to help get people back on their feet. So when we had an opportunity to do something to help people going through difficulties during this crisis, Thames Reach were very much in our thoughts.

How many meals have you and your team given to those in need since lockdown?
We have sent out around 2,500 in total. We have such a talented team of chefs and managers that were more than happy to get involved with such a worthwhile cause.

Your brand is ‘Healthy and Happy’, what are your top tips for keeping healthy and happy in these challenging times?  

‘Healthy and Happy’ is an ethos we instil in our approach to what we cook. Providing food that is good to eat and good for you makes for a happy workforce. That is not to say we don’t do naughty as well, who doesn’t love a great burger! It’s about balance and giving people choice and having certain menu items described as ’Healthy and Happy’ gives our customers a more informed choice. My own tips for keeping healthy and happy during lockdown? Well, keep your meals fresh and simple. With most people having more time on their hands I hope preparing fresh, from-scratch food will become the norm and continue long after we start getting back to some kind of normal. I really hope this could be one of the lessons we can learn from this incredibly challenging situation.

The Good Eating Company made a short video on Instagram TV about the process of making and donating fresh meals to Thames Reach residents and service users. They also have a great Vimeo page full of expert advice for perfecting simple recipes at home.

Other meals for residents in the Covid hotel system have been supplied by Greater London Authority, and their chosen caterer, Red Radish. They have to date provided over 258,000 meals for those in need and volunteers since lockdown began. We also thank them for this essential work. 

How do our residential services support those with mental health needs in lockdown?

We spoke to Amy Dawe, Lead Manager of Thames Reach’s Bermondsey Project, supporting people with mental health needs. She explains how communication between staff and residents is key in understanding the pandemic

How do our residential services support those with mental health needs in lockdown?

“I’m the Lead Manager of the Bermondsey Project, which is three residential buildings in the area, each with ten self-contained or studio flats. Our project is mixed gender, but the majority of our residents are men. All residents have been referred to us from the mental health team and residents’ support needs fluctuate and the nature of mental health is that support needs are not always straightforward; someone can go from being stable to unstable fairly quickly. So within the project we deliver housing management and provide key work support – everyone is on a support plan tailored to their individual needs. We are always monitoring any safeguarding concerns and work closely with partner organisations; usually we have lots of different people coming in, like occupational therapists, social workers, carers, mental health professionals.

“Service users moving on to the next step is at the forefront of everyone’s plan throughout their time with us. This is generally two years but this is assessed on an individual basis. The client group we work with are often not suited to the private rental sector, so we need to make sure they’re supported in the right way.

“Changes during lockdown have been mostly around informing and advising residents about the situation, as some don’t follow the news and some don’t understand the situation. For instance we’ve had to make sure they’re aware that the shops they visit all the time are laid out differently and not always open the way they usually are. Communicating change is something we need to do regularly as well as reminders about personal hygiene. It is particularly important that we make sure those with additional health needs know to shield themselves. We’ve distributed leaflets and letters as well as speaking with them face-to-face while observing social distancing around the projects. Some residents need to be reminded about the new rules but we are around to make sure that no one gets left behind. The general feedback from residents is that the regular contact makes them feel cared for; we get in touch with them to make sure that they don’t have symptoms and have their essentials fully stocked. With fewer members of staff we’re running a skeleton staff at the moment who have really pulled together. Rob, who runs the MIMO course in the Employment and Skills team, has been redeployed here and he’s been amazing. He’s been decorating and deep-cleaning our rooms and communal areas, we’re so grateful for his work. As for staff, the team have felt valued by Thames Reach; our PPE deliveries have come very quickly, and when we did run low our stocks were replenished the next day with no issues. It’s been clear that our health and safety is really important.

“Some real positives have come from the current situation, in that we’ve seen the sheer dedication of our staff. We’ve been low in number but no one has complained and people have taken on new roles and responsibilities to fill the gaps and make sure the service we provide is still of the same high standard. I’m really proud of the team and how they’ve adapted, they’re a real credit to us and Thames Reach.”

– Amy Dawe, Lead Manager, Bermondsey Project

Keeping vulnerable women safe in lockdown

Anthony Donnelly, lead worker at our women-only residential project in Lambeth, talks about how residents and staff are adapting to lockdown

Keeping vulnerable women safe in lockdown

We caught up with Anthony Donnelly, who manages our women’s residential service in Lambeth. The project works with women with multiple and often complex issues, and as a residential service it plays a significant role in supporting women who may be vulnerable in a mixed-gender setting. Anthony tells us how staff and residents alike are adapting well during the lockdown. 

 It’s about seven weeks into lockdown now and as there are only five women living at our project, we can personalise the support we provide and can take into account everyone’s needs. For example, three people in the house are in a high-risk category, so we have separated the two bathrooms we have, one on the first floor and another downstairs, so that high-risk residents have sufficient space and shielding is able to take place. Cleaning efforts have increased during this time too; we have cleaners coming more regularly, ensuring hygienic conditions for everyone.

In lockdown it’s clear to see how entrenched rough sleeping has a big impact on self-esteem, as sometimes the residents have less concern for their own wellbeing. Years of street activity is often part of their psyche, even after our residents have been able to move away from the streets, and that level of social distancing has proven difficult for some of the women at our project. Where there are multiple issues, like underlying conditions or mental health issues for example, not being in contact with family members and friends is incredibly difficult. Overall though, our client group tend to have a much lighter social footprint than those in mainstream living as their social networks are often smaller than or not as supportive. Having our project as a base has been essential in keeping all our residents safe.

In terms of issues that disproportionately affect women, we have been hearing in the news that there has been an increase in domestic abuse cases since lockdown, but fortunately this has not something we have found among residents here. We have had to implement a ban on visitors, which is not ideal for wellbeing and morale but has to be done in these circumstances.

Residents being able to move on from the project isn’t really possible at the moment but we have recently taken in a new resident; this was all done via phone and with social distancing in mind. It’s quite an uncomfortable and potentially upsetting way to go about entering new accommodation for the first time, so I’m looking forward to being able to welcome people properly again. There are a couple of women ready for moving on to rented accommodation but unfortunately they are both in the high-risk category so will not be able to do so until the situation has changed.

The psychological impact of the pandemic isn’t too evident yet, but we have additional psychological support offered at Waterloo Project [another Thames Reach project]. Residents are starting to take up the offer and we are helping facilitate this, but there is some extra caution surrounding accessing external health services with residents, due to social distancing. I am keeping in contact with residents via phone to let them know about meals and services, so I can check in with them without physical proximity. We have been getting food parcels of freshly prepared meals supplied via local authorities, who have been really helpful and cooperative. Above all else, our project remains a supportive and safe base for vulnerable women and those with experience of homelessness. We are really pleased to be able to keep this service running throughout the pandemic.