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.

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. 

“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

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.

Volunteers are an integral part of Thames Reach’s work with the communities and individuals that need us most. We recruit volunteers year-round but during lockdown, their work allows services to keep running, and ensures that the most vulnerable people continue to feel supported. We spoke with Eleanor Wyld, who is volunteering with the Tenancy Sustainment Team. She found that she had many transferable skills and wanted to use them to help those in need in her community…

When did you start volunteering with Thames Reach, and how did you hear about us?

I joined a local WhatsApp group when the lockdown came into place, as I think a lot of people did. As a young-ish, healthy woman who had gone from full-time employment to having a lot of time on my hands I wanted to be of use. Plus I wanted to be able to help out in my local area. One of the people in the group asked if anyone wanted to volunteer for Thames Reach and I put my name forward. I sent my interest and experience in an email, had a phone interview and before long I was calling clients to find out how they were and if they had been affected badly by Covid, or if they needed any extra help from Thames Reach.

Why did you want to volunteer with us?

I had walked past the Thames Reach offices often but didn’t know what services they offered. When the lockdown came into effect I wanted to use my skills in the local area to help vulnerable people. Once I looked into the organisation online I realised I had something to offer.

What is the average day of volunteering day like? 

I’ve been mainly doing half days here and there. Because of social distancing measures, staff in the offices are having to work on rotation in order to upkeep the 2m distance rule. I have had an isolated desk where I can call clients and reach out to the clients that support workers are finding hard to contact. Because there is a lot of work to be done since Covid-19 in regards to benefits and healthcare support, I have been given clients to call who although may be lower risk, could still be suffering due to the current climate. I ask them how they are coping, if they have any symptoms and check in with their mental health. I ask if we can do anything to help them in regards to food, electricity, benefits and make notes to pass on to full time staff who are swamped with work at the moment. Mainly I’m just someone to talk to. A lot of the clients that the Tenancy Support Team work with live extremely isolated lives. This has been exacerbated by the lockdown so I’m able to listen to their concerns and anxieties and am sure to make notes and follow up any issues with their designated support worker.

I have also been able to help with sorting paperwork and admin that the key workers don’t have the time to sort out during this stressful time.

How has your usual job helped with your volunteering?

I’m an actress and writer and I work in a bookshop part-time. I am used to working with people and I’m interested in people’s stories. I have worked with The Big House Theatre Company and Only Connect in the past, both charities that work with clients through theatre. What I helped with at Thames Reach felt more front-line and as if I was communicating with people who needed help or a kind word, right now.

What have you learned and what is the most rewarding part of the experience?

I have learned a little bit about how Thames Reach and TST works. I have learned how the lockdown is affecting the most vulnerable and have been able to feel useful in regards to helping people get food vouchers or sort out their benefits in this new climate, or just talk to someone about how they are going to cope now that they have lost their job. Cheering someone up on the phone, allowing them to feel listened to and putting them at ease has been the most rewarding thing.

If Eleanor’s conversation has inspired you, have a chat with us about current opportunities that can suit your time availability and skills: volunteers@thamesreach.org.uk

Featured image is another of our fantastic volunteers.

While the pandemic has meant big changes in the way we all live and work, we still need to provide essential services to the people we work with, who are particularly affected.  Adapting and working collaboratively has been crucial in ensuring that not only is no one left behind to sleep rough, but the people who rely on us continue to receive the appropriate support. We spoke with three members of staff about how services have changed and about how they are coping at this time:

Matthew Davison is Lead Manager for TST (Tenancy Sustainment Team) South:

“We’re still operating a near-normal service from our office and across the community; we are still very much available for urgent and non-urgent queries and don’t want any of the people we work with to feel that they have been left alone at this difficult time. Social distancing is respected during any face-to-face contact, which is being prioritised for those in need of urgent support, which can mean a variety of things, whether this is having no income or health, legal or safeguarding issues. For non-urgent support, we are regularly checking in with clients over the phone. Welcome Sessions for new nominated clients are also being held over the phone as much as possible, and in some circumstances we are helping clients move into new properties.

The team are facing challenges, mostly with the reality of having to social-distance themselves. For example, due to the nature of some types of medication, some clients have had no option but to go to pharmacies in person to collect their prescriptions. There has also been a lack of clarity around whether clients have been, or should be, identified by the NHS as being in the high-risk ‘Shielding’ category. These have been dealt with very much on a case-by-case basis and we have been working together to put the needs of our clients first.”

Sarah Jeeves is our Learning & Development Officer. Alongside her work in the Central Services team, she has been providing support in one of our hostels.

“In terms of HR, it’s been a lot busier since the lockdown; on top of our day-to-day work we’ve been updating policies and processes, especially around sickness and working from home. There have been lots more enquiries and staff asking for advice, which is changing and updating as we go. Some of the team are working remotely so we’ve been having Microsoft Teams meetings, WhatsApp video meetings… it’s changing but we’re adapting to it well so far.

I started thinking about volunteering at the hostel after realising that many staff members would be self-isolating or shielding. Working in HR, I knew first-hand that the staffing shortages would be affecting our most essential services, and when I began coordinating our volunteers, I decided to wonder how I could make my work go further. The main differences between my normal work and working in our hostels is how you start to perceive things and organise your day differently. Whereas in HR there are systems and schedules, working with people with a range of needs means you need to be prepared to be more spontaneous and proactive.

The benefits to both the hostel and myself have been pretty clear, for example I imagine it was a relief to have someone who knows Thames Reach well and already works here providing support where necessary. Seeing our work in the hostels has allowed me to see how I might do my normal job differently; I organise our training schedules so I can see where Managers might need training in different areas. My confidence has definitely grown here, and I feel capable to do the work whether it is based in an office or hostel. I also have a background in mental health so I’m confident in how to approach certain situations. As I’m managing the volunteers, I know exactly where the gaps are in our essential services and am always happy to talk to staff, and members of the public, about how they might want to volunteer their time and skills during this difficult time.”

Jakub Turek is Senior Practitioner for the Rapid Response Team.

“In the current situation a lot of services have been temporarily closed or have limited access. For us in the Rapid Response Team it means we have to work harder and build stronger relationships with local authorities to ensure our clients are supported during this hard time which affects everybody.

We have been working closely with other Outreach services like never before. The solidarity in the homelessness sector in London has been really encouraging.

Our service has been delivered with no disturbance apart from receiving a much higher number of Street Link referrals. We have been responding to referrals every night 7 days a week. Our team have been working really hard to ensure all referrals are visited and clients are placed somewhere safe.”

During the coronavirus crisis, Thames Reach outreach teams have been helping people experiencing homelessness and precarious living conditions to escape the streets and find accommodation where they can be socially distant, protect themselves, and help prevent the spread of the virus. We have worked as part of the Government’s coordinated response to the pandemic, known as Everyone In, which has helped thousands of people move into temporary accommodation since the lockdown began.

Now, we’re working hard to making sure that the people we’ve helped during this period are able to move on into secure, long term accommodation and escape homelessness for good. This means not only providing decent homes, but also helping people to gain access to better health care and developing long term employment prospects as they seek to make a better life for themselves in the challenging environment this virus will leave in its wake.

The pandemic remains with us right now, though, and its social and economic fallout is already creating huge challenges for homelessness charities across the country. Our services have been running and adapting throughout this crisis, but we still need your help to make sure that the vulnerable people protected from the virus during lockdown don’t fall back into a life on the street. Your support could help provide a starter kit for a new home, or provide training and work opportunities to help people maintain their independence. It could also help support people with drug and alcohol issues, or assist vulnerable people with mental health needs living alone in the community.

Support us today

Please support our mission to help homeless and vulnerable people find decent homes, build supportive relationships and lead fulfilling lives, ensuring that no one is left behind at a time when rough sleeping is more dangerous than ever.  

Thames Reach have been providing outreach services at Heathrow Airport for several years, and recently with increased measures needed to ensure people who are rough sleeping are kept safe and able to self-isolate during COVID-19, we have been working on-site to find temporary accommodation for people sleeping rough in Heathrow Terminals 2-5 as well as the bus station. This has been a collaborative effort between Thames Reach and partner organisations including Heathrow Travelcare, social services and local authorities. Starting early on Wednesday 1 April, we have seen a real commitment to ensuring people who have been rough sleeping are cared for sensitively and effectively. Over three days, this impressive operation has seen a limited number of staff working in a complicated environment with a range of needs catered to, including complex needs, resulting in over 160 people being successfully given accommodation in this short space of time, an unprecedented effort.

Accommodation setups vary from hotel rooms, including some at the Thames Reach-run hotel in south-west London, to self-contained flats for those with COVID-19 symptoms, and extra provisions for people with pets. These are safe, positive spaces where individuals are able to spend time in clean, contained settings with food provided, in order to protect their immune systems from the risk of the virus.

Hotels are based in local authorities across the city, from Wandsworth to Ilford via the City, which are being staffed by various providers including Thames Reach. This is a thoroughly collaborative project, and we are working with organisations including St Mungo’s and Look Ahead to ensure the needs of each individual are met.

Having worked day and night at Heathrow, we are incredibly relieved to have been able to accommodate such a large number of people off the streets but our work is not done. We will be liaising with central and local government as well as our partners to ensure that those we have managed to temporarily re-house are not left behind once the quarantine is lifted.

Getting people into accommodation is a first step, but we need to make sure that we are able to help them take the next step away from homelessness and into stable and suitable accommodation.  This story will progress and we will be releasing updates accordingly.

On Thursday 2nd April, Thames Reach Chief Executive Bill Tidnam co-signed a letter to the Prime Minister on behalf of several organisations in the homelessness sector. The letter is a statement of gratitude to the collective push to ensure no one is left sleeping rough, with a new call for support to ensure teams are able to do this safely and effectively.

The Rt Hon. Boris Johnson

MP Prime Minister

10 Downing Street

London

SW1A 2AA

Dear Prime Minister,

I hope that you are recovering well. Following on from our previous letter, I want to thank you and your team for the swift action that has been taken to help protect the most vulnerable people in our society in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. People experiencing homelessness, particularly those who are rough sleeping, are most exposed to the risks of the virus, not only because they do not have a safe home to self-isolate or follow sanitation guidance, but because they are three times more likely to experience a chronic health problem including respiratory conditions.

In particular, I want to express my gratitude for the coordination of the “Everyone In’ hotel and emergency accommodation operation led by Dame Louise Casey and the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government to house all rough sleepers. This will undoubtedly save lives. Measures taken by the Government to boost the welfare system and protect renters from evictions will also help ensure that the pressures built up by the pandemic do not result in people being forced into homelessness.

There are however, a number of remaining barriers to the government achieving its ambition and while there continues to be far too many people still on our streets or in dangerous congregate accommodation this remains a public health emergency and a race against time. I have enclosed a fuller note on the measures required. These include, most essentially, assistance from national government to temporarily remove the legal barriers that exist to people receiving homelessness assistance, a dedicated funding stream for local authorities to secure accommodation and provide the ongoing support to people so that they can remain there, Covid-care and PPE for staff working in frontline homelessness services and local funding to assist people who are struggling to pay their rent.

Finally, we stand ready to assist the government in planning for an end to the hotel arrangements that sees all individuals provided with housing and support and helps meet the Government’s commitment to end rough sleeping for good in this country.

Yours sincerely,

Jon Sparkes, Crisis

Rich Henderson, Homeless Link

Mick Clarke, The Passage

Pam Orchard, Connection at St Martin’s

Steven Platts, Groundswell

Bill Tidnam, Thames Reach

cc. Rt. Hon. Robert Jenrick MP, Rt Therese Coffey MP, Rt Hon, Priti Patel MP

7 July 2020

Along with forty other homelessness organisations across the UK, our Chief Executive Bill Tidnam has signed an open letter to the Prime Minister on behalf of Thames Reach, calling on extra commitment to ensuring that those helped by the ‘Everyone In’ initiative are still supported after lockdown is lifted. The letter outlines that, whilst the £105million pool of funding recently announced by the government will help, there are other barriers unique to this situation which must be addressed. Read the full letter here.

2 July 2020

As part of the recovery from the effects of Covid, Thames Reach are supporting people who have been temporarily accommodated in hotels across London to take the next step into stable accommodation.

Our newly established team, PSL (Private Sector Leasing), will sit within our floating support services working with people to start their tenancy well and support their wellbeing going forward. Thames Reach have the highest aspirations for those we work with, and the team will provide personalised support to help people realise their goals, ensuring that those accommodated by the ‘Everyone In’ initiative are suitably supported.

The PSL team are hiring now, across Support Worker, Senior Practitioner and Lead Manager roles. More information can be found here.

24 June 2020

Thames Reach welcome the government’s new £105million pool of funding to further support those who moved into the hotel system during the pandemic. We have been running hotels during this time, which are now closing due to our teams’ successful efforts in helping people move on, mainly into housing in the private rented sector; these individuals are now receiving support to ensure that they do not return to the streets.

This additional funding will help Thames Reach to continue this work of helping vulnerable and homeless people into secure, long-term accommodation. We acknowledge that this group has a range of needs; while some people currently in hotels will need access to long term supported accommodation, many will need help finding employment and getting a regular income as the key step towards finding their own housing.  We will continue to help people make these important steps which have the potential to give them the stability they need to move away from homelessness. 

Beyond people currently accommodated in hotels, we need to recognise that we are seeing increased numbers of new rough sleepers on to the streets, and that central government, local authorities and charities need to be able to respond quickly and effectively to prevent these people becoming part of a long-term homeless population.

17 June 2020

The ‘Everyone In’ project brought over 90% of the people known to be rough sleeping or accommodated in unsuitable shelter accommodation into hotels during quarantine, but now as the scheme is coming to a close, our focus is moving to ensuring that people have access to secure accommodation, and the support they need to sustain it. 

Thames Reach are helping people move on so that no one is left to go back to the streets. Our hotel for asymptomatic people in Westminster has now closed and there is a dedicated team providing support in moving people to new accommodation. The majority of residents in our hotel have been moved on, many to the private rented sector, and three have been relocated to another of the hotels while they receive further support they need to move on. Our Tenancy Sustainment Team will be expanding to ensure that we are able to provide support after the point of being settled into accommodation. More on the expansion of this service will be announced soon.

1 June 2020

Yesterday’s press briefing from central government included Dame Louise Casey, head of the Covid Rough Sleeping Taskforce. She said a few words about how the action is moving forward. She said that the ‘Everyone In’ initiative has been incredibly successful, having temporarily re-housed 15,000 people across England, allowing them to self-isolate and ultimately saving their lives in a pandemic. ‘Everyone In’ was a public health response to the crisis and a compassionate one. It has been an extraordinary response and highly collaborative, and Dame Louise thanked all agencies who have contributed to the process; we now must take this further and change lives for good.

Thames Reach are now working with the residents of the hotels and are securing move-on options for those without secure accommodation, to ensure no one is put back on the streets. More information to come soon. 

26 May 2020

Today saw central government announce a £433million investment for 6,000 homes for rough sleepers. Our Chief Executive, Bill Tidnam, says: “We welcome the investment in accommodation and crucially support for rough sleepers.  The challenge is now to mobilise this fast, to let people get out of hotels and move on with their lives.  We also need to make sure that we are able to use established approaches to continue to respond quickly and appropriately to people who are new to the streets before their homelessness becomes a way of life.”

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government press release: ‘6,000 new supported homes as part of landmark commitment to end rough sleeping’ 

11 May 2020

As part of the response to the current pandemic we have opened a ‘Covid care’ hotel in Newham.  Working with staff from UCL hospital and MSF, the hotel provides temporary accommodation for those who have contracted the disease, after which they return to the hotel or hostel where they were staying.  This replaces the hotel in Westminster, which is now a ‘Covid protect’ scheme. Médicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) have put together a short video explaining the work that is being done at the Covid Care Hotel.

 
We have begun to work with people housed in hostels and other temporary accommodation by the Greater London Authority and local authorities, with the aim of this work being to conduct assessments with a view to identifying future accommodation options.  It’s worth noting that a very significant proportion of this group do not have a settled status, and unless this is resolved it is likely to be a significant barrier to future options. We will be outlining our issues and concerns for homeless and vulnerable people during the transition period in a statement to be released later in the process. 
 

5 April 2020

Thames Reach have been working with several agencies and partners to provide people sleeping rough at Heathrow Airport with a clean room and all meals to allow them to self-isolate effectively, in line with city-wide efforts to ensure that the most vulnerable are not left behind during the pandemic. We are incredibly proud of the work of our team as well as those from other organisations in what was a successful project. Support will now continue between the various organisations involved. Read the full story here. 

2 April 2020

Alongside many other of the UK’s providers in the homelessness sector, Thames Reach have co-signed an open letter to the Prime Minister expressing gratitude for the responses of local and central government in allowing us to provide temporary accommodation to people sleeping rough. However we have also clarified our needs going forward to help the most vulnerable groups. The letter is available to read here. 

30 March 2020

We are working with our partners, local authorities and other services to ensure that no one is left rough sleeping during these times of a global pandemic.

Thames Reach are working closely with our partners including local authorities, the Greater London Authority and Heathrow in order to get people who are rough sleeping in Heathrow into single room accommodation where they can follow government guidelines on self-isolation and social distancing.  Given the numbers of people involved this is a complex task, requiring us not only to obtain suitable accommodation, but also provide appropriate help as well as food and other services.   Other types of ‘shelter’ accommodation which involve high levels of sharing are not suitable in the current pandemic.

 Currently, anyone worried about someone rough sleeping is urged to contact Street Link, who will allow our teams to locate anyone in need of support. Anyone homeless or rough sleeping can contact the local authority (either independently or with the help of a support worker) and as hotel spaces suitable for self-isolation become available, which will be quicker than normal, they will be accommodated. We are continuing to provide outreach support 365 days a year. Provisions in hotels are being confirmed and progress is being made daily in order to make self-isolation possible. The pre-existing requirement of a local connection to a particular borough before receiving help has been lifted at this time.

27 March 2020

Last week, the government appointed Dame Louise Casey to lead its strategy on ensuring people experiencing rough sleeping are supported during the spread of COVID-19. At Thames Reach, we welcome the development of this strategy to protect the health of homeless people and the broader population. We are working as hard as we can to maintain essential services, such as outreach, hostels, supported housing and remote tenancy support. In addition, we are working with the Greater London Authority and local authorities to provide shelter for people experiencing homelessness, with hotel spaces allocated for those showing COVID-19 symptoms.

The basic principles of the strategy are to:

– focus on people who are, or are at risk of, sleeping rough, and those who are in accommodation where it is difficult to self-isolate, such as shelters and assessment centres

– make sure that these people have access to the facilities that enable them to adhere to public health guidance on hygiene or isolation, ideally single room facilities

– utilise alternative powers and funding to assist those with no recourse to public funds who require shelter and other forms of support due to the COVID-19 pandemic

– mitigate their own risk of infection, and transmission to others, by ensuring they are able to self-isolate as appropriate in line with public health guidance.

We will continue to update this page with news as the crisis develops.    

26 March 2020

During the coronavirus pandemic, vulnerable people and those experiencing street homelessness are even more at risk of health complications and require increased levels of support. At Thames Reach, we are prioritising our essential services, as well as working with our partners on developing new emergency services, so that we can continue to effectively support vulnerable people and safeguard their health. Rough sleeping can have a devastating impact on mental and physical health, and many people living on the street have serious underlying health conditions, and so during this period, when most of the population is being asked to stay at home, it is absolutely essential that we are able to provide people without a home of their own a place where they can safely self-isolate and receive the support that they need.

In order to meet these needs, we are working with the Greater London Authority and other local authorities and have a team coordinating rooms in a hotel in south-west London where homeless people who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 can self-isolate, whether they are street homeless or in a night shelter.

There is a rota of morning, late and night shifts covering the hotel. We are recruiting new staff to help with this urgent project, and in some cases staff are being re-deployed from other services to assist.

We are working with an on-site team of nurses and doctors to check on those self-isolating. The healthcare team decide when people can be discharged and leave. We welcome them, show them their rooms and provide them with breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. For this element we are seeking partnerships with food outlets to help supply the large volume of extra food required. All this care is undertaken with full personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff, and PPE is given to the client as they arrive. Contact with guests and clients is mainly via phone and food is left for them at their doors. We are looking at expanding this service as the situation develops, as we are currently at a capacity for 32 people but will need to grow with demand.

As this is a large undertaking, Thames Reach are recruiting new staff, volunteers and seeking new partnerships to assist with food and PPE supplies during this unprecedented time. If you would like to help us keep the most vulnerable safe with your time or resources, please do get in touch at: enquiries@thamesreach.org.uk    

18 March 2020

At Thames Reach, we are closely monitoring developments relating to the spread of COVID-19 in order to best ensure the health and wellbeing of the homeless and vulnerable people we work with, as well as of our staff, volunteers, and the wider public. We are following advice issued by Public Health England and continuing conversations with commissioners, local providers, and health services so we can use the resources we have wisely, and to ensure that we are able to respond to this rapidly changing situation.

Our outreach teams work 365 days of the year, and we continue to go out to find people who are sleeping rough, offering them the support they need to get off the streets. These teams are advised to follow guidance provided by Public Health England with regard to people sleeping rough who are displaying coronavirus symptoms, and we are calling upon local authorities to provide environments where individuals can safely and securely self-isolate.

On behalf of Thames Reach, our Chief Executive, Bill Tidnam, has co-signed a letter to the government, along with senior figures from across the homelessness sector, outlining a set of measures that we believe will help protect homeless and vulnerable people during this ongoing crisis. This outline includes the request that homeless people should be allocated self-contained accommodation with sufficient resources with which to self-isolate. People who are rough sleeping are three times more likely to suffer with chronic illnesses including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and so must be supported as a matter of urgency.

The open letter can be read here, which we have signed with Crisis, Homeless Link, St Mungo’s, Centrepoint, The Passage, Groundswell, Shelter Cymru, Homeless Network Scotland and Connection at St Martin’s.

Thank you for your ongoing support during this challenging time.