Lambeth activates the protocol when the Met Office forecasts temperatures of zero degrees Celsius or below. Extreme cold weather increases the risk of death or serious illness to rough sleepers. The protocol ensures a humanitarian response to protect people sleeping rough from life-threatening cold or severe weather conditions.
The council, along with partner agencies and commissioned services, acts quickly to provide all people sleeping rough with access to emergency accommodation during the coldest nights.
This support extends to everyone, including those with no recourse to public funds and individuals with dogs, regardless of usual eligibility or entitlements.
Councillor David Bridson, Deputy Cabinet Member for Planning Strategy, Investment and Housing Delivery said:
“Lambeth’s rough sleeping outreach teams conduct shifts 7 days per week, day and night, to support every rough sleeper found in the borough and help get them into accommodation as quickly as possible. These shifts increase when the SWEP is activated.
“We would urge all Lambeth residents to contact Streetlink if they are worried about anyone who may be sleeping rough in our borough.
“One of the key priorities of our draft homelessness and rough sleeping strategy is to prevent rough sleeping where possible and ensure it is rare, brief, and non-recurrent when it occurs.”
As temperatures in London began to drop and before the protocol was activated, Lambeth’s outreach team visited known rough sleepers across the borough to encourage them to use the emergency accommodation.
Members of the outreach team work with the service users in the temporary shelters to help them access longer term accommodation once the protocol is deactivated, should they wish to. All London boroughs, including Lambeth, adhere to the ‘In for Good’ principle, which means no one will be asked to leave the emergency accommodation until a future support plan is in place to end their rough sleeping.
If you are concerned about someone sleeping rough, please report this via StreetLink – this ensures each report is directed to the most appropriate outreach team, who will be on shift to support the person sleeping rough.
If you have concerns regarding someone sleeping rough during the day, you can also direct them to local Day Centres in Lambeth for support. There are three Day Centres in Lambeth:
- Spires day centre, Elmfield House, 5 Stockwell Lane, London SW9 9GX, London SW16 1RB Tel: 020 8696 0943.
- Webber St day centre, 6-8 Webber Street, London SE1 8QA Tel: 020 7928 1677
- Ace of Clubs day centre, St Alphonsus Road, London SW4 7AS Tel: 020 7720 2811
