Severe Weather Emergency Plan Activated Across London

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Public urged to use StreetLink app to help rough sleepers find emergency shelters

 

Due to the recent cold weather, the Severe Weather Emergency Plan, or SWEP has been activated in boroughs across London, including Hammersmith & Fulham.

This means emergency shelter is now available to anyone sleeping rough. The cold snap also means Hammersmith & Fulham Council has increased its outreach visits with local homeless charity St Mungo’s.

In our borough, you can help change lives with a new easy-to-use mobile phone app from StreetLink, which allows you to log the location of a rough sleeper you are concerned about.

The information is passed to an H&F Council-funded outreach team – run by St Mungo’s – who will then know how to find them.

You can download the StreetLink app on Google Play or on the Apple App Store and you can find out more about StreetLink on its website, where you can also sign up and make contact.

StreetLink emphasises that if you think the person you are concerned about is under 18 you should instead call the police. And if you think the person you are concerned about is in immediate danger or needs urgent care, please call 999 instead.

Cllr Stephen Cowan, Leader of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, said: " No one needs to sleep outdoors in this very cold weather and we’re doing everything we can to keep people safe.

" If you’re worried about a rough sleeper, please download the Streetlink mobile app and let us know immediately."

StreetLink was set up by charities Homeless Link and St Mungo’s. It logs concerns from all over the country and then feeds it back to the people who can help them.

Each time a member of the public logs their concerns for someone, it also helps to paint a picture of the support that’s needed in the area. This data can then be used in important ways, such as helping support workers focus their efforts on areas where they may be needed most, and enabling charities to get a better chance of securing funding.

H&F Council says that outreach is a key part of its work, implementing the recommendations of the H&F Rough Sleeping Commission.

This commission was run by six homelessness experts, led by Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis. They highlighted how prevention, and a fast response to help rough sleepers off the street as soon as possible was vital.

You can read about their recommendations here

You can also read more about the council's cold weather response here.

January 22, 2020