Sheffield’s rough sleepers will continue to be supported by outreach workers from the homelessness charity Framework thanks to a new contract with the City Council.

Framework staff have been supporting rough sleepers in Sheffield since 2017 and will now do so for a further five years.

The five members of the Street Outreach Team will continue their daily pre-dawn walks to check on the welfare of rough sleepers which take place every day of the year including Christmas Day.

placeholder image — Rough Sleeping in Sheffield

During the day the team will continue to engage with clients to help them obtain housing, mental and physical health support and benefits.

However, the new contract not only focuses on engaging with and supporting current rough sleepers but is also concerned about people at risk of being on the streets – such as people who are sofa surfing or living in unstable accommodation.

There is also a new emphasis on helping people who are normally hidden from services – especially women such as sex workers or women who are moving around for their own protection.

To help more people the Outreach Team wants to encourage rough sleepers or people at risk of rough sleeping to use its free 24-hour hotline 0800 066 5358. The team also invites members of the public to use the number if they identify someone who is either rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping.

The Outreach Team will also be building on its successful partnership work with organisations and community groups to ensure cultural inclusivity and accessibility.

The team will continue its efforts to ensure that the voice of people with lived experience influences how services are delivered and evaluated.

Council funding is worth £220,000 per year and in addition Framework itself will contribute £28,500 each year from fundraised income. The contract came into effect on June 1.

Steve Watson, Framework’s Director of Homelessness Services, said: “We have a homelessness crisis in the UK and, as a Sheffield resident myself, I am painfully aware that the city is not immune from its effects.

“We are delighted to be continuing this vital work in close partnership with the Council. However, as we see everywhere we work, both the number of people needing support and the requirements to help them rise inexorably.

“At Sheffield’s monthly headcount of rough sleepers in March this year the figure was 53; in March 2023 it was 28 – an increase of 89%. In total, in the 12 months to the end of March 2024, the Sheffield Street Outreach Team supported 798 individuals, of whom 545 were rough sleeping – an increase of 13% on the year to March 2023.

“Local Authorities face ongoing challenges to ensure resource keeps pace with the number of people sleeping on the streets. At the same time, we know significant investment in preventing homelessness is required across the UK to stem the tide.

“We are committed to delivering this service in partnership with the Council, because we know first-hand the trauma and risks faced every day, by those on the streets. Our additional investment of £28,500 each year is tangible evidence of that commitment.

“Rough sleeping is just the tragic tip of the homelessness iceberg. It is what happens when people run out of options. That’s why Sheffield City Council is aiming to place an emphasis on preventing people putting themselves in the life-threatening position of sleeping on the streets or hidden away in car parks, cemeteries, quarries, building sites or wherever they can find shelter and relative safety.

“We are asking people to use the Outreach Team’s free 24 hour hotline number 0800 066 5358 to get our help if they are sofa surfing or their accommodation is insecure.

“We also need the Sheffield public to be our eyes and ears and call us on that number if they find someone sleeping rough or think someone may be at risk of rough sleeping.

“We are proud of our dedicated colleagues in the Sheffield Street Outreach Team. The award of this contract by Sheffield City Council is a vote of confidence in their ability to make a difference.

“It is also recognition of their experience and achievement in helping people in serious need over the past seven years and it will enable them to continue this often life-saving work for the next five years.”

Cllr Douglas Johnson, Chair of Sheffield City Council’s Housing Committee, said: “Homelessness and rough sleeping is unfortunately an issue which continues to provide challenges to local authorities all over the country, and Sheffield is no different.

“We are always keen to intervene and offer support alongside partner agencies such as Framework and their Street Outreach Team before somebody experiences rough sleeping by offering various means of support for those who need it. We encourage those who need support to get in touch early as there are ways we can help.

“We are delighted this contract has been recommissioned and the people of Sheffield who need it most will be able to further access this vital support service when they are at their most vulnerable.”