West Suffolk Council have a dedicated Outreach and Resettlement Team [SJ1] to support rough sleepers in the area. We have also brought in specialist workers in both substance misuse and mental health. We strive to promote multi agency working and have partnerships in place with accommodation providers and substance misuse services. Our team have developed close working relationships with local charities and other support services, including Health Outreach.

Homelessness exists in many different forms. It includes those who are rough sleeping on the streets, in tents or in other places which are not designed for habitation, sofa-surfing, staying with family or friends on a temporary basis, and those in other temporary accommodation such as bed and breakfasts, hostels and refuges.

Our outreach team specifically works to relieve homeless people from rough sleeping as well as preventing those at risk of it. Our aim is to support people into emergency and temporary accommodation with the overall goal of resettling them into their own tenancies. 

We use a person-centred approach, treating everyone as an individual and providing tailored support which fits their needs. As well as helping people to access accommodation we can signpost and support to other agencies such as physical and mental health services, substance misuse services, benefits agencies and assist in liaising with other departments within the council.

Not all rough sleepers want to engage with the outreach team and bedding down in the open air is a personal choice for them. However, we continue to check in, discuss their physical health, general welfare and mental health needs, reminding them that we are here to support if and when they are ready to take that step.

 [SJ1]Is 'Outreach and Resettlement Team' the name of the team? Then it should be used with capitals because it is a name & outreach team, or rough sleeper outreach team should be lower case – its slightly different in different places It’s the Rough Sleeper Team the same team?  It can’t have 2 names! 

Is Health Outreach the name of a team/service - if not it should be lower case.