Bad weather

During periods of extreme cold weather, the Council operates a Severe Weather Emergency protocol (SWEP) which is triggered when the night time temperature is predicted to be zero degrees Celsius or below for two consecutive nights.

When the protocol is triggered, the Council will provide emergency accommodation for any person sleeping rough in the district so that it can prevent unnecessary deaths during the cold snap:

1.      Triggers for putting the protocol into place

Historically SWEP has been triggered when temperatures have been forecast at zero degrees or below for two consecutive days. However, this advice to Local Authorities was updated in November 2012 and now recommends that any severe weather involving Extreme Cold, Wind and Rain should be taken into account when deciding to implement SWEP provision. Therefore, taking into account the revised recommendations the SWEP Provision for Cannock Chase Council will be implemented if the following criteria applies:

The Meteorological Office gives a severe weather warning for the Cannock Chase area  The Housing Options Team receives weather alerts direct via email from the Met Office.

and/or

The temperature is forecast to drop to zero degrees or below for more than 2 consecutive nights.
Civil Contingencies Unit and the regional weather forecast will be checked daily on the Met Office website http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/ if the above criteria are met the SWEP will be implemented.

Protocol has been implemented and to refer any rough sleeper identified within the district to the Housing Options Team direct on 01543 462621, the same contact number applies for the 'Out of Hours' Homelessness service.

2. Eligibility

The Council will not apply Part VII Housing Act 1996 criteria (as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002) that govern access to housing when deciding whether

       to assist a person sleeping rough during the period of the SWEP. As a result that the individual concerned will not be required to demonstrate eligibility for assistance (including whether they have any recourse to public funds), priority need, intentionality or local connection.

  The individual concerned must only:

·        Be at risk if they continue to sleep rough during the course of the severe weather.
·        Have no where to sleep indoors during the severe weather period,

(indoors does not include cars, sheds or garages) 

·        Agrees to the assistance offered by the Council.

Many entrenched rough sleepers may be wary of services and less likely to engage. However, extreme cold weather increases the risk of death or serious illness to people who sleep rough. A refusal to accept assistance during this time may therefore provide grounds to trigger referrals to other services, such as mental health assessments.

3. Procedure               

If the rough sleeper meets the eligibility criteria (detailed in Section 4) they will be offered accommodation for the duration of the severe weather.

Within office hours the Housing Options Team will mange the arrangements for booking of emergency accommodation. Outside of office hours the Council's 'Out of Hours' Homelessness Service will arrange to place rough sleepers  into emergency accommodation during the time the SWEP is in operation.  
All rough sleepers placed into emergency accommodation when the SWEP is in operation will receive a housing options assessment and referred to other agencies for support, subject to their consent.
Once the minimum temperature is predicted to have risen above zero degrees Celsius, emergency accommodation will no longer be provided.
The rough sleeper will continue to be offered advice and assistance to deal with their longer term issue of homelessness.
If any incidents of anti-social behaviour or unacceptable behaviour are shown during the course of the time that the emergency accommodation is being provided, the Housing Options Team will review the assistance being provided to see if there are any alternative ways to prevent rough sleeping during the severe weather whilst at the same time managing the risks.
The temporary accommodation accessed will comprise Hostel, Bed and Breakfast establishments.

SWEP and extended winter provision guidance 2015/16

Options	When and who	Who the service is most appropriate for	Advantages	Possible barriers
Severe Weather Emergency Protocol	Forecast of 2 days below zero degrees Provided by local authorities, often in partnership with existing voluntary sector services Funded by the local authority	Very entrenched rough sleepers who have previously refused all offers People with no recourse to public funds, or not eligible for other support	Prevents deaths on the street Opportunity to engage with people who may have become entrenched Can be simple extension of existing services and therefore low cost Short term nature can reduce risk of incidents and bans	Responsive to temperature fluctuations, so logistical issues as services open and close Can mean a rushed and less effective response Very little time to provide long term solutions
Severe Weather Emergency Protocol AND extended winter provision	For an extended winter period not dictated by temperature Local authorities and voluntary sector partnerships, faith based groups Extended provision often exists independent of local authority funding	Very entrenched rough sleepers who have previously refused all offers People with no recourse to public funds People who are new to the streets who are particularly vulnerable and eager to receive support	Prevents deaths on the street Allows longer-term engagement to provide sustainable move-on More stable Capitalises on an increased desire to engage from rough sleepers	May require more staffing and funding May create an increase in demand May develop a dependence on services May encounter local resistance

If anyone becomes aware of a rough sleeper then please contact the Housing Options Team direct on: 01543 462621 (the same number should be used for the Council's Out of Hours Homelessness Service)