Supported Accommodation

Our supported accommodation services give homeless and vulnerable people the specialist support they need to find stability and move on in their lives. In 2019-20 we provided more than 1,200 homeless adults, care leavers and young people at risk with a safe place to live.  We also supported a total of 393 people in our cold weather shelters in North London and Redbridge.  

As well as providing secure accommodation, these services offer intensive 1-1 support to tackle the underlying causes of homelessness.  Each hostel specialises in meeting one of four priority needs: mental health, substance misuse, offending or the needs of vulnerable young people, including those leaving care.  

Keeping someone off the streets is only the first step. To break the cycle of homelessness, our accommodation services focus on equipping people to move on with their lives and achieve sustainable, long term recovery.  We do this by: 

• Minimising harm from substance misuse and helping people to access appropriate treatment
• Supporting people with mental ill health who are leaving hospital or facing exclusion from other services
• Supporting young people to develop the skills they need to live independently
• Working with people leaving prison to break offending patterns and re-integrate them into the community
• Enabling all clients to grow in confidence and develop appropriate life skills 

Most of our hostels are staffed 24 hours a day by support workers who are committed to providing a stable and secure environment for clients as they work with them to address their needs.  Typical lengths of stay vary by service, from four weeks to up to two years. 

Many of our hostel residents are struggling with more than one need at a time, including poor physical and mental health. Our hostel staff have been trained in Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE), ensuring that our hostel-based work takes account of the persistent effects of adversity or trauma on our clients, and their resulting psychological and emotional needs.