Exeter rough sleeper protocol activated

Temperatures are set to dip to freezing over the next few days

Exeter City Council has activated its Severe Weather Protocol and is making available extra accommodation for rough sleepers to come in out of the cold.

With temperatures set to dip to freezing and a level two cold weather alert having been issued by the Met Office and Public Health Exeter, the protocol allows the Council to work with its partner agencies, Julian House, BCHA and St Petrocks, to organise accommodation for anyone rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping during severe weather.

The aim of SWEP is to ensure that no one on the streets is exposed to life threatening risks due to extreme cold or severe weather and that every effort is made to engage individuals with support services during the winter months.

The City Council already runs a winter night shelter, which has been re-named The Junction, at the former Spice Island restaurant in Magdalen Street, and the SWEP is in addition to this facility.

Cllr Emma Morse, Lead Councillor for People, said: “The Night Shelter is invaluable, especially on nights like these. No-one should be sleeping out on the streets of Exeter and being able to provide a purpose-built facility which allows people to come inside, keep warm and be comfortable is potentially a life-saver.”

The potentially life-saving haven has already proved popular, with more than 100 people taking advantage of the facility since it opened and a number of those using the shelter have already been supported into alternative accommodation, a council spokesman added.

They said: “Once inside the facility, the Council and its partners work with the individuals, many who have very complex issues and have become entrenched rough sleepers – and try and establish solutions moving forward.

“The facility is open from early evening until early the next morning. There are toilets, showers and bunk beds and an opportunity to access hot meals. The shelter will remain open until the end of March.”

The level two cold weather alert issued on Friday morning says there is a 70 per cent probability of severe cold weather/icy conditions/heavy snow between 6pm on Sunday and 6pm on Tuesday.

It adds: “This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services. Please refer to the national Cold Weather Plan and your Trust’s emergency plan for appropriate preventive action.”

Both North Devon and Torridge councils have also issued warnings about the predicted freezing temperatures, and they jointly run the Safe Sleep initiative,  based at the Salvation Army centre in Barnstaple.

The aim of this provision is to prevent death by hypothermia by giving homeless clients the option to sleep in a safe environment indoors on a nightly basis.

It will deliver very basic sleeping accommodation for up to a maximum of 20 people who would otherwise sleep outside and be vulnerable to the weather elements.

The provision also aims to prevent already vulnerable homeless clients from further risk to their general health and well-being, during the most severe weather months of the year, in our community.