Agenda item

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services providing a summary of work undertaken to date at the City of London Winter Programme at St. Katherine Cree Church, Leadenhall Street. 

The Chairman welcomed Mary Kneafsey and Harpreet Mandier of Providence Row Housing Association which provided specialist support to users of the City of London Winter Programme.

In considering data from the first month of operation, the following points were noted:

·         The City of London Winter Programme had commenced on 18 December 2019 and would run until 31 March 2020.  The service provided a safe and secure space to individuals found rough sleeping in the City of London with the aim of supporting them into accommodation within 14 days.  Nine individuals were brought into the service during the first month of operation, although some had left to attend Crisis at Christmas provision which had interrupted the support provided.  It had been identified that there was a high level of mental health support needs within the group which had made it difficult to source suitable onwards accommodation for some individuals. 

·         The relatively high incidence of individuals without recourse to public funds presented a significant difficulty in securing accommodation and work was being undertaken to regularise the status of rough sleepers with EU nationalities where possible.  The Sub-Committee discussed how support and information on immigration issues could best be provided to individuals, such as signposting.  A report on the issues of individuals without recourse to public funds would be presented to a future meeting of the Sub-Committee and the Committee requested that a Government official be approached to speak with the Sub-Committee on this issue.

The Chairman thanked the representatives of Providence Row Housing Association and the Diocese for its support in delivering the city of London Winter programme.

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.