Agenda item

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

The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services providing an interim report on the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) for Winter 2020/21 and the following point was made:

·         During Winter 2020/21, SWEP was activated a total of ten times across 41 nights.  A total of 35 homeless or rough sleeping individuals had been brought into accommodation since 23 December 2020, of which 33 had immediately transferred to other accommodation once SWEP had been deactivated.  In response to a question from a Committee Member, the Rough Sleeping Service Manager explained that the CHAIN multi-agency database recorded details of individuals accessing SWEP provision and that this ensured individuals were not double counted within homelessness datasets.  A Committee Member noted the role of SWEP as a means of providing early intervention to individuals by supporting them into appropriate accommodation.  Another Committee Member underlined the need to consider climate implications linked to activations of the SWEP in relation to all forms of extreme weather.  The Assistant Director (People) confirmed that the Corporate and Strategic implications included within the Corporation’s report template included Climate implications and this would form a part of all future reporting of the use of the SWEP.

RESOLVED, that the update be noted.