Our Homelessness Services
Every individuals personal circumstances is unique, that's why we offer a variety of servicesWe offer a lifeline
“Homelessness is a prevalent issue in London. The numbers continue to rise, and this represents a real issue for Scots in London who have fallen on harder times.”
Shona Fleming – Chief Executive
Homeless Scots in London are vulnerable, isolated and far from home. Many Scots come to London and prosper. However, far too often they find themselves facing difficulties much greater than they left behind. According to statistics, more than 1 in 20 of the UK homeless population in London is Scottish [CHAIN, 2018].
Having nowhere to live, suffering from complex issues, encountering repeated failure, and being stigmatised by the general population can swiftly force people into isolation and devaluing themselves.
If you are rough sleeping or think you may become homeless:
The best thing to do is to present to the Local Authority (if you do not know where this is, it is always good to present at a library, they will have this information). Find contact details for the London Boroughs here.
If you are homeless or see someone who is homeless, please tell Street Link:
www.streetlink.org.uk info@streetlink.org.uk 0300 500 0914
How to access our help
If you need our support, call ScotsCare’s free helpline 0800 652 2989. You can speak confidentially to one of our team at our offices on 22 City Road, London EC1Y 2AJ.
For more information on our Scottish Outreach Workers Click Here
Need our help?
To be eligible for support you must be:
- living or found within a radius of 35 miles of Charing Cross
- a person born in Scotland, or;
- the child of a person born in Scotland, or;
- someone married to a first generation Scot, or;
- the widow, widower or surviving member of a civil partnership of a person born in Scotland, or;
- the widow, widower or surviving member of a civil partnership of a person, one of whose parents was born in Scotland.
Scottish Outreach
Patricia
Meet the Workers
Our Our Scottish Outreach Workers, Patricia and Alex, work across London, meaning we are able to work directly with those most in need, ultimately trying to engage them with appropriate support services to break the cycle of their homelessness once and for all.
The majority of our clients are located in Westminster (58%). Some are amongst the most entrenched rough sleepers in London, and we believe a front-line service is crucial to best support those in need [CHAIN, 2019].
Alex
Client Support Needs
By definition, homeless Scots are a disadvantaged group, but the problems they face go beyond having no where to sleep:
%
Mental Health Issues
%
Physical Health Needs
%
Drug and Substance Misuse
%
Brought Up In Care
%
Spent Time in Prison
This highlights the complexity of the work carried out by our Outreach workers, and this often means more intense engagement is required over a sustained period of time with clients.
Interventions
Interventions with clients can vary massively, and can last from 2 weeks to 18 months and more. With a shortage of housing available across boroughs, this can mean clients waiting for several months on accommodation. Therefore, our Outreach team ensure they have whatever support they require in the interim, whilst also liaising with relevant agencies to ensure this process happens as quickly as possible.
Results
Over 2018/19, our Scottish Outreach Worker project has helped 68 clients with a wide range of complex support needs, more than quadruple the number of our original target when the project was launched. Year-on-year we have helped more clients get the support they desperately need, however many more still need our support. Ongoing support is given by our outreach workers until the point it is no longer needed
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