As we emerge from the pandemic, the UK Government have released new guidance for providers of night shelters. This guide replaces the COVID-19 Operating Principles for Night Shelters. We hope that this guide offers a common starting place for all community and faith led organisations who are supporting rough sleepers. The work that your organisations undertook during the pandemic was commendable and materially contributed to lives saved.

The Guidance

What you need to know

The past three years have seen a wave of transformation in the way that non-commissioned services support rough sleepers. We have seen the impact that secure, single-room accommodation can have on how rough sleepers feel about their time spent in emergency shelters and their chances of moving on to secure long-term accommodation. Similarly, the benefits of partnership working between non-commissioned services and local authorities have been manifold. As we move beyond a state of emergency response, the way we support rough sleepers will adapt further and community and faith groups will be a core part of this.

Operating Principles for Night Shelters – full guidance

This guidance is intended to be used in conjunction with other broader guidance documents, including High Risk Settings, People with symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19 and Living safely with respiratory infections, including COVID-19  and the Government’s new Toolkit for COVID 19 testing in homelessness, domestic abuse refuge and respite room settings.