Advice about homelessness

Rough sleeping in very cold weather

Southwark Council has a Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP), which opens during periods of severe weather, providing shelter to rough sleepers. Access to the provision is via the St Mungo’s Outreach services, Southwark Council or Met Police. If you're concerned about an individual sleeping rough during severe weather, refer to Streetlink.  

The Mayor of London has provided services to support rough sleepers who come off the streets and rebuild their lives.

St Mungo’s

We support St Mungo’s, which is a charity that helps rough sleepers get off and stay off the streets. Street giving doesn’t help people long-term, even if the person receiving the money has a real need.

St Mungo’s provides a bed and support to more than 2,500 people a night who are either homeless or at risk. They work to prevent homelessness, helping about 25,000 people a year.

We believe no one should be homeless - people can and do recover from the issues that create homelessness. You can help by supporting men and women through more than 200 projects including emergency, hostel and supportive housing projects, advice services and specialist physical health, mental health, skills and work services. 

Donate to or volunteer for St Mungo's

StreetLink No Second Night Out

Working alongside StreetLink, the No Second Night Out (NSNO) project is currently running throughout London, including in Southwark. Committed to ensuring that no individual arriving on the streets will sleep out for a second night, NSNO focuses on helping those who find themselves rough sleeping on the streets for the first time.

If you're concerned about someone sleeping rough in Southwark, you can inform StreetLink via their website or by telephoning 0300 500 0914. StreetLink can help to connect a person to the local services and support available to them.

Rough sleeping is often the most visible sign of homelessness. Some people who appear to be sleeping rough may be engaged in street activities, such as drinking or begging, but in fact, have somewhere to stay. You can still alert StreetLink as it's always better to get in touch about someone you think may be rough sleeping so that local services can provide support if needed. There's no need to feel pressured to approach people you don’t know to ask them about their situation. This is the job of local services.

You can find more information about healthcare options over the winter ^{(PDF, 146kb)} 

Page last updated: 09 July 2024