Are you homeless or at risk of homelessness?
A person does not need to be sleeping rough to be considered homeless. The Housing Act 1996 defines a person as homeless if they either:
- Have no accommodation available to occupy
- Are at risk of violence or domestic abuse
- Have accommodation but it is not reasonable for them to continue to occupy it
- Have accommodation but cannot secure entry to it
- Have no legal right to occupy their accommodation
- Live in a mobile home or houseboat but have no place to put it or live in it
People are considered threatened with homelessness if:
- It is likely that they will become homeless within 56 days
- They have been given a valid section 21 notice in respect of their only accommodation, and the notice expires within 56 days
Everyone living in the UK is entitled to register and consult with a GP. Per NHS England policy, there is no requirement to provide: IDProof of Address NHS NumberProof of Immigration Status For support, see guidance from the BMA, CQC, and the Doctors of the World Safe Surgeries initiative
For adults sleeping rough:
Refer to StreetLink. StreetLink will request the location where the person is rough sleeping, the time they were/are at that location, plus any additional information that will help the team identify the individual, such as a physical description:
- Website: https://thestreetlink.org.uk/
For adults who are homeless or threatened with homelessness:
The person should contact the Ealing Council housing solutions team at the earliest opportunity:
- 020 8825 6444, Mon to Fri, 9am – 4:30pm
- Emergencyhousing@ealing.gov.uk
Certain public authorities have a statutory duty to refer (D2R), and (with the individual’s consent) must notify the Local Authority about people who are homeless, or who are at risk of becoming homeless within the next 56 days. While GPs and Primary Care are not subject to this duty, any Primary Care staff member can use the referral process to inform the Local Authority about homeless or at risk people who are not yet in contact with Local Authority services: With the individual’s consent, refer through ALERT online at https://live.housingjigsaw.co.uk/alert/duty-to-refer. Contact dutytorefer@ealing.gov.uk if you have difficulty using the ALERT site.
For young people aged 17 or under who are homeless, threatened with homelessness, or not safe in their home:
In an urgent or risky situation, such as immediate homelessness or being at risk of violence or abuse, contact the Ealing Children’s Integrated Response Service (ECIRS):
- 020 8825 8000 (24/7)
- ECIRS@ealing.gov.uk
For other situations, contact children’s Social Services on the same number:
- 020 8825 8000 (out of hours service available)
| StreetLink | |
| Connects people sleeping rough with their local street outreach team. StreetLink will request the location where the person is rough sleeping, the time they were/are at that location, plus any additional information that will help the team identify the individual, such as a physical description. | https://thestreetlink.org.uk/ |
| Crisis | |
| Crisis focus on supporting people who face the most barriers and cannot access support elsewhere. Examples are people unable to use public services because of their immigration status, or people who need extra support accessing services. | Contact StreetLink in the first instance. If they cannot assist: 020 7036 4511 london@crisis.org.uk |
| London Youth Gateway | |
| The London Youth Gateway runs a pan-London outreach team, who provide support for young people aged 18 – 25 who are sleeping rough in any London borough. For details of their other services, see their entry under ‘General Homelessness and Housing’. | https://londonyouthgateway.org.uk/get-help (self-referral only) 0800 1601 106 |
| Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) |
| While SWEP is active during periods of extreme weather, all people sleeping rough are entitled to emergency accommodation regardless of immigration status, residence or priority needs, and additional capacity emergency beds will be made available. During SWEP, refer people sleeping rough to emergency accommodation through StreetLink (details above) |
| Acton Homeless Concern: Two locations (see below) admin@actonhomelessconcern.org, 020 8992 5768 | |
| Mon to Fri, 8:30am – 2:30pm Emmaus House, 1 Berrymead Gardens Acton W3 6AA | General opening. Showers by advance appointment, Clothing Bank, advice and referrals Free Food (lunch service) 11:45am – 1:45pm |
| Mon to Fri, 9am – 11:45am and 2pm – 5pm The Damien Centre 3-5 Church Rd W3 8PU | Free Food (snacks and refreshments), social activities |
| Hope for Southall Street Homeless: The Parish Centre, St Anselm’s, The Green, Southall UB2 4BE info@hssh.org.uk; admin@hssh.org.uk, 0208 574 3300 | |
| Tues, 1pm – 4pm | Free Food (hot meal). One-to-one support by homeless support organisations. Support by alcohol and drugs recovery intervention service (RISE) |
| Sun, 9am – 2pm | Only by agreement made on Tuesday with the Coordinator at the Day Centre. |
| Ealing Soup Kitchen: Various locations (see below) ealingsoupkitchen@outlook.com, 0208 566 3507 (ext. 7) | |
| Mon, 6pm – 8pm Salvation Army Hall Leeland Rd W13 9HH | Free Food (to take away), Clothing Bank |
| Fri, 11am – 3:30pm The Crypt, St Johns Church Mattock Lane W13 9LA | Free Food (hot meal, food parcel), Clothing Bank, Showers, Barber, Foot Care. ESOL class, leisure events and classes |
| Sat and Sun, 3:30 pm – 5pm Church Rooms, St Johns Church Mattock Lane W13 9LA | Free Food (hot meal) |
| Build on Belief Ealing: Ealing RISE, 99 – 103 Broadway, Ealing W13 9BP susanmansour@buildonbelief.org.uk (07872 002246), timsampey@buildonbelief.org.uk | |
| Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun, 10am – 3:30pm | For people with/in recovery from substance use issues: General drop-in, hot and cold drinks, snacks |
| Sat, from 11am, first come first served | For people with/in recovery from substance use issues: Food Bank |
| Sun, 10am – 3:30pm | For people with/in recovery from substance use issues: BoB Breakfast |
| Ealing Council Housing Solutions | |
| Provides advice and support for Ealing residents who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. Contact them as soon as possible if at risk. | 020 8825 6444, Mon to Fri, 9am – 4:30pm Out-of-hours emergencies: 020 8825 5000 Emergencyhousing@ealing.gov.uk |
| Ealing Council Housing Advice team | |
| The housing advice team provide information on all housing issues, including tenancies and deposits, disrepair and safety, harassment from landlords or agents, eviction, and rent arrears. | 020 8825 8888, Mon to Fri, 9am – 4pm housadv@ealing.gov.uk |
| Shelter | |
| National charity providing advice on all aspects of housing and homelessness | https://england.shelter.org.uk/ London Youth Gateway Service (under 25s): 0330 053 6091, 9:30am – 6pm, Mon to Fri. London Emergency helpline: 0344 515 1540, 9:30am – 6pm, Mon to Fri. National Emergency helpline: 0808 800 4444, 8am – 8pm Mon to Fri, 9am – 5pm Weekends and Bank Holidays. Webchat: https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help/webchat, 9am – 5pm, Mon to Fri. |
| Private Tenants’ Advice Service (PTAS) | |
| Free housing legal assistance for tenants in private sector rented accommodation living in Ealing. The service will: Help residents understand their tenancy agreements Communicate with landlords about problems with the property, such as disrepair Help recover deposits Provide advice where eviction has been threatened or notice served Assist with completing and filing court forms related to evictions, etc. | 0800 702 2128 Mon to Fri, 10am – 4pm housing@wlec.net |
| Ealing Advice Service | |
| A local service working to provide the people of Ealing with access to high-quality advice. The service brings together key advice agencies in Ealing to help. They can provide help from basic information, to advice, to full legal representation from a specialist solicitor or caseworker. | https://ealingadvice.org/ Mon to Fri, 10am- 4pm 0208 579 8429 (option 1) or 03000 125464 |
| Centrepoint | |
| Provides specialist help and support for young people aged 16 – 25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. | 0808 800 0661, Mon to Fri, 9am – 5pm Alternatively, contact via web form or web chat: https://centrepoint.org.uk/do-you-need-help |
| Crisis | |
| Crisis helps homeless people find and keep a rented home, with a focus on supporting people who face the most barriers and cannot access support elsewhere. They work with landlords to ensure a supply of places to live and give homeless people the tools and knowledge they need to rent successfully. They also help people gain access to training and education. | Contact the Local Authority in the first instance. If they cannot assist: Tel: 020 7426 5650, 9:30am – 4:30pm Email: london@crisis.org.uk |
| London Youth Gateway | |
| A partnership between seven specialist charities who support young people aged 18-25 who are facing homelessness or rough sleeping, wherever they might find themselves in London. They help with finding or keeping a safe space to call home; support around physical and mental wellbeing; and opportunities to get into employment or training. Young people able to travel to the King’s Cross area can visit the New Horizon Youth Centre drop in. | https://londonyouthgateway.org.uk/get-help (self-referral only) 0800 1601 106 New Horizon Youth Centre, 68 Chalton Street, Kings Cross NW1 1JR Open 10:30am-1:30pm and 2:00pm-4:00pm Mon to Fri. Tuesdays by appointment only, Wednesday afternoons as a women only space. |
| Stonewall Housing | |
| A national charity supporting LGBTQ+ people of all ages who live in the UK and are experiencing homelessness or living in an unsafe environment. They provide housing advice, mental health advocacy and support for people fleeing domestic abuse. Please note they are not an emergency accommodation provider, and have no access to emergency accommodation. | https://stonewallhousing.org/referralform/ Advice line: 0800 6 404 404, 10:00am – 1:00pm, Monday to Friday. |
Help with NHS health costs
People on low incomes might be able to get free NHS prescriptions, dental treatment, eye tests and help with other NHS costs. People claiming certain benefits automatically qualify, while others can apply through the NHS Low Income Scheme (LIS). Check for eligibility at: https://www.gov.uk/help-nhs-costs Apply for the NHS Low Income Scheme by completing and returning a HC1 form according to the instructions at https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-low-income-scheme
| Homeless Health Teams – Hospital Based | |
| The Hospital Homeless Health teams support Imperial and London North West University Hospital inpatients who are homeless or threatened with homelessness during their hospital stay. They connect inpatients with appropriate services and work towards securing a safe discharge destination. The Inner NW London team is based at St Mary’s and Charing Cross hospitals. The Outer NW London team is based at Northwick Park and Ealing hospital. | Inner NW London/Imperial: imperial.homelesshealthteam@nhs.net 020 3312 5996 Outer NW London/LNWUH: Lnwh-tr.homelesspathway@nhs.net 07814 923 815 |
| Homeless Health Team – Community Based | |
| The Community Homeless Health team provides ongoing community support for appropriate patients discharged following an acute stay. They also outreach to wider patients in the community (such as those with complex needs, difficulty engaging with mainstream community services, or a history of frequent attendance), and work to prevent acute admissions. They work closely with the Hospital Homeless Health teams to provide continuity between acute and community care. St Mary’s, Charing Cross, Ealing and Northwick Park hospitals each have an allocated community nurse. | clcht.OOHC@nhs.net |
| West London NHS Trust Rough Sleepers’ Mental Health service | |
| The West London NHS Trust rough sleepers service plays a key part in responding to the needs of rough sleepers, who also have mental health and physical health difficulties. They work flexible hours which include late-night and early morning shifts. They assess mental and physical health needs, and help rough sleepers to connect with relevant health and accommodation services. The team also provide some in-reach support to those rough sleepers who are in temporary accommodation such as hostels or hotels. | 020 8483 1795 |
| Whittington Health Community Dental Service | |
| A specialist dental service for people with complex needs, including people experiencing homelessness, who cannot be treated in general (or “high street”) dental services. In North West London, the service operates out of community sites covering Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. Access to the service is by referral from general dental practitioners and other health/social care professionals only. | Further information and referral forms: https://www.whittington.nhs.uk/default.asp?c=10989 dentalreferral.whitthealth@nhs.net 020 3316 8353 |
| Ealing RISE | |
| Help for Ealing residents over the age of 18, who are using or have used alcohol and/or drugs in the last 3 months, and want to cut down or stop. Provides a variety of treatment options including one-to-one support, group work and medically assisted treatment. | https://www.changegrowlive.org/rise-ealing EalingRISE@cgl.org.uk Southall service: 020 8843 5900 West Ealing service: 0208 567 4772 Main service: 0800 195 8100 |
A person will have no recourse to public funds when they are ‘subject to immigration control’ (for example with limited leave to enter or remain in the country, or with no leave to enter or remain). A person who is subject to immigration control cannot claim public funds (such as housing assistance), unless an exception applies. People with NRPF are entitled to register with an NHS GP.
| NRPF Network | |
| A national network safeguarding the welfare of destitute families, adults and care leavers who are unable to access benefits due to their immigration status. Provides information on rights and entitlements as well as training and guidance for Councils | https://www.nrpfnetwork.org.uk/ |
| Migrant Londoners Hub | |
| Contains information for professionals on supporting people with no recourse to public funds. | https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/communities-and-social-justice/migrant-londoners-hub |
| Mayor of London’s Life Off the Streets Programme | |
| Provides specific services and initiatives to support non-UK rough sleepers to find a sustainable route off the streets. | https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/communities-and-social-justice/migrants-and-refugees/migration-and-homelessness |
| Doctors of the World | |
| Provides practical resources and training for NHS doctors, nurses and administrators working with excluded groups. Their Safe Surgeries initiative aims to improve access to primary care by supporting better GP registration policies. | https://www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/our-work/uk/ |
| NHS North West London Homeless Health Website | |
| Resources and information from NHS North West London, to support GPs and other health professionals providing care for people experiencing homelessness. Includes downloads for the most recent versions of the Borough resource sheets. | https://www.nwlondonicb.nhs.uk/professionals/homeless-health |
| Atlas of London’s Homelessness Services | |
| An interactive website developed by London Housing Foundation (LHF) to provide a clear overview of homelessness services in London. | https://www.lhfatlas.org.uk/ |
| The Pavement | |
| Magazine and service directory for homeless people, with up to date information about street kitchens and support across London. Also published physically, and distributed through hostels, day centres and surgeries. | https://www.thepavement.org.uk/ |
| MECC Link London | |
| Offers key information on healthy lifestyle topics, for use by professionals offering frontline help and support in communities across London. | https://www.mecclink.co.uk/london/ |
Join the NW London Homeless Health Clinical Community of Practice
All clinicians working in Primary Care are welcome to join the North West London Homeless Health Clinical Community of Practice, which takes place every 2 months on MS Teams. This network brings together clinicians working in Primary Care who have an interest in homeless/inclusion health, and aims to offer opportunities to clinicians to extend their skills, development and support in this area of care.
Visit the Community of Practice section at https://www.nwlondonicb.nhs.uk/professionals/homeless-health/training-and-webinars for more information and joining details.
