Homelessness Support

Sirona Community Homeless Health Service

Homeless Health Service 

Sirona community homeless health is a small team of specialist health care practitioners providing holistic health care intervention to individuals who are homeless, or in emergency/temporary accommodation across the BNSSG. The team supports patients, bridging the gap between services aiming to reduce hospital attendance & admission and promote engagement with appropriate community and primary care services.

Bristol and South Gloucestershire – The team accepts referrals from hospital discharge teams, outreach workers and self-presentation to support individuals with various health care issues such as wound care and medicine management. The team will visit the patient in their accommodation or on an outreach basis.

North Somerset – The team provide drop in clinics at 'Somewhere to go' day centre and 'We are With you' both based in Weston- Super -Mare. Individuals can self-present or be referred in by the hospital discharge team and outreach/drug workers.

Our teams currently work Monday - Friday 08.30 - 16:30

Any queries or questions please email sirona.communityhomelesshealth@nhs.net

GPs and other healthcare workers can refer using the HH Referral Form.

We will answer any queries within 2 working days.

Access to Healthcare

Primary Medical Care Policy & Guidance Manual

The Primary Medical Care Policy &Guidance Manual (PGM) - section 4 page 142 - GP Patient Registration Standard Operating Principles for Primary Medical Care – specific and clear about what is and is not required at registration.

Care Quality Commission – Looking after homeless patients in General Practice

This includes information and guidance about providing care to homeless patients and includes examples of issues and good practice.

Healthwatch

Helping those who are homeless access healthcare.

Supporting GP registration for people experiencing homelessness (PEH)

One of the challenges in supporting people experiencing homelessness (PEH) is ensuring that they register with a GP practice. NHS England has developed a training resource aimed at GP practice staff to support awareness of homelessness and GP registration as part of improving access to General Practice.

The training programme has been developed in collaboration with key stakeholders and advocates for PEH. This is now live.

People without previous access to the eLearning hub will require access to the training. Below are the links to access the programme:

• Programme on Learning Hub
• Programme page

Accommodation & Shelters

Bristol and South Gloucestershire

• The Bristol City Council website contains useful information on how to access specialist support for those who are homeless.
• The South Gloucestershire Council website contains advice about homelessness and what to do.
• Shelter offer advice and support services across the UK and give one-to-one, personalised help with all housing issues.  There is a free emergency helpline that is open 365 days a year. 
• The Caring Handbook has a full list of day and night shelters in Bristol.
• The Julian Trust and Spring Of Hope shelter accept self-referrals. This means you can turn up without help from an agency.
• Julian Trust Night Shelter has 8 beds available on a first come, first served basis.  Not open on Thursdays and Sundays.  Reservations by phone are not accepted.
• St. Mungo’s operate a range of accommodation services, from shelters or hostels, through to supported and semi-independent housing.
• If you are concerned about someone who is sleeping rough, you can report this through the Streetlink website or call 0300 500 0914.

North Somerset

• Details for the Homeless Prevention Team can be found on the North Somerset Council website.
• Shelter offer advice and support services across the UK and give one-to-one, personalised help with all housing issues.  There is a free emergency helpline that is open 365 days a year.
• If you are concerned about someone who is sleeping rough, you can report this through the Streetlink website or call 0300 500 0914.  StreetLink works in partnership with the YMCA to provide outreach support to all rough sleepers in North Somerset. This also includes working with people who are staying in the Weston Night Assessment Centre to help them move on.

Access to Support and Advice

• Drug and Alcohol Misuse
• The Big Issue are Service Brokers are trained to identify the needs of a Big Issue vendor and provide expert information, advice and guidance.  This is done by accessing local services, maintaining support networks and preventing Big Issue vendors falling through the gaps in society.
• Shelter offers face-to-face or online advice and support.  Free helpline 0808 800 4444 available every day from 8am-8pm on weekdays and 9am – 5pm on weekends.

Bristol and South Gloucestershire

• The Caring Handbook COVID-19 Edition (for Bristol) provides practical information to those in crisis experiencing homelessness, and empowering community action groups and Bristol businesses with the knowledge to signpost and help.

• St Paul’s Advice Centre offer drop-in and appointment based confidential, independent and impartial free legal advice.

• Emmaus Bristol encourage people to use their skills to change themselves.  Support people to work their way out of homelessness, providing meaningful work and a stable home for as long as someone needs it.
• inHope offers food, shelter and support.
• Caring in Bristol – Bristol Nightstop provides free help and advice to young people who are homeless or who are at risk of becoming homeless in Bristol.

North Somerset

• An In-Crisis leaflet (for North Somerset) has been produced by local charity KeySteps, which helps to house homeless individuals.  The leaflet contains vital information for anyone in crisis in Weston-Super-Mare, especially those affected by homelessness and related issues.

Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

Information provided through Remedy is continually updated so please be aware any printed copies may quickly become out of date.