Shropshire Council awarded £2.5 million to support rough sleepers and those at risk
Shropshire Council has been awarded £2.5 million following two successful bids for funding to support rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping.
£1.4m has been awarded to provide substance misuse treatment and support services for rough sleepers and people at risk of rough sleeping. The money is part of the Rough Sleepers Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant provided by the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).
The funding will support the county in meeting the intended outcomes of the national drug strategy by helping to reduce drug-related deaths, reducing alcohol-related hospital admissions and increasing the number of successful individuals in treatment.
The funding will be used to develop a multi-agency team (MDT) to provide holistic wrap-around support and drug and alcohol treatment for rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping across the county.
It is being implemented via Shropshire Council in partnership with Shropshire Recovery Partnership, the Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust (MPFT), Connexus, The Shrewsbury Ark and Intuitive Thinking Skills.
The Government has pledged an extra investment of up to £186.5 million to expand these vital services to more than 20 areas, including Shropshire.
A further £1.1m has been awarded to build upon the work Shropshire Council has achieved during the pandemic, to reduce the level of rough sleeping in the area.
This funding will allow the council to continue with the work already being undertaken and further enhance its work to support rough sleepers; to address any issues that are preventing those rough sleeping from moving into accommodation; and finding pathways into permanent accommodation with support to ensure that the accommodation is sustained. This award is provided to fund services over a three-year period, supporting the Government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative 2022-25.
Assistance will be tailored to the needs of each individual and will look to develop a support plan addressing health, mental health, substance abuse, family connections, as well as work to develop a pathway into accommodation.
Simon Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult social care and public health, said:
“We know how important it is to focus on the root causes of rough sleeping in order to break the cycle. It is crucial that we support the most vulnerable people in our society and this money will allow us to do just that.
“People sleeping rough with substance misuse problems can find it difficult to access the right services to help them and their health continues to suffer. Through this funding we can work with partners to offer enhanced support to rough sleepers and those at risk. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have now and in the future.”
