£2.5m grant awarded to support rough sleepers in Shropshire

18th November, 2022

vbolton

Community

Shropshire Council has used the funding to develop a multi-agency team, including Connexus, to help support rough sleepers

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. Connexus is part of a multi-agency team working with the Council on this transformative project.

Connexus join other agencies in working with the Council on this project, with Shropshire Recovery Partnership, the Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust and Intuitive Thinking Skills also lending their expertise.

£1.4m has been allocated 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 reducing drug-related deaths, reducing alcohol-related hospital admissions and increasing the number of successful individuals in treatment.

A further £1.1m of grant funding has been allocated to Shropshire Council and its partners to work on reducing the level of rough sleeping in the area. This grant will fund work already being undertaken to address any issues that are preventing rough sleeping from moving into accommodation and finding pathways into accommodation that include support to ensure accommodation is sustained. Connexus is a natural fit to work with the Council on this project, with Connexus' Prevention Support team already working to provide that link between rough sleeping, temporary accommodation and sustained tenancy.

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.”

Simon Jones, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for adult care and social health