Concerned about someone who is rough sleeping
If you are concerned about someone who is rough sleeping and medical attention is not immediately required, you can make a referral to StreetLink through their website or call 0300 500 0914 which is charged at normal call rate.
You will need to provide:
- A specific location of the rough sleeper to enable our outreach team to find them
- The time the rough sleeper has been seen at the location
- Any information that will help identify them (gender, approximate age, what the person looks like, what they are wearing etc.).
Once your referral is received by StreetLink they will alert our outreach team who will seek to find the rough sleeper and connect them to support services within 24hours. You will receive details of the action we have taken as a result of your alert within 10 working days if you have requested it.
If the person needs urgent medical attention or you believe they are under 18 years of age, please call 999.
Newham operates a Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) to provide emergency accommodation to rough sleepers to prevent deaths on the streets caused by extreme weather conditions.
The SWEP is activated when the Met Office predicts one night of temperatures below 0 degrees anywhere in London.