The first weeks of January have brought a spell of extreme cold, resulting in a county-wide activation (and continued extension) of SWEP, to help those who are most vulnerable to these potentially dangerous conditions.
What is SWEP?
SWEP stands for Severe Weather Emergency Protocol and a is brought into action by local authorities as a crisis response when temperatures fall to zero degrees or lower. When SWEP is activated, relevant agencies and authorities in the county work to offer those who are sleeping rough the opportunity to access shelters for the night.
SWEP is led by one of our partnering agencies, CCP, who we work with to refer individuals to the local temporary night shelter. Other agencies such as St Paul’s Hostel and Emerging Futures refer all of our known rough sleepers, so nobody is missed, and everyone is able to access.
When a period of SWEP is called, our Outreach team will go to known locations of rough sleepers and offer them essentials such as hot drinks, food vouchers and warm clothing, and direct them to or offer the information of shelters in place. They will also signpost them to our Day Centres and Clothing Project, where can they access hot food, clothing and all the essentials they require to be safe and warm.
We were interviewed by the BBC where we got to chat about how we assist throughout SWEP. Hear from our Outreach Team Leader, Claire:
How you can help
For those who are sleeping on the streets, this weather is particularly hazardous and can lead to serious declines in health, which is why we believe it is so important to stay vigilant and advocate for those facing homelessness during this time. We urge anyone who sees a rough sleeper to contact Street Link online.
Streetlinks feed into the intelligence network which enables outreach workers to locate rough sleepers and encourage them to access the SWEP night shelters. Outreach workers can support rough sleepers to engage with Worcestershire’s partnership homelessness organisations who can offer support with complex needs.
Please note that StreetLink is not an emergency service, so if you are concerned about someone’s health, please dial 999.
Alternatively, we’re always in need of donations to help support those in need, please visit our donations website for more details. For more information, please get in touch with us at info@maggsdaycentre.co.uk.
