Rough sleepers
Rough sleeping is the most visible and harmful form of homelessness. It is extremely unsafe and can have serious impacts on a person’s physical and mental health.
People who are sleeping rough may be seen in doorways, car parks, bus shelters or other public places. Many people sleep out of sight, bedding down at different times of day or moving from place to place. Some people who sleep rough may not know what support is available to them.
Support for rough sleepers in Cheshire West and Chester
In Cheshire West and Chester, a range of services work together to support people who are sleeping rough. Forum Housing delivers the Outreach Service on behalf of us. The Forum Outreach Team works alongside partners from health services, voluntary organisations, charities, and community groups to provide support across the borough.
The Forum Outreach Team works across the borough in the early mornings and evenings to locate people who may be rough sleeping. They focus on building trust, understanding each person’s circumstances, and offering practical support to help people move away from the streets wherever possible.
Support may include:
- welfare checks and wellbeing conversations
- help to access emergency accommodation where appropriate
- referrals to health, mental health, and substance misuse services
- support to access food, clothing or practical essentials
- advice on housing options and longer‑term accommodation
- connecting people with other local support services
The team works closely with partners, including the police, community safety teams, health services, faith groups and local charities, to ensure people sleeping rough receive coordinated and timely support.
Rough sleeping outreach support
The Forum Outreach Team works across Cheshire West and Chester early in the morning and later in the evening to find and support people who are sleeping rough. The priority is to help people move away from the streets and into a safer, more stable environment wherever this is possible.
People who have experienced rough sleeping can sometimes find it difficult to trust services because of past experiences. The team takes time to build relationships and get to know each person as an individual, working at their pace and focusing on what matters to them.
Working together, we explore the safest and most suitable options to help people move away from rough sleeping. This might include accessing emergency accommodation, health support, welfare services, or reconnecting with family or other support networks.
We work closely with partners across Cheshire West and Chester, including health services, drug and alcohol support, social care, housing providers, the voluntary sector and enforcement agencies, to make sure people can access the help they need.
Our first priority is always to help someone find a safe place and prevent their situation from getting worse. While this is only the first step towards ending homelessness, it creates the space for us to work with people on longer‑term recovery and housing options.
If you’re concerned about someone sleeping rough, please report this via Street Link so our Outreach Team can check on their welfare and offer support as quickly as possible.