Wednesday 9 November 2011

Lewisham Rough Sleepers Count - 9th November 2011

Tonight we are conducting a rough sleepers count in Lewisham.  This involves the agencies collating information on rough sleepers and then comparing our notes to rule out double counting.  This type of count comes in higher than if we try and spot people rough sleeping during 1 or 2 hours in the middle of the night.   Please email me if you know of any rough sleepers that you can verify meet the definition of rough sleeping below.

WHO WILL BE COUNTED?

In 2010 the Government widened the definition of rough sleeping and when estimating or counting

it is essential that those included in the count figure fall into the following definition:


People sleeping, about to bed down (sitting on/in or standing next to their bedding) or

actually bedded down in the open air (such as on the streets, in tents, doorways, parks, bus

shelters or encampments). People in buildings or other places not designed for habitation

(such as stairwells, barns, sheds, car parks, cars, derelict boats, stations, or “bashes”).

 
The definition does not include people in hostels or shelters, people in campsites or other sites

used for recreational purposes or organised protest, squatters or travellers.

It does not include people who were rough sleeping in the area on a previous night or earlier in the

evening but who were not there at the time of the count. It does not include people wandering

around or empty sleeping sites.

Bedded down is taken to mean either lying down or sleeping. About to bed down includes those

who are sitting in/on or standing next to a sleeping bag or other bedding. The intention is to

establish that they are or will be rough sleeping on the night of the count. Research has found that

in many areas people seen drinking in the street or begging (even if they have a blanket or a

sleeping bag) are not necessarily sleeping rough and they should not be included unless they are

clearly bedded down or about to bed down at the time of the count.

All those who fall into this definition should be counted, regardless of nationality or eligibility for

public funds.

Further guidance details can be found on the link below;

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