A morning of outreach in Manchester

Equipped with a list on their phones of reported places, and their own knowledge of city spots, I set off early on Tuesday morning with Robyn and Rahat as they gently approached people seeking shelter under awnings, tucked in corners and on shop fronts, asking if they were ok.

They are part of a team of 11, who do morning and evening shifts as part of Manchester's homelessness outreach team, working in the central city and at the airport.

Their approach is soft and respectful:

'have you been here long?'

'where are you from?'

'do you know about our centres - you can go and get food, supplies and talk to some people'.

In the mall we come across a man sleeping with no bedding outside a large shop. He says he's been sleeping rough for a few days after getting out of jail. He is not local, which makes it harder for him to access accommodation. There are some places through A Bed Every Night -  a program set up in greater Manchester to meet the needs of those who don't meet the rigid criteria used to gain access accommodation available under a council's statutory responsibility.

We see someone else sleeping in a park with a tent. Robyn drops to her knees to speak to the man inside. Tents are not allowed in the city and at first he thinks she is going to ask him to move away. On another day of the week, a joint outreach group, with police, drug services and council go out. They focus a little more on structures and maintining city cent public spaces protection order. 

 

The team are pleased today because they have come across a few people on the list that they haven't been able to find before. One group of three had been reported many times at a certain space, but had been so good at cleaning up after themselves, there had been no trace every time an outreach team went to the spot.

 

Later in the day, after finishing off some paperwork the early shift outreach workers head to the Street Engagement Hub at the  Mustard Tree. The mustard tree is an open, airy conversion on the edge of the central city fitted with a café, food program, clothing and furniture.

 

On Tuesdays and Thursdays voluntary sector organisations work in partnership with Manchester Council and Greater Manchester Police at the Hub to deliver support and advice to people who are experiencing, or at risk of homelessness.

 

I hear from services at the site that it not only provides opportunities for people to connect into various services, but is also highly valued by people working in the sector as a way of building partnerships by connecting with each other.

And I thought this was pretty cool - an ambulance bike.