Rough sleeping

The Thanet RISE project is a multi-agency partnership, working together to support rough sleepers in Thanet. The partner organisations include:

• Thanet District Council
• Forward Trust Drug and Alcohol Service
• Serveco
• Invicta Health Care
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

This award-winning project helps people find and keep a home. We do this by addressing any underlying barriers.

Our team works together to provide all the support someone might need. The team includes:

• The council’s Landlord Liaison Service
• Outreach and in reach support workers
• Specialists to help with drug or alcohol use
• A homeless nurse
• A DWP work coach to help with skills and employment

Working together to reduce homelessness and rough sleeping in our community.

RISE Outreach Support

Our Outreach Team goes out early in the morning and late at night to find and check on people who are sleeping rough. We work with each person to create a personal support plan. This plan helps them tackle any underlying barriers that stop them from getting a home.

Support can include many things. We can help with:

• Food and clothing
• Filling in forms
• Getting ID
• Emotional and mental wellbeing
• Physical health
• Practical skills and budgeting
• Help with drug or alcohol use

We assess what each person needs and make sure their plan is centred around them. We offer as much support as needed. Our help continues even after someone moves into a home.

We can only help people who are willing to work with us. We know that for some, this can start with small steps. The RISE team holds no enforcement powers, so we will work with clients at their own pace.

This wrap-around support helps people to live more fulfilling lives. It also helps them to keep their home long-term.

RISE Inreach Support

We know that some people need more support than others. That is why we focus on each person as an individual. We match our support to their specific needs to give them the best chance of success.

This detailed support also gives landlords peace of mind.

Here is how we do it:

• We offer landlords the chance to meet a person before accepting them as a tenant
• We carry out a full risk assessment before finding someone a home
• We check from the very beginning that a person can afford their rent
• We arrange regular home visits and check-ins when they are needed
• Our team has a dedicated Landlord Liaison Officer, giving landlords a direct person to contact

How to get help if you are homeless

If you are homeless, or worried you might become homeless, you must apply for housing support via the Kent Housing Group website.
If it is an emergency outside of office hours, you can call 01843 577000.

Help for rough sleepers

If you are sleeping rough, you must first complete a Homeless Approach with the council’s Housing Options Team.
If they decide they cannot offer you priority housing, they will refer you to RISE for support.

What happens when you are referred to RISE

First, the RISE team will confirm that you are rough sleeping.

Once verified, they will invite you to a needs assessment meeting with a team member from each service within RISE. At this meeting, a care plan will be created for you and you will be assigned a key worker.

How your key worker will support you

Your key worker will help you with appointments, tasks, and searching for a property. They can also refer you to other services if you need them.
You will meet with a Landlord Liaison Officer to check what rent you can afford.
Once you are ready for a tenancy and a property is found, the RISE team will support you as you move in.

Support after you move in

Your key worker will continue to support you after you are in your new home. This help includes:

• Helping to furnish your property using available donations
• Contacting the Department for Work and Pensions to arrange for your rent to be paid directly to the landlord
• Setting up standing orders for any extra rent payments (top-ups) you need to make
• Setting up your utility bills, like gas and electricity, in your name
• Checking regularly that your rent top-ups are being paid
• Regular welfare checks from your key worker and out-of-hours staff

Getting help from RISE again

Once you are settled, our support may end. However, you can get help from RISE again at any time. You can contact us directly, or your landlord can call our Landlord Liaison Officer on your behalf.

• RISE Spring 2025 newsletter
• RISE Winter 2024 newsletter
• RISE Autumn 2023 newsletter
• RISE Spring 2023 newsletter
• RISE Autumn 2022 newsletter

When extreme weather is forecast, the council has an emergency protocol to help people who are sleeping rough. This plan is called the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP).

Extreme weather can be anything that puts people sleeping on the streets at greater risk. This often means very cold weather or heavy rain, and can also apply to periods of hot weather.

To decide when to use the protocol, we look at local weather forecasts and conditions.

When SWEP is active, we will post on our social media channels. We will offer emergency accommodation to any person confirmed to be sleeping rough in the district.

We do this to prevent deaths caused by extreme weather.

More information is available on the Homeless Link website.

There are regular drop in services available to rough sleepers across Thanet.

More details are available on our information card

RISE information card – plain text version

There are lots of ways you can help people and get involved by donating or volunteering your time:

• Make a financial donation – If you wish to donate financially to people who are rough sleeping then we would advocate making payment to a registered charity rather than giving out cash in person.
• Donate unwanted items – please contact us via email if you are able to help with any of the below items or take any unwanted items to homeless charity shops.
• Volunteer your time – please email roughsleeping@thanet.gov.uk