Thanet’s Severe Weather Emergency Protocol for rough sleepers activated

Updated: Monday 21 February 2022

A Yellow weather warning is in place for Kent, and having reviewed the situation, we will be keeping SWEP in place tonight (Monday 21 February).

The Met Office has issued a red weather warning in response to Storm Eunice. We will therefore be activating Thanet’s Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) from tonight (Friday 18 February 2022), for the next three nights. Any known rough sleepers will be offered temporary accommodation and support from our multi-agency RISE team during this period.  

To let us know about a rough sleeper who you believe is in need of help during this time please call 01843 577277 with as much information as possible about the location of the individual you are calling about. This number is available 24 hours a day.

Our response aims to ensure the safety and wellbeing of anybody we believe to be rough sleeping. RISE, our rough sleeping outreach team, is working hard to ensure that any known rough sleepers are proactively offered relief during this cold snap. It is important to note that even when SWEP is in place, some people do still turn down offers of support and we cannot forcefully intervene if someone refuses, but we will keep trying. 

Our outreach workers will be working over the weekend and we work closely with our partners including the GAP project, Salvation Army and Porchlight all year round to provide support.

More information on our Severe Weather Emergency protocol (SWEP) is available on our website:  www.thanet.gov.uk/rough-sleeping