Guidance

Heat summary - supporting vulnerable groups: people experiencing homelessness and sleeping rough

Advice for those responsible for people sleeping rough on how to reduce the risks of hot weather to the health of people they provide care for. This includes local authority teams for emergency preparedness, public health as well as non-governmental organisations, including those providing temporary accommodation or street-based support. This is part of the guidance for the hazard: heat.

Applies to England

Key resources for supporting vulnerable people:

  • Heat summary - professionals working with homeless people
  • Full guidance

More roles:

Summary

This guidance for professionals with responsibilities for people sleeping rough includes information on:

  • why people experiencing homelessness are at risk in hot weather
  • risk assessment considerations
  • year-round preparation for hot weather
  • actions to take during summer
  • responding to hot weather

Who is this guidance for

This guidance is for those with responsibilities for people currently sleeping rough. This includes local authority teams for emergency preparedness, public health and rough sleeping, as well as non-governmental organisations, including those providing temporary accommodation or street-based support.

Other information

This guidance applies to England. It was updated in 2024 and is scheduled for review in 2029.

Updates to this page

Published 19 December 2024

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