Operating principles for night shelters
Operating principles for commissioners and providers of night shelters for people experiencing rough sleeping.
Applies to England
1. Who is this advice for
This advice is for all night shelter providers and front line staff and volunteers working in night shelters. It may also be useful for other individuals or organisations working with, or within, night shelters.
2. Introduction
This guide replaces the COVID-19 operating principles for night shelters, which was withdrawn in March 2022. It is intended to be used in conjunction with other broader guidance documents, including People with symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19 and Living safely with respiratory infections, including COVID-19.The past 4 years have seen a wave of transformation in the way that non-commissioned services support rough sleepers. We have seen the positive impact of secure, single-room accommodation on how people feel about their time spent in emergency shelters and their chances of moving on to secure long-term accommodation.
There are extensive benefits of partnership working between non-commissioned services and local authorities. As we continue to move further beyond a state of emergency response, the way we support rough sleepers will adapt further and community and faith groups will be a core part of this.
In July 2022 we launched the £13 million Night Shelter Transformation Fund, which made new funding available across 3 years for non-commissioned night shelters and community projects to transform the way they support rough sleepers.
The Night Shelter Transformation Fund provides funding opportunities for non-commissioned community and faith groups to level-up their provision for rough sleepers. Funding has accelerated provision of single room accommodation. Additionally, it has supported developments in workforce training, setting up specialist support services, implementing befriending schemes and community reconnection work, and legal support.
The government maintains its position that providers of night shelters should prioritise providing single room accommodation options where possible.
However, we know that local circumstances may mean there are rare occasions where a provider decides to put in place communal models to prevent people sleeping rough, particularly in extreme weather.
People sleeping rough are more likely to be exposed to cold and more likely to experience significant effects from this exposure because of underlying health conditions. They are less able to take preventive measures to protect themselves. Night shelters offer key support in extreme weather.
The principles recommend that providers of night shelters with a communal sleeping model seek advice from their local Director of Public Health (DPH) prior to opening. Your local DPH and health protection team will be able to advise on reducing the risk of communicable diseases in shelter settings and community projects.
As a working principle, communal sleeping arrangements should only be considered where it is justified by levels of rough sleeping need.
Communal sleeping arrangements should be established in partnership with the local authority, with dialogue between the shelter and local authority on referral processes and ongoing support for guests. Considerations should be made that prioritise the health and wellbeing of those who access these provisions.
We hope that these principles offer a common starting place for all community and faith led organisations who are supporting rough sleepers. The work that your organisations undertook during the pandemic was commendable and materially contributed to lives saved.
We welcome feedback and suggestions on how these principles could be developed. If you have thoughts you would like to share, please email: vcfsgrantprogramme@levellingup.gov.uk
3. Maintaining public health principles in night shelters
This guidance has been drafted with advice and input from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). This guidance sets out advice on how night shelters can operate more safely, based on public health principles which can be applied to many public health risks, including respiratory infections.
Guidance is available for people with symptoms of a respiratory infection, including COVID-19. We recognise that aspects of this advice such as self-isolation may be challenging within night shelters.
This guidance is delivered in 2 sections, the first covering public health principles for night shelter providers and the second covering wider good practice.
3a Organisationally
Due to their shared facilities and airspaces, night shelters can present higher levels of risk in the transmission of infections. We have learnt a great deal from the pandemic that can be applied when managing public health risks in homelessness settings. Many organisations will have incorporated these learnings into routine practice. The following guidance includes simple, applicable principles that help organisations stay in control of infection.
Where a night shelter has communal sleeping arrangements, the below actions are even more important to minimise spread of disease and protect service users from health risks linked to cold weather.
Strengthen services and facilities
In advance of cold weather, identify which buildings, rooms or services are at risk of cold temperatures and/or mould, and apply public health principles to manage potential health risks arising from this for service users.
During periods of adverse cold weather, consider adjusting provision of services, for example by extending opening hours for your shelter, to provide extra daytime protection.
Let fresh air in
Make sure you let plenty of fresh air into any shelters. You can do this by uncovering vents and opening doors and windows.
Good air circulation is important because when a person infected with a respiratory viral infection, such as COVID-19, speaks, coughs or sneezes, they release small particles that contain the virus which causes the infection. These particles can be breathed in by another person. The more fresh air that is brought inside, the quicker any airborne virus will be removed from the indoor space. See further advice on what importance of improved ventilation is.
Limiting close contact if have you have symptoms of a respiratory infection
Staff, volunteers, and service users are advised to avoid contact with people they do not usually live with if they have symptoms of a respiratory infection and have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to carry out normal activities.
Staff and volunteers who have symptoms with respiratory infection and a high temperature, or who do not feel well enough to carry out their normal activities, should be encouraged to stay at home until they no longer have a high temperature (if they had one) or they no longer feel unwell. This will help to reduce the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19 and other respiratory infections.
There is further advice available in the guidance for people with symptoms of a respiratory infection, including COVID-19. There is also separate guidance available for the small number of people whose weakened immune systems means they are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, despite vaccination.
Wash your hands
Service users, staff, and volunteers should wash their hands with soap and water or use hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day. Regular hand washing is an effective way to reduce the risk of catching illnesses.
Service users, staff, and volunteers should wash their hands:
- after coughing, sneezing or blowing their nose
- before they eat or handle food
- after touching surfaces used by many others, such as handles, handrails and light switches
- after using shared areas such as kitchens and bathrooms
- after arriving in new setting outside of the night shelter
Along with hand washing, providers should regularly clean their surroundings and encourage service users to cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
Vaccination
We know that airborne viruses like COVID-19 and flu are more prevalent in winter. Vaccinations should be planned ahead of time to reduce risks to yourself and others.
Many individuals experiencing homelessness or rough sleeping are either themselves immunosuppressed or have a health condition which makes them vulnerable to infections, or they are regularly in close contact with someone who is at higher risk from infections.
In addition, people experiencing homelessness or sleeping rough may be eligible for a COVID-19 autumn vaccine and flu vaccine due to their age (65 years and over) or clinical condition (as laid out in the Immunisation Green Books chapters for COVID-19 and Influenza).
For operational expediency and in line with public health recommendations, wherever possible COVID-19 and flu vaccines should be administered at the same time. Providers should make every effort to support people to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Where vaccination is outreached, and it is not feasible to assess eligibility (for example due to high levels of undiagnosed or unrecorded chronic disease), some vaccination teams may choose to offer vaccine as a universal offer to maximise coverage and uptake in eligible groups.
Find further information and guidance about supporting people to take up the vaccine.
Find further information about eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine and how to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Find further information about eligibility for the flu vaccine and how to get the flu vaccine.
COVID-19 testing
UKHSA continues to provide free outbreak testing to high risk settings, including night shelters, hostels, hotels and other temporary accommodation.
There is detailed advice on outbreak testing, and on the management of people who have a positive test result, in the guidance on outbreaks in prisons, refuges and other higher-risk accommodation settings.
3b Individually
Self-isolation
Staff and volunteers with symptoms of a respiratory infection, and who have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until they no longer have a high temperature ( if they had one) or they no longer feel unwell.
If they have taken a COVID-19 test and it is positive they should try to stay at home and away from other people for 5 days after the day they took their test.
If possible, service users with symptoms of a respiratory infection should be provided with single room accommodation in the night shelter or alternative accommodation. Where is this not possible, individuals should be supported to keep their distance from other people and to wear a face mask while they have symptoms.
Further guidance for people with respiratory infection.
GP registration
It is important that service users in your care are encouraged and supported to register with a local GP. As well as increasing access to general healthcare, this will enable vaccination if eligible.
It is free to register with a GP in England. Patients wishing to register do not need to provide proof of identity, immigration status or address.
NHS guidance on how to register with a GP surgery clearly outlines that a practice cannot refuse a patient because they do not have proof of address or immigration status.
Community and faith groups can support individuals to register with a GP by helping them to provide a form of identification, this is not essential, but it is helpful to do so. Guidance on registering with a GP as a homeless person (PDF, 352 KB)
3c Locally
Speak to your local Director of Public Health
A positive relationship with your local Director of Public Health (DPH) is beneficial to your organisation and the people you work with. DsPH are responsible for ensuring that public health is at the heart of their local authority’s agenda and will be able to provide expert advice to support staff, volunteers, and service users to stay healthy and protect them from threats to their health.
You can find your local DPH.
You can find out more about the role of a DPH.
Keep up-to-date with the latest guidance on Gov.uk and report outbreaks
UKHSA is responsible for keeping the public protected from infectious diseases. They aim to detect outbreaks of infectious disease rapidly. One way that this work can be supported is by contacting your local Health Protection team if an incident or outbreak is suspected.
Advice on communicable diseases can also be sought from local Health Protection Teams.
4. Principles for maintaining a high-quality night shelter
There is a wealth of good practice within the community and faith sector, and these further principles have been drawn up in consultation with the key nationwide sector networks, Housing Justice and Homeless Link.
Focussing on outcomes
The service is time-limited emergency accommodation focussed on helping homeless people move-on into long-term sustainable accommodation. This means:
- most service users will stay for a short time only
- the service has staff who do case-work with service users and support them through their stay and towards their onward move
- the service consults with people with lived experience and develops the strengths and skills of the people it serves
- where possible, emergency accommodation is offered on a single-room, 24-hour accessible model
- safeguarding is prioritised within the service. More information on safeguarding
Strong governance
- the service is well managed and has robust governance to oversee performance, strategy, and financial and risk management
- the service is innovative and inclusive and keeps its service users at the heart of its work
- the service is willing to play a role in the national networks such as Housing Justice and Homeless Link and be part of the conversation about the direction of the sector.
Partnership with the local authority
- the service works in close partnership with the local authority and other homelessness services and avoids unnecessary duplication or competition with other agencies
- the services play a demonstrable role in preventing and reducing rough sleeping in the local area.
- the referral process is coordinated with the local authority and other agencies so that the night shelter plays a clear role in the local pathway for rough sleepers.
- the arrangements for moving-on service users should also be similarly aligned so that as many people as possible have options of where to move to when they leave the shelter. This should include options for move-on where individuals are not eligible for homelessness assistance and housing.
When working in partnership consider how the service:
- works closely in partnership with other local faith and community groups
- links service users in with local community services such as debt advice services, immigration support and community-based support groups
- links with local colleges, training and employment services
Partnership with local services
- Local authority Public Health team
- GP
- Dentist / Optician / Podiatrist
- Local primary care services
- Homeless Health Inclusion services
- Mental Health Services
- Drug and alcohol services
- Registered immigration advice
Partnership with statutory services
- DWP and Job Centre Plus
- Prison and Probation services
- Social care teams
Updates to this page
Last updated 13 November 2023 + show all updates
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Updated to add clarity and to reflect changes to linked guidance.
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First published.