What do we do?

The Homeless and Health Inclusion Team is a citywide service and has two main functions:

• To in reach into hospitals to visit those that are homeless or vulnerably housed.
• To outreach into the community to visit Gypsy and Traveller communities.

We provide support to vulnerable homeless adults. We offer medical and psycho-social support. We have open and honest discussions with our patients, so they are able to make their own decisions.

People who access our service may be street homeless, living in tents, staying in temporary accommodation or sofa surfing. They may have had a failed tenancy in the past or are struggling to maintain a current one. They may have been held against their own will or be at risk from another individual or groups of individuals.

We visit victims of domestic violence, women who are sex working, vulnerable migrants or people coming into Leeds from another part of the UK who have no place to stay when they leave hospital. They may have an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol or require support with a disability or a long-term condition.

Our staff visit patients in Leeds hospitals and at St George’s Crypt, a homeless charity supporting people living on the streets into accommodation. They support and help facilitate good discharge planning and ongoing care. This also includes working in partnership with medical teams, prescribing for those with addictions and encouraging engagement/admission.

We provide a Gypsy and Traveller outreach nursing service and visit Gypsy and Traveller sites and roadside encampments. We provide support to services that may struggle to engage with people who may not have a permanent address and help those who may be transient to engage with health services.

Our team

Our team is made up of Nurses and Care Navigators. We also have GPs from York Street practice, who do sessions with us and visit people in hospital. They visit people with complex health and/or addiction problems and help with medication, to ensure safe transfer back to the community.

Referrals

We receive referrals directly from health professionals and other organisations, these include:

• Hospital wards
• Forward Leeds Hospital In-reach Team
• Other partner organisations such as Street Outreach Team, Basis, Joanna Project, St George’s Crypt, Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange, Traveller services.