Homelessness partnership working - Morecambe Bay

A collaborative partnership between Bay Integrated Care Community (ICC), Lancaster and District Homeless Action Service (LDHAS), Lancaster City Council (LCC) and Hope Church Lancaster enabled the co-ordination and delivery of services to rough sleepers and homeless people, ensuring they had access to health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

LDHAS identified people who needed support, LCC identified temporary accommodation and the Bay ICC team identified practices that could support homeless people placed in temporary accommodation. This included establishing a COVID-19 testing pathway for people placed or living in a multi-occupancy facility.

Most homeless people are not registered with a GP, so this support meant that some of the most vulnerable people in the community had access to services that they wouldn’t have previously been able to access, with potential to end their rough sleeping. The testing also reduced the risk of community transmission of COVID-19 amongst a vulnerable population.