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Ready-to-Go Projects - Homeless/Housing - Emergency Accommodation

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HOMELESS/HOUSING
DePaul Nightstop UK

Summary
Nightstop is the provision of emergency accommodation for single homeless 16-25 year olds exclusively in the homes of approved volunteers. The host offers a bed for the night, meals, an opportunity for the young person to bath and wash their clothes and a friendly listening ear. Depaul Nightstop UK offers guidance and consultancy services, concerning the processes and the spectrum of issues involved in setting up and operating a local scheme.

Brief Description of organisation
Umbrella body for the development of new services and support to existing Nightstop services
across the UK. Nightstop is registered trademark of DePaul Nightstop UK.

Start date of Organisation
Established in 1987 merged with Depaul UK in 2007

No. of churches/ groups supported
Currently 48 affiliated Nightstop services

Brief Description
Nightstop is the provision of emergency accommodation, in the homes of approved volunteers, for young homeless people aged between 16 and 25 years old. Each Nightstop service agrees to work within Quality Standards and Affiliation Criteria of DNUK. Support is offered by DNUK staff and the existing network of services through.

Expected Results
Across the UK last year over 6800 Nightstop bednights were offered to homeless young people by volunteer hosts. In 2009 the network of dedicated volunteers donated 103,000 hours of their time to Nightstop services. The concept is based around Nightstop being responsive to local need and growing to meet that need. Some services operate with 3 or 4 hosting ‘families’ while others have more than 20. The use of Nightstop is very dependent on partnership working with other agencies (acting as referralagencies to the Nightstop service) and the alternative accommodation and support services available for young people in each locality.

Many Nightstop’s also offer a range of additional services to young people such as: Crashpad, Supported Lodgings, educational sessions in schools and befriending services.

Advantages to church
Nightstop offers a way of involving community members in providing a very hands-on local service to local homeless young people. Those who can offer a spare room can do so and others not able to do that can help in other ways such as raising money, driving young people to placements and by being a trustee or other voluntary role. Basically there is a role for everyone. Homelessness, like child protection, is everyone’s responsibility.

Services provided by national organisation

  • DNUK offers support with setting up and running a service, providing resources such as relevant policy documents and a training pack for volunteers.
  • Additionally there are opportunities for Nightstops to meet each other at Forum meetings, an Annual Event, a regular newsletter and regular email information.
  • A free database is available to support the collection of national and local statistics and the management of Nightstop information.
  • Each service has a named key worker.
  • There is no helpline Advice but information is available on all operational and governance matters. DNUK ensures all services operate to national standards and will assess on
  • a regular basis providing reports of the Quality Standards Assessment visit and suggestions for improving practice.

Financial cost to church
The cost varies as a Nightstop may operate with or without staff depending on the need in the area and the commitment the organisation wishes to make. Some Nightstops have a small budget to cover basic expenses only while others employ several staff and have budgets of several hundred thousands of pounds. Each case would need to be discussed to ascertain a realistic budget for a Nightstop service in any specific area. It is possible that Nightstop will fit very comfortably alongside existing services run by the church and Nightstop may cost very little extra to operate. It is worth exploring partnership working with other agencies where the cost and supply of resources can be shared.

Non-Financial Requirements for church
The biggest non financial resource is of course the range of volunteers needed to run the service. Office space and office equipment may also be supplied at little or no cost.

As above it may be possible for the church to supply volunteers and an office space and telephone costs for example and then to find other local partners who can supply the money to pay for staffing and to cover staff and volunteer expenses etc.

Alternatively a group of churches together may wish to fully resource a service between them to cover all the relevant parishes.

Contact Details
Susan Trenerry, National Manager
Resource Centre, Oxford Street, Whitley Bay
0191 2536161           Susan.Trenerry@depauluk.org                 www.depaulnightstopuk.org