Strategic Initiatives
Thames
Reach
Thames Reach is one of the
key homelessness charities in London. It runs services for the
harder-to-reach rough sleeping population, including those with
multiple health problems, mental health needs and with drug and
alcohol dependency. The charity runs hostels, supported housing
schemes, street outreach teams, tenancy support schemes and
employment schemes for ex-homeless people.
Thames Reach is pioneering new approaches to
homelessness and, in 2002, commissioned research
to explore the social networks of homeless people and develop
a toolkit with which frontline staff could begin to address this
issue with clients. The report 'Dreams Deferred' recommends using
family mediation to prevent relationship breakdown, the most
commonly cited cause of homelessness. Continued contact with
friends and family once somebody has found a home also helps to
prevent individuals from depending on street culture and returning
to homelessness.
The report was well received by homelessness agencies in London
and in May 2004 the Trust awarded Thames Reach a grant of £107,000
to take the initiative through to the next stage. This entailed
work to implement the toolkit and integrate the approach into
Thames Reach itself. A learning network was
established including the major London homelessness charities
and practitioners working with other vulnerable groups in ways
which could be instructive to the homelessness sector. A website
SupportActionNet was
also launched with the aim of assisting organisations
that are developing approaches to working with homeless and
vulnerable people.
In keeping with the Trust's approach of 'adding value' to its
grants by encouraging learning and the sharing of best
practice, a strategic initiatives grant of £15,000 was awarded
to Thames Reach in September 2005 to publicise the findings of the
work to date and to host a conference for the whole of the
homelessness sector.
For further information,
click here to visit the
Thames Reach website.