A to Z of services

The Croydon Health Services (CHS) Homeless Pathway Team works alongside the existing Homeless Health Team to deliver joined-up, holistic care. (The latter team instead provides direct primary care from our Rainbow Health Centre).

Patients, health professionals and those that work alongside people experiencing homeless can refer directly to the team, ahead of arriving at the Emergency Department.

Hospital colleagues can also refer to the team if a patient in their ward is experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

The Team are able to:

• Provide a Holistic Assessment of the patient’s health and social care needs
• Secure local step-down accommodation for the patient, providing health and social care in-reach while their needs are addressed, should the person be at risk of being discharged onto the street
• Provide advice about homelessness, homeless health and housing law
• Provide skilled advocacy for patients at homeless person units
• Spend time with patients and financially support with items such as toiletries, phone top ups and other such resettlement essentials
• Work across primary, secondary and tertiary care boundaries to ensure needs in the community are met to reduce patient readmission
• Assist and educate in patient teams to increase health inclusion knowledge of this client group
• Work to address the core issues of the patient’s homelessness to address this vulnerable and increasing client group

 

Contact details

Ask a nurse of doctor if you want to talk to the Homeless Pathway Team. You can also call the team yourself.

Telephone: 07766 939 141

Email: ch-tr.homelesspathwaysteam@nhs.net

Opening hours: Monday - Friday 9:00-17:00

There is also an outside hours housing support officer as part of the Pathway Team.

 

Additional resources

• CHS Homeless Pathway Team - digital leaflet Dec 2021.pdf
• CHS Homeless Pathway Team - digital booklet Dec 2021.pdf