Welcome to Maggie (two of them), and Sarah, new emergency accommodation staff.  We all wish you luck in your new jobs.

We believe every person is entitled to the same opportunities regardless of their background

Emergency Accommodation (EA) has become an essential part of life for many homeless people. Open 24 hours a day 365 days a year since November 2007, the EA has provided shelter for numerous vulnerable people since first opening its doors.






What we provide:

      Safe Emergency Shelter

      14 Day Accommodation

      Tea, coffee and meals

      Advice and Support

      Agency and Self referral

      Clean towels and bedding

      Showers and washing facilities

      Safe storage for items

      Personal Hygiene products (Toothpaste, Soap, Shampoo)

Clients accessing the EA can be assured of a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We operate on a system of holding open forums with clients and the team, to discuss the continuing progression of the service and daily running of the facility. These sessions give us the opportunity to maximise our potential and enables us to constantly improve the service we provide.

Not only does EA provide beds for those that may need it, we also offers tea, coffee and regular meals which is incredibly important to people who may have had to spend one or more nights on the streets.

We offer a complete support service for our clients, encompassing everything from personal hygiene to re-housing assistance. Our vast range of initiatives gives our clients the chance to re-establish themselves, become motivated and gives confidence.

Our work is built on strong relationships with many agencies and support services. We also work incredibly hard on maintaining a successful relationship with the Police and town centre wardens. Clients are encouraged to have the same relationship where possible.

Our Clients

Our clients are the heart of our organisation and our services are tailored to meet the needs of those clients. To many, we are the last chance to access support agencies. Those that need the assistance of HOPE come to us for many different reasons, the majority of clients come to us because of relationship breakdowns, others with serious addictions for drugs or alcohol, some with mental health issues,  a large proportion have a history of offending. The EA offers a non-discriminatory criteria including individuals with dual diagnosis.

New Clients have often failed to obtain help for numerous reasons or have been removed from other services because they have failed to maintain an appropriate standard of behaviour that the service asks. The EA gives people the chance to obtain some stability in their often chaotic lives.  Our  Support workers work with individual clients to provide the help they need. Without the EA some clients would fail to obtain this help. 

How to access EA services

Clients come to the EA through numerous external agencies and from diverse backgrounds alongside a multitude of different situations. In addition to agency referral and unlike many support services, we allow self referral making access to HOPE easier and available for all that may need it.

If you need to access our EA services you need to:

·         Present in person for a meeting with a support worker before 2pm on the day you require accommodation.

·         Present in person in the Day Services at 3.30pm for bed allocation

Unfortunately a bed cannot be guaranteed before 3.30pm due to the high number of people who require emergency over-night accommodation 

·         If a bed is allocated to you at 3.30pm you can access the EA from this time.

Client Testimonials

These views are representative of the majority of people we have accommodated and demonstrate that the EA is essential, not only to HOPE clients but to the community as a whole:

*S  came to HOPE direct from Hospital because she had nowhere else to go. All the agencies including mental health services had offered little help. S by her own volition is now more confident and feels that HOPE has helped her to re-establish her life making her feel more ‘normal’ again. “If it wasn’t for HOPE I would be a dead bum”.

*N  who has accessed the service on more than one occasion had left supported housing to build up a relationship with his partner. When this relationship failed he had nowhere to go only HOPE and the EA. “If it wasn’t for HOPE I would still be on the streets and I would be f****d and probably dead”.

*S came from Mansfield as there was no alternative. He was trying to get his life back on track but kept hitting brick walls. “I was lost and confused until I came to the EA. Now I feel far more optimistic about my future”

*A has been a frequent visitor to the EA over a long period of time. He is a young vulnerable male who needed support. “If it was not for the EA I would have no place to sleep and would probably have starved on the streets”

*S came to hope with many problems in his life. He needed a helping hand to get his life back on track. “When I first came to the EA I thought this was the end of the road for me. I felt like I could not have sunk any lower. After time they helped rebuild by confidence and helped my structure my life. I now live in my own flat and I am getting there, again. In a nut shell they probably saved my life”

Accommodation/ Facilities

The Accommodation comprises of 4 single rooms and 5 twin rooms. We have 1 disabled room with an en-suite wet room, 1 twin room with an en-suite and a further 3 shower rooms.

Operated on a daily, direct access basis with an average of 98% of its bed’s taken in 2010. This figure would be closer to 100% if it was not for people failing to access after applying to be accommodated.

The lounge offers clients somewhere to watch TV, play games, chat or just relax in a safe, welcoming environment. All meals are served in the conservatory. Our clients can enjoy the well maintained garden and there is a sheltered smoking area in the back garden.

EA Beds

EA beds are allocated on a daily basis. (please see ‘how to access EA services’)

14 Day beds                  

Once a client has successfully maintained an EA bed they have the opportunity to gain a 14 day bed.

To attain a 14 day bed HOPE encourages the client to attend regular Key Work Sessions and Lifeskills workshops to develop the skills required to enable them to move-on and maintain a tenancy.

Since the introduction of 14 day beds it has proved to be a huge success. With the knowledge that they are guaranteed a bed for 14 nights clients are more settled and less anxious. We have found when clients are more settled it creates a better environment and they are more willing to co-operate with the services provided by HOPE which benefits their wellbeing.

The 14 day bed incentive not only means the client is guaranteed a 14 day bed. They can also access the EA and its facilities throughout the day including their bedrooms.

Safety and Security

For Client safety no unauthorised person is allowed to enter the EA at any time. All client information is confidential and will not be passed to any third party without the clients permission in line with the Data Protection Act.

Lockers are essential to give clients a secure personal space for their belongings.

Health and Hygiene

Clean towels and bedding are always available and for a small charge clients can use the washing machine to wash their personal items. Clients are encouraged to maintain personal hygiene at all times by being provided with soap, toothpaste and shampoo.

Our Team

EA services are provided by a dedicated team of workers who complete all the relevant documentation, clean the premises and maintain its security. On top of this they provide a friendly face to people who are embroiled in difficult circumstances. This team not only ensure the service is working correctly they are there to listen to clients and to be a comfort when needed.

The introduction of 3 Support Workers working alongside 5 full time Wardens creates a safe and stable environment whilst offering advocacy and support to all that access the EA in their often chaotic lives.