Somewhere Safe to Stay is delivered through The Plymouth Alliance (TPA), a group of statutory and voluntary organisations that have come together to coproduce, coordinate and provide a range of support services to individuals in Plymouth, with an over-all vision to improve the lives of our customers.
With 20 bed spaces of shared accommodation across two properties, located nearby to one another, the accommodation is provided for singles and couples aged 18 or over who are experiencing homelessness. The accommodation has support on site, and facilities including laundry, a confidential space for support sessions, a team office and a large dining area and communal space.
During their stay, customers are supported to address the issues that may have caused them to lose their previous accommodation; this can include work around substance misuse, mental health, offending, income and daily living. This includes collaborative work with partner agencies to ensure that customers receive tailored support in each area.
Referrals to the service come via the Access to Accommodation (A2A) pathway, involving the completion of a detailed housing and risk assessment arranged by the local authority (Plymouth City Council) or by teams supporting those who are rough sleeping.
The support team consists of a Senior Practitioner, five Support Workers, and four Night Workers providing support.
Customers are supported to access stable accommodation most suited to their needs; this includes social housing, private rented accommodation and supported accommodation.  Once customers have secured accommodation the team are able to provide 3 months of move-on support in an outreach capacity to support customers settle and maintain their new accommodation, preventing future homelessness.