RECENTLY released Government figures show an increase in UK rough sleepers – with an estimated record high of 4,793 people recorded as living on the streets during a single night last Autumn.
In response to this growing problem, a National Plan to End Homelessness has been launched – backed by a £3.5-million prevention pot over three years. North East Lincolnshire Council is set to benefit from some of this investment and, as it works with partners to strengthen support available across the borough, we are running a series of articles that focus on the support already available for rough sleepers.
EARLY morning and late-night patrols mean that outreach workers across North East Lincolnshire are usually only seen by shift-workers, early risers or night owls!
Harbour Place lead on outreach supporting rough sleepers in North East Lincolnshire – helping those most vulnerable access life-saving services. Other local partners – including Humberside Police and North East Lincolnshire Council’s rough sleeping co-ordinator, Liz – also support Outreach activity across the borough.
Outreach workers check on, and support those, who they find on the streets. During the last verified count, in Autumn 2025, 12 people were recorded as sleeping rough in North East Lincolnshire. On average, outreach workers tend to find around 10-12 people rough sleeping each day.
Liz has been involved in outreach patrols since she joined the council four years ago – working with partners to support people in crisis, to try and turn lives around – and importantly – looking at ways to prevent people finding themselves on the streets.
She explains the issues, and the challenges, saying: “A lot of the people we work with are entrenched rough sleepers, they have been out on the streets for a long time, and it’s become a way of life for them.
“While they may not specifically choose this life, it’s something they have grown accustomed to and the thought of gaining that support to start living a completely different life can be scary.
“We have to try to take small steps, gently encouraging them to start working with services. But it isn’t easy, it takes a lot of understanding and patience to see why a person would rather stay outside when it is freezing cold when they are repeatedly being offered a warm bed for the night.”
Liz will often take up the offer from Harbour Place of meeting people at their Hope Centre, on the East Marsh, to work together to best support individuals. start working on support plans. People will be offered any necessary medical and dental care and often need substance abuse support.
James from Harbour Place works closely with Liz, and is part of the outreach team. For James, it is also important that he and other team members try to alert rough sleepers of the dangers they may face.
For example, he says, people will often use tents as shelter, especially in the cold weather.
“While we know how much a tent helps people to keep warm and they may feel safer, they are often leaving themselves more vulnerable. We are aware of people being harmed or even dying inside tents, because they are in a trapped confined space – and no-one is aware there is anyone inside.
“Support workers may also feel very apprehensive about looking inside a tent, we try to make sure we get a response from someone inside, but it can prevent us offering more intensive support. This is why we don’t offer people living on the streets a tent, but will offer warm clothes and blankets,” added James.
North East Lincolnshire Council Leader, Cllr Philip Jackson, along with his fellow Cabinet members – Cllr Stewart Swinburn (whose portfolio includes housing) and Cllr Ron Shepherd (whose portfolio is safer and stronger communities) – joined Liz and PSCO Kerry-Anne Leaning on a dawn patrol last week.
Cllr Jackson said: “It is clear that Outreach work is vital in trying to support those on the streets, offering help whilst also supporting people who are working in the town centre. It is challenging in many ways, and we take this opportunity to thank Outreach workers for all they do.
“In the coming weeks and months, we will be working with officers and partners to look at how rough sleepers on our streets can be helped to access the support that is available to them. There will be a particular focus on our town centres,” he added
- If you see someone sleeping rough, please use StreetLink to alert people locally who can help: StreetLink – Connecting people sleeping rough to local services
- If you, or someone you know is struggling with their housing situation, it’s important to contact the Housing and Homeless team as soon as possible by filling in a homeless prevention form on: Homelessness prevention, housing related support and housing advice | NELC
Tomorrow, we look further at the work of the Outreach workers.
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