Rough sleeper 'would have died' without help

A former rough sleeper has said he would not be alive today if he had not received help from his local mental health trust's Rough Sleeper Team (RST).

Paul, 57, who now lives in temporary accommodation in Maidstone, Kent, spent a number of years living on the streets and has been diagnosed with severe depression.

The RST began supporting Paul and his dog Cally about 18 months ago.

Paul said that without the help of the specialist team from Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT): "I'd be dead now... guaranteed."

He added: "There were times where I knew my homelessness and my depression was getting that bad, and I was getting ill and I was getting sick.

"I wasn't taking care of myself at all. I wasn't washing. I'd be wearing dirty clothes. I didn't care what anyone thought of me.

"I was thinking any minute now they're going to come and take her [Cally] and they're going to section me. I'm off, she's gone and that's it."

Describing his experience of being supported by the team, he said: "I've never experienced care like that outside my family.

"It was just unbelievable support, and support that I desperately needed years before."

Estimates suggest that between 40% and 80% of the rough-sleeping population suffers from mental illnesses, which significantly hinder their ability to find and maintain stable housing.

The average life expectancy for people who sleep rough is just 43 years.

The nationwide Rough Sleeping Initiative supports local authorities in providing tailored services aimed at helping people achieve secure and sustainable lives away from the streets.

In 2022, the government announced an investment of up to £500m in funding to local authorities across England as part of a multi-year funding between 2022 and 2025.

The RST collaborates with the Homelessness Services of West Kent and Medway's borough and district councils to focus on the mental health aspects of homelessness.

It provides mental health screening, assessments, and improved access to local care services.

John Lavelle, KMPT's service director for west Kent, said the approach had "proven effective in working with and supporting people in our most vulnerable communities".

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