Homeless or at risk

Winter shelter

When there are arrangements in place for winter shelter during periods of extreme weather, we will give details of the accommodation and support here.

When we provide accommodation during severe weather

The Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) kicks in if the weather is severe enough to cause concern for health or wellbeing to people who would be sleeping rough.

This includes when the temperature is 0 degrees or below. In these instances Herefordshire Council will look to offer you accommodation overnight, if you would otherwise be sleeping rough.

The accommodation is likely to be in our winter provision, if this is operational at the time, or a B&B if winter provision is not available/appropriate. Where possible we will book it close to where you have your support network. However, at busy periods we may have very limited options for availability and therefore may not be able to offer accommodation in your preferred location. This provision will be reviewed daily and your rough sleeper worker will work with you to secure future housing. We are likely to explore all other options with you before providing accommodation under SWEP.

We may also implement SWEP at other times of severe weather, including extreme heat. SWEP doesn't always mean that accommodation is made available to those who wouldn't otherwise have access to accommodation – but that we will provide a service to protect people from the weather conditions. For example, during periods of extreme heat this protection could be providing sun-cream and bottled water.