IMPROVED support will be given to 110 homeless people in Gloucestershire with complex needs, thanks to almost £1million worth of government funding for Gloucestershire.

The 110 identified in the county are single homeless people with complex needs who have either slept rough more than six times in the past two years, or who have repeatedly used homeless services in the last three years.

When looking at rough sleepers at any one time, a ‘street count’ by Cotswold District Council (CDC) in October last year, revealed that there were 42 in the county, six of who were from the Cotswolds.

There were four rough sleepers in Cirencester, one in Daglingworth and one in Bourton-on-the-Water - all were British men.

Meanwhile, there were no rough sleepers in Tewkesbury and the Forest of Dean, two in Stroud, 11 in Cheltenham and 23 in Gloucester.

The county will now be focusing on tackling long-term homelessness with the £990,000 Social Impact Bond (SIB) funding secured by Gloucestershire County Council, aided by Clinical Commissioning Group and district councils.

The successful SIB bid, led by Gloucester City Council, will go towards a four-year project which will deliver a new service to homeless people who have extreme and complex needs and who require one-to-one support to get them off the streets.

From October, professionally trained staff, ‘navigators’, will work with small groups of homeless people, building rapport and trust with each person. The support will continue even when the person is housed.

The service aims to help those who have not responded to traditional services.

Cllr Sue Jepson, CDC cabinet member for housing and communities, said: “This will target those people who are stuck in the cycle of repeat homelessness, some of whom have extremely complex needs.

“The Cotswold district is often seen as a prosperous area but there are some distinct pockets of deprivation, and people can end up on the streets.

“At the moment, the existing services aren’t able to successfully engage successfully with everyone caught up in this downward spiral, but this new personalised approach should help us improve our response and outcomes.”

Graham and Juliette Harris, of homeless charity Cirencester Signpost, said: “With steadily increasing numbers of those facing homelessness in our community, Cirencester Signpost is pleased to hear that funds have been allocated to supporting those sleeping rough as currently we are seeing far too many homeless sleeping out in tents.

“Any additional funds to provide support on a practical level to get people into appropriate accommodation and help with issues that limit their quality of life, that will sustain them over the long-term, is to be welcomed.

“Living out can be a huge challenge and it is important that those who find themselves in this position are offered hope, feel that people care and that there is a brighter future."

The new project will supplement existing services, including the work done by CDC’s housing advice team, and supported accommodation and community-based support services funded by the county council.

The existing countywide homeless outreach team will also be able to focus more on a ‘no second night out’ rapid response when dealing with new rough sleepers.

Cotswold District Council must help people who are legally homeless, how much depends on their eligibility, level of need and if the homelessness is their fault.

If a person is not legally homeless, the district council can help by going through all housing options open to individuals.

During periods of extreme cold weather, when the temperature drops below zero, the district council can provide emergency shelter and a bed.

Members of the public are encouraged to refer people they believe to be street homeless to the P3 Outreach team, the Streetlink phone app, or 0300 500 0914.