Resources, Tools and Guidance
There are a range of documents which provide guidance on health and homelessness:
Cross government strategy Ending rough sleeping for good
NICE guidance to support integrated health and social care for people experiencing homelessness
The Centre for Homelessness Impact (CHI) have developed a new resource in partnership with NICE to support stakeholders in implementing the NICE guideline for people experiencing homelessness.
Homelessness: applying All Our Health (PHE, 2019) provides useful information for a range of professionals to help them to address health amongst people experiencing homelessness.
A review in The Lancet ‘What works in inclusion health: overview of effective interventions for marginalised and excluded populations’ (Aldridge et al., 2018) discusses interventions and outcomes for those experiencing homelessness.
Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is an approach to behaviour change that supports the opportunistic delivery health information which enables individuals to engage in conversations about their health. More details about the type of interventions are available on the links below but in summary:
- provide holistic screening and health assessment (the 2015 QNI health assessment guidance provides useful guidance)
- ensure individuals are in contact with appropriate services such as drug and alcohol provider,
- check they are registered with a GP and receive primary health care. Individuals with no fixed abode can register with a GP (see NHSE resource)
- support individuals to attend appointments and engage in treatment (this may benefit from the involvement of peers and a service could be considered locally with the Groundswell Homeless Health Peer Advocacy Service).
The routine immunisation schedule is detailed here, however there are also selective immunisation programmes which target those at risk due to underlying health conditions or lifestyle which may apply to individuals experiencing street homelessness, for example:
- Flu vaccines for the 2022 to 2023 season - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Hepatitis B (National Institute for Care and Health Excellence, 2014)
- Hepatitis B & C (National Institute for Care and Health Excellence, 2013)
- Latent TB (Public Health England, NHS England and TB Alert, 2019)
- HIV (National Institute for Care and Health Excellence, 2016)
- Condom provision through condom distribution schemes (via sexual health services[1] or local authority) as per NICE guidance (2017)
- For women – support to access contraception services either through primary care or sexual health services
- STI testing as per NICE guidance (2007) and BASSH guidance (2015) provides a useful summary of tests by priority groups
Stakeholder resource to support the health needs of individuals experiencing street homelessness across the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber
19 March 2021