Housing and Homelessness
Accommodation Information for Rough Sleepers
If you are concerned about someone sleeping rough on the streets, there are some local organisations that can give advice.
ELIM Connect (based at Wells) 01749 677097 has an outreach team. They have a 6 bed provision for the whole of Mendip which provides up to 7 nights’ accommodation, as part of a stepping stone arrangement into other accommodation.
They also have a drop-in surgery for people who are sleeping rough, see times below:
Monday 9am to 11am At Elim Connect Centre, Portway, Wells Breakfast drop in
Tuesday 11am to 1pm At at Fair Frome Foodbank, The Town hall, Christchurch Street West, Frome Drop in
Wednesday 12 noon to 2pm At Elim Connect Centre, Portway, Wells Community lunch drop in
Thursday 1pm to 3pm At The Red Brick Building, Morland Road, Glastonbury Drop in
Friday 3pm to 5pm At Elim Connect Centre, Portway, Wells Soup kitchen drop in
Mendip District Council Access Points
Homeless Drop In Support – Shape Shepton, Shepton Mallet, 8.30-4.30pm
Or as a first port of call, you can go to one of the Access Points below:
Glastonbury: The Library, 1 Orchard Court, Archers Way, Glastonbury BA6 9JB. Open: 10am – 4.30pm Monday Tuesday & Thursday, 10am – 1pm Friday. Closed each day beween 1-2pm.
Street: Crispin Community Centre, Leigh Road, Street BA16 0HA. Open: 10am – 4.30pm Monday, Wednesday & Thursday. Closed each day beween 1-2pm.
Wells: Wells Town Hall, Market Place, Wells BA5 2RB. Open: 10am – 4.30pm Tuesday, 10am – 4:30pm Wednesday & Friday. Closed each day beween 1-2pm.
Frome: The Library, Justice Lane, Frome BA11 1BE. Open: 9:30am – 4:30pm Monday to Friday. Closed each day beween 1-2pm.
Shepton Mallet: The Council Offices and Shape Mendip: Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm.
Routes drop-in centre – Palmer Street. Support for young people.
Advice drop-in session times: weekdays 10am-5pm Young people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness can access support by calling 01749 679553 or visiting the Routes hub.
Below Zero Degrees
An emergency shelter is opened in Mendip when the temperature reaches or is expected to fall below 0 degrees for three consecutive nights. Please contact the places above for details.
Food Banks and CAB – please see people above or find details on the Health Connections Mendip website www.healthconnectionsmendip.org
Warm Homes
No-one likes living in a cold, damp home but when heating bills are so high, it’s hard to know what you can do.
Try our Winter Home Health Check: we’ve compiled ten things you can check at home to put yourself in the best position to stay warm and well this winter. Click here http://www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Winter-Home-Health-Check.pdf
If you’d like a printed copy, pop into the Town Hall or contact Anna Francis
Insulate your home: grant funding for insulation is now available through insulation firm Evolve. Most households could get at least a 50% discount and some will qualify for free insulation.
- Insulating your loft will save you around £130 each year
- Homes built after 1945 will have cavity walls. Filling these with insulation could save you £145 per year.
Figures quoted are for a semi-detached house. Source: Energy Saving Trust
Get an Interest Free Loan to help with fuel cost
Borrow up to £500 to help spread the cost of buying expensive fuels such as oil, LPG, coal and wood. More info here
Talk to the experts: Call the free helpline on 0800 082 2234 to talk to a specialist energy advisor at the Centre for Sustainable Energy. They can give you impartial advice, grant information and practical ideas specific to you and your home.
Positive People – support for those not in work
Positive People offers a lifeline to people who are not in work, no matter what the reason. It can help build confidence, skills and give people a sense of hope for their future.
The programme offers 1:1 support to help people move forward with life, and can help people get involved with new and exciting activities to help build confidence and meet new people. It also provides free specialised support towards overcoming barriers to work such as anxiety or isolation issues, access to benefits, housing, financial or other health issues.
The programme is open to anyone over 18 who is out of work. You can access this service without a referral.
Somerset Care and Repair, Mendip, Bath and North East Somerset
Care and Repair is a home improvement agency providing a range of practical services and home adaptations designed to support elderly, disabled and vulnerable people and enable them to continue to live safe, warm and secure within their own homes.
The services covers the whole of the Somerset (including Mendip, South Somerset, Sedgemoor, Taunton Deane and West Somerset) and all of Bath and North East Somerset. For more information about the services available visit the website, email the office or phone the number below.
Somerset Care & Repair Ltd, Barley House, The Old Brewery, Charlton Estate, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5QE
Rough Sleeper Helpline
To report someone sleeping rough, call the number below, calls are confidential. We aim to visit people referred to the service within 2 working days. Please provide as much detail as possible about the individual to help us make contact with them.
Bridge Café, Frome
Community Café where people with mental health problems, homelessness or other issues may be able to find support, warmth and affordable food/drinks.
Advice service: Tony Perry offers a Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) outreach type drop in service on Thursday and Friday 11.00am – 1.30pm.
Community Café: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 11.00am – 4.00pm. Fortnightly free Sunday lunch 1.00pm – 2.30pm. Hardship Fund Food Bank, access to food boxes voucher from registered referrer needed e.g. CAB. Mondays 10.00am – 1.00noon
Bridge Cafe, 43 Selwood Rd, Frome BA11 3BS
Mendip YMCA
Mendip YMCA works with vulnerable people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. We will work to try and reconcile young people with their parents to reduce the risk of them becoming homeless and securing a return home should the relationship have broken down. In addition we work with people who hold tenancies and support them to sustain them by liaising with key agencies and signposting when necessary.
Emergency Accommodation – Mendip YMCA can help with emergency accommodation for homeless 16 to 25 year olds.
Family Mediation – Mendip YMCA can work with young people (aged 16 – 25) and their parents / guardians / householder / when there is a risk of homelessness.
Resettlement Support – This scheme receives referrals from Referral Agencies for 16 – 25 year olds who are homeless or threatened with homelessness and in need of support. There are branches in: Headquarters The Old Glasshouse, South Street, Wells, Somerset, BA5 1SL and
Routes One Stop Shop Frome – Routes is managed by Mendip YMCA. The project enables direct access to information, advice, support and learning opportunities for young people and is situated in 1a Palmer Street, Frome (at the Foyer). We are able to signpost young people to a wide range of services, e.g. housing, activities, employment, and training whilst providing support, help and guidance for young people 11-25 years old to reach goals and fulfil their full potential.
Frome Youth and Community Centre Painting Party Saturday 20th January 2018 for details contact Louise on 01749 679553
Pathway for Adults (P4A
Rethink Mental Illness provides integrated mental health services that include accommodation, outreach and resettlement services for adults with mental health problems.
The P4A Hubs serves as the main access point for referrals for support or accessing an accommodation element and will provide advice and information on a range of issues including signposting to other services. Rethink Mental Illness has two accommodation hubs and two high need mental health accommodation units together with resettlement and outreach teams. Location of the Mendip hub is: P4A East at Keward House in Wells and is the single point of access for all services across Mendip and South Somerset. Referrals can be received through a variety of sources including self, carers, professionals and partners. Please contact the Hub for further information.
P2i Pathway to Independance
A service for 16-25 year olds provided in partnership with the YMCA and housing consortium. For the Mendip area please see phone number and email address below.
Elim Connect
Offers a wide range of support services to rough sleepers, the homeless, socially isolated and those struggling with addictions.
Also offer skills training and one to one counselling as well as a secure mail address, and access to showers and minimal cost Laundry. Main Office: Elim Connect Centre, Portway, Wells BA5 2BE.
Rough Sleeper Information:
If you are rough sleeping in this area or you are worried that you will be, you can drop into Elim Connect Centre to access their Community Outreach Service where somebody will be there to help you
When and where you are able to get help if you are sleeping rough.
Monday 9am to 11am At Elim Connect Centre, Portway, Wells Breakfast drop in
Tuesday 11am to 1pm At at Fair Frome Foodbank, The Town hall, Christchurch Street West, Frome Drop in
Wednesday 12 noon to 2pm At Elim Connect Centre, Portway, Wells Community lunch drop in
Thursday 1pm to 3pm At The Red Brick Building, Morland Road, Glastonbury Drop in
Friday 3pm to 5pm At Elim Connect Centre, Portway, Wells Soup kitchen drop in
Housing Options Team, Mendip District Council
We work with a variety of statutory and voluntary agencies to offer, complete and co-ordinated housing options advice service. Our aim is to ensure our customers have a full range of housing options.
Write to us: Housing Options Team, Mendip District Council, Cannards Grave Road, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 5BT or visit in person.
Open: Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm – please note we will be unable to see you if you arrive later than 4.30pm.
Further information about all council services is available on our website http://www.mendip.gov.uk/housing
Council information points:
Glastonbury: The Library, 1 Orchard Court, Archers Way, Glastonbury BA6 9JB. Open: 10am – 4.30pm Monday Tuesday & Thursday. Closed from 1-2pm for lunch. 10am to 1pm Friday
Street: Crispin Community Centre, Leigh Road, Street BA16 0HA. Open: 10am – 4.30pm Closed between 1-2pm for lunch. Monday, Wednesday & Thursday
Wells: Wells Town Hall, Market Place, Wells BA5 2RB. Open: Tuesday, Wed and Friday 10am – 4.30pm. Closed for lunch between 1-2pm.
Frome: The Library, Justice Lane, Frome BA11 1BE. Open: 9:30am – 4:30pm Closed between 1-2pm for lunch. Monday to Friday
Shepton Mallet offices during Housing Options drop in sessions Mon-Fri 8:30-5pm.
Private Sector Housing Team, Mendip District Council
Private Sector Housing Team, Mendip District Council
Our role is to ensure that all properties are safe to live in, whether they are owner occupied or rented privately or through a housing association. We offer grants and loans to adapt homes for disabled people, complete essential repairs and bring empty homes back into use. We respond to housing condition complaints, carryout inspections and work with landlords and property owners to ensure homes are improved and repairs completed. We have a variety of enforcement powers available to ensure homes are free from serious hazards and we commonly use these to deal with issues such as cold, damp and mould, risk of falls and fire safety. We also licence houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and mobile home sites and offer general advice on housing standards.
If you are a property owner in need of assistance or a tenant having a problem getting your landlord to carry out repairs then contact us as we may be able to help.
Council information points:
Glastonbury: The Library, 1 Orchard Court, Archers Way, Glastonbury BA6 9JB. Open: 10am – 4.30pm Monday Tuesday & Thursday, 10am – 1pm Friday. Closed each day beween 1-2pm.
Street: Crispin Community Centre, Leigh Road, Street BA16 0HA. Open: 10am – 4.30pm Monday, Wednesday & Thursday. Closed each day beween 1-2pm.
Wells: Wells Town Hall, Market Place, Wells BA5 2RB. Open: 10am – 4.30pm Tuesday, 10am – 4:30pm Wednesday & Friday. Closed each day beween 1-2pm.
Frome: The Library, Justice Lane, Frome BA11 1BE. Open: 9:30am – 4:30pm Monday to Friday. Closed each day beween 1-2pm.
Shepton Mallet: The Council Offices and Shape Mendip: Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm.
CONTACT DETAILS
Private Sector Housing, Mendip District Council, Cannards Grave Road, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5BT.