How we work
No one can do it all alone. And no one should have to.
We all need guidance. It’s what gets us through and gives us hope.
But for homeless people, that support network just isn’t there.
Until they come to Homeless Oxfordshire.
We provide that safe space, with access to high quality one to one support and initiatives to give homeless people control and independence.
We encourage homeless people to get back on their feet, teach people how to manage a tenancy.
We help boost people’s self-esteem and resilience to cope with life’s ups and downs.
We connect with homeless people and remind them of their strengths and their skills, helping them to move onto a life with greater independence and happiness.
Jon's Story
Jon was struggling. With issues around drug dealing, sex working and financial abuse, he saw no light at the end of the tunnel. In his despair, he turned to Homeless Oxfordshire for help.
As a high priority, vulnerable client, we got to work fast, creating a safe and well-monitored space for Jon to live comfortably with us. We also supported him to protect himself and ensure he could manage his money better.
Working alongside the Neighbourhood Police Team, together, we reported any connected incidents and guided with our expertise and empathy.
For Jon, it was the safest option to seek sustainable private rented accommodation out of the area, and we helped him on that path.
To keep him on that path, we:
- Set up a repayment plan to support and address his arrears
- Helped him engage with Compass staff
- Searched for PRS
- Built his self-esteem and confidence to help him search for employment
Where we work
Homelessness doesn’t have a postcode. Sadly, it’s everywhere. We make sure Oxfordshire is covered, working across the county in close partnership with organisations including all local authorities such as Oxford City Council.
O'Hanlon House
O’Hanlon House is a hostel offering safety, warmth and specialist support.
All of our clients are allocated a keyworker who will help them create their own support plan and link them with relevant professionals. So regardless of their struggle – drugs, alcohol, mental health, there’s always an expert to listen and advise.
Whatever stage of life they’re at, we remind clients that they deserve to relax and enjoy some downtime. So we run regular events and activities to keep everyone positive and stimulated.
As well as providing accommodation the hostel also supports homeless people via SWEP, accommodating an additional 10 people during severe weather.
Community Accommodation
Opening doors and creating opportunities is our main focus. And our move-on projects are one of the best examples.
Designed especially for homeless people over 18, this set of over 20 properties across Oxford and Abingdon can accommodate up to 144 people who are ready to make a positive change in their lives.
Women Only Project
We are one of only 11% of accommodation projects able offer women-only provision within their service across the UK.
The women we accommodate and support have complex needs including child welfare, family and relationship breakdown, offending behaviour, historic abuse, bereavement, substance misuse, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, childhood trauma and/or self-harm and interrelating problems that contribute to women’s homelessness and presents barriers to recovery
Homeless Oxfordshire offers
- women-only spaces
- Supportive communal living experiences
- safe and trusted environments
- trauma-informed approach, based on empathy, consistency, boundaries and an acknowledgement of the reality of each individual’s life
- strengths based approach that fosters empowerment and choice
Sapling project
Provides 7 beds for clients who are in recovery from drug and/or alcohol dependency and have completed a period of residential detox treatment or rehabilitation; usually at Howard House in Oxford.
Vineyard project
Provides 14 beds for clients in the South & Vale District and caters for a variety of needs.
Project 41
Provides 41 units of accommodation. 13 units are allocated to clients with low-medium needs and 28 to those with med-high needs.
Ex-offenders
We work with a very challenging and complex group of people, everyone who accesses our services are vulnerable, at the lowest point in their lives. The majority have a criminal record and are at risk of reoffending, our services help with prevention and early intervention for reoffending.
Re-connect
It could take two months. It could take two years. However long it takes to get our clients back on their feet, we treat them uniquely, offering up to 24 months of stable, supported accommodation.
We never give up hope, encouraging and advising so that everyone can reach their goals. And it doesn’t stop at accommodation.
Because we realise homeless people also find it extremely hard to gain paid employment, we look at options to extend skills and also provide below-market rent, covering the difference.
Health and Wellbeing
When you’re ill, you see a doctor. And when you’ve got tooth pain, you visit a dentist. But for homeless people, it’s just not that simple. Because they have no fixed address, registering at health practices is near on impossible.
Add to that mental health issues, drugs and alcohol use and little or no food and the situation becomes even more complex.
Homeless Oxfordshire want to bridge the gap. We support the work of the Luther Street Medical Centre through leasing a building to the Clinical Commissioning Group.
Established in 1981, the Centre was founded as a direct response to the lack of health services for homeless people. Thanks to generous donations from supporters, it opened in 1999 and delivers quality healthcare to the homeless whether registered with a Doctor or not.
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