Council to 'continue working' with Salvation Army on rough sleepers

The authority announced at the end of last month that it would not be continuing its funding for the Salvation Army’s early intervention rough sleeping programme when the contract came to an end.

It said that it wanted to use an extra £260,000 of government funding over two years to expand its own rough sleepers service instead - and that it did not want to ‘duplicate’ services.

The decision prompted widespread anger, a call from York Central MP Rachael Maskell for the decision to be reversed – and an impassioned plea from rough sleepers themselves for the council to change its mind.

Now, a fresh statement from the authority’s corporate director of place Neil Ferris released to The Press suggests that it may have done so.

The statement stresses that the contract between the council and the Salvation Army - which saw the authority funding the charity’s rough-sleeping programme to the tune of £95,000 a year - has now officially come to an end.

But it adds: “Our first commitment is to those whose health is put at risk through sleeping rough and our first priority is to deliver a service which supports them in the best way possible.

“While our previous contract (with the Salvation Army) has now expired … we are committed to continuing our relationship with the Salvation Army in their role as a charitable organisation.

The Salvation Army's Charlie Malarkey checking on rough sleepers (Image: Stephen Lewis)

“Having met with senior management representatives last week, it has been agreed that there are many opportunities to continue working together towards our shared objectives of ensuring better outcomes for all within the city.

“The council recognises the ongoing works that the Salvation Army are delivering in York as part of their charitable activities, and that they do complement the work that the council undertakes as part of its homelessness responsibilities.”

A spokesperson for the Salvation Army confirmed that the charity was ‘still in conversation’ with the city council about the future of it’s rough sleeping service.

The spokesperson added: “We know how worrying this is for our staff and those who rely on our support so we are working as quickly as we can.”

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As reported by The Press last month, members of the charity’s early intervention team in York are out at 5am five days a week, checking on people sleeping rough on the city’s streets to ensure they’re OK, and to direct them towards help or a hot meal.

The charity also runs a daily drop-in service in for rough sleepers on weekdays in Lawrence Street.

Joseph Clarkson, left, chats to the Salvation Army's Charlie Malarkey over a cup of tea at the charity's York drop-in centre (Image: Stephen Lewis)

But in its shock announcement on September 25, the council said it had decided not to renew the Salvation Army’s £95,000-a-year contract to provide a rough sleeping service once that contract came to an end.

Instead, the authority said extra government cash of £260,000 over two years that had been secured would enable it to expand its own team of rough sleeping ‘navigators’.

These, like the Salvation Army team, do early morning checks - though only on one morning a week -but are also out and about at other times of day and follow rough sleepers through a programme of interventions designed to get them off the street.

The council said it also planned to start its own drop-in service for rough sleepers, five mornings a week at the Peasholme Centre hostel on Fishergate.

It said it would also use the new government funding to expand its ‘housing first’ programme, under which rough sleepers are given help to find permanent housing and then ‘wraparound’ support to ensure they are able to stay in their new homes.

There does, however, now seem to have been a major change of heart.

The Press understands that the council is now drafting a new rough sleepers strategy.

It remains unclear precisely what part the Salvation Army will play in this – but the commitment to continue working with the charity in some way now seems clear.

EXPLAINER: Why the council announced it would be ending Salvation Army funding

Fresh details have emerged about why the city council announced last month that it would be ending its £95,000-a-year of funding towards the Salvation Army’s rough sleepers programme.

In response to questions from The Press, the authority has said that the Salvation Army contract was originally due to end in March 2023.

The contract was extended for six months through a ‘waiver’ – but the council says it could not continue to extend the funding for a ‘significant period’ without putting the contract out to tender.

Life on the street (Image: Agency)

The extended ‘waiver’ contract was initially due to end at the end of September.

The council planned to extend that for a month to the end of October to allow for a ‘transition’ period – although it now appears that this has not happened, and that the contract has officially now ended.

Nevertheless, the council’s renewed commitment to working with the Salvation Army offers hope that some kind of solution can be found.

The authority has admitted that its abrupt announcement on September 25 that the charity’s funding was not to be extended was not ideal.

It meant that some Salvation Army staff working with rough sleepers in York first learned that their funding was to come to an end in a call from The Press.

But a council spokesperson said: “Although the council would ideally have communicated its decision earlier, Salvation Army was aware the contract would end unless it was renewed.”

The Salvation Army says it only received formal notification by mail on Thursday September 28 – three days after the council had announced its decision in a press briefing.