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Homeless Outreach Team (START) (Lambeth, Southwark and Croydon)

How our service can help you

Homeless Outreach (START) is a large integrated multi-disciplinary assessment service with for street homeless people in Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon, with sub teams for each borough.

The team is made up of nursing, social work, psychiatry, psychology and physical health practitioners such as a GP and RGN. Their role is to engage and assess homeless people with severe mental health problems and additional needs around substance use or physical ill health. 

Service users will have a care coordinator who will work with them to provide the appropriate care and support with housing, treatment and practical assistance. Once stable and housed they will refer to local mainstream services.

  • Service Borough Covers: Lambeth, Southwark, Croydon Treatment type: Community

  • Contact the service

    Site Location: Multiple sites Email: startteam@slam.nhs.uk Phone Number: 020 3228 7200 or call the duty worker 10am to 4pm on 020 3228 5911
  • Disabled Access:

    Yes
  • Address: Multiple sites,
  • Business Hours/Visiting Hours: 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. We do street outreach outside of these hours when required. 10am to 4pm, a duty service operates, which you can call: For advice or information on homeless resources To discuss a potential referral To check whether a homeless client in contact with your service is known to START

    • Other essential information

  • Conditions: Addictions, Anxiety, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Autism, Bipolar disorder, Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), Childhood degenerative disorders, Conduct disorder, Dementia, Depression, Dissociative disorders, Eating disorders, Learning disabilities, Neuropsychiatry, Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Perinatal disorders, Persistent physical symptoms, Personality disorders, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Psychosexual, Psychosis, Self-harm

START: Lambeth, Southwark and Vulnerable Adults Team

190, Kennington Lane
SE11 5DL

START: Croydon

Jeanette Wallace House
1 Edridge Rd
Croydon
CR0 1FE

Hostels

Lambeth

  • St Mungo's Assessment Centre, Vauxhall
  • Missionaries of Charity, St Georges's Road, Elephant and Castle
  • Waterloo Christian Centre, 6 -8 Webber Street, Waterloo
  • Spires, 8 Tooting Bec Gardens, St Leonard's Church Hall, Streatham
  • Ace of Clubs, St Alphonsus Road, Clapham

Southwark

  • Manna Centre, 6 Melior Street, London Bridge
  • Missionaries of Charity, St Georges's Road, Elephant and Castle

Croydon

  • The Wellington Hostel
  • CRISIS day centre
  • Turning Point Drug service
  • Rainbow Health Centre

Eligibility criteria

  • Homeless (see below)
  • Over 18 years of age
  • Have a severe and enduring mental illness. This includes schizophrenia, affective disorders and personality disorders.
  • Require flexible outreach care

  All 4 criteria must be met. We do not see people just because they are homeless.

 

When should a client be considered as homeless?

 If they are: 
  • Rough sleeping
  • Sleeping in abandoned buildings, parks or on public transport
  • Using one of the hostels or day centres for homeless people listed

 

We have a telephone duty service for advice or information on homeless resources and to discuss potential referrals. People working in homeless services can call to check if a client is known to START:
Contact Details:

Phone:

Duty 9 am to 5 pm 

020 3228 5911 Lambeth and Southwark

0203 228 5908 Croydon and Lewisham

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