How our service can help you
Homeless Outreach (START) is a small multi-disciplinary assessment team
for street homeless people in Lambeth, Southwark and Croydon. Our role
is to engage and assess homeless people with severe mental health
problems and to refer them on to local mainstream services.
We provide short-term care coordination. We do not have access to our
own accommodation.
- Service Type: Adult Mental Health Services (Local) Service Borough Covers: Lambeth, Southwark, Croydon Treatment type: Community
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Contact the service
Site Location: Multiple sites Email: startteam@slam.nhs.uk Phone Number: 0203 228 1845 Fax Number: Reception 020 3228 7200 or Duty 10am to 4pm 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
- 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
Other essential information
- START: Lambeth, Southwark and Vulnerable Adults Team
- START: Croydon
- Hostels
- Eligibility criteria
- Referrals
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
- Are unwilling or unable to engage with mainstream services
When should a client be considered as homeless?
- Rough sleeping
- Sleeping in abandoned buildings, parks or on public transport
- Using one of the hostels or day centres for homeless people listed
Referrals
Hospital referrals
The majority of our referrals come from outreach teams and day centres but we accept referrals from any source as long as they meet the criteria.
Making a referral
Referrals can be made by phone or fax using the referral form found here. We are not a crisis service and we work separately to the Pathway Homeless Team.
If a local mental health service has a homeless client with whom they are unable to maintain contact, we can provide advice and in some cases work jointly with that service to re-engage the client.
If accommodation has recently been lost while under the care of a SLAM team, we will not take the case.
Fran Busby is the Clinical Service Lead for START Team.