Homelessness in London How to make a StreetLink referral When you see someone sleeping rough you may wonder what you can do to help. Aside from saying hello and having a chat, offering to buy them something to eat or giving them spare change, one thing you could do is make a StreetLink referral. Jump to how to make a referral What is StreetLink? StreetLink is a centralised service which exists to help end rough sleeping by enabling members of the public to connect people sleeping rough with the local services that can support them. If you are concerned about someone over the age of 18 that you have seen sleeping rough in England or Wales, you can send an alert to StreetLink. The details you provide are sent to the local authority or outreach service for the area in which you have seen the person, to help them find the individual and connect them to support. Important: if you think the person you are concerned about is under 18, or if you think they are in immediate danger or need urgent care, please do not contact StreetLink but instead call 999. How it works Every council has an outreach team. When you make a referral to StreetLink a notification gets sent to that borough's outreach team alerting them to the rough sleeper who has been referred, with information about what they look like and where to find them. Once that person is found by the outreach team, a decision is made about whether that person comes under duty of care for that borough, or if they should be referred to a borough they have a local connection to. Three attempts are made to find the person over a period of 72 hours (three days). If they are not found after third attempt they are taken off the referrals list until they are re-referred by a member of the public. How to make a referral Make a referral online If you see someone sleeping rough and feel happy and safe enough to do so, you can ask ‘Would you like me to make a StreetLink referral for you?’ It’s polite and compassionate to ask for someone's consent to make a referral and give them the choice. However, you can make a referral without asking someone's permission, such as if you are nervous or unsure about approaching someone. If you are really worried about someone, such as if they seem very unwell, you should call an ambulance for them. When you are making your referral, you need to be very specific about what they look like and where they are sleeping. This could include information like: their rough age their height their hair colour their sleeping bag colour what clothes they are wearing details about what they are near, such as buildings, road names, bridges etc. Top tip: You can request an update on the person who you have referred from StreetLink. What makes a viable referral? You should only refer to StreetLink if it looks like they will be sleeping where you’ve seen them, or if they are currently sleeping there. For someone to access help, the outreach team has to see them asleep, looking like they are about to sleep, or just waking up from sleep in the location described in the referral. Key considerations The main things to keep in mind when making a referral are: To be as specific as possible in your description. To be respectful and treat people with dignity; you could ask if they are okay and have a conversation, or offer to buy them some hot food or a cup of tea. Whenever you can, you should ask for their consent before making a referral. To be conscious of timing; they are most likely to be found if it's the evening or very early morning. More ways to support people affected by homelessness To support those facing and experiencing homelessness, please consider supporting Glass Door with a donation this Christmas. Your contribution can be a lifeline, providing our guests with the tangible support that can make a massive difference in their lives. Donate to our Christmas Appeal Manage Cookie Preferences