As we use the term here, this denotes a work scheme for current or former homeless people, including work skills preparation, supported (temporary) placements, and support into full employment . For work opportunities provided as part of the operation of another service, see ‘work opportunities’, ‘peer mentor’ and ‘volunteer’

Keyring models of support are social networks created and maintained to improve the quality of life for an identified group of vulnerable individuals primarily through social and peer support, though usually with volunteer befrienders and staff co-ordinators, Keyrings were first developed in services for people with learning difficulties, but have since been also extended to […]

In a core and cluster model (aka ‘hub and spoke’), a staffed hostel or high-dependency unit provides on-going support for a number of ‘satellite’ houses or flats for people of a similar client group, needing less intense support, from the staff team. Continuity, accessibility and community are the key features of these models. The residents […]

There are many possible models of long-term support, in which the support maybe provided integral with or independent of the housing provider. See also ‘night shelter’, ‘clubhouse’, ‘core and cluster’, ‘safe haven’.

See night shelter. ‘Move on’ or ‘half way’ (ie: to independent living) is accommodation, provided (usually) by the same agency that had earlier provided more intensive support, that individuals take on a short term basis, with a view to moving on eventually. There is considerable argument currently on how valuable or necessary such accommodation is; […]

In UK parlance, a hostel is a temporary place to stay, usually not large (perhaps 10 to 30+ beds) and often with individual rooms or shared flats; and this is the standard term for a residential unit for homeless persons, in the UK. Typically a range of support services may also be offered to residents. […]

Dispersed housing is accommodation provided in single units or flats, at some distance from each other, but managed by the same provider for the purpose of supporting recovery. See also ‘Keyring’, ‘core and cluster’

Everybody is an individual – though some, perhaps more so than others. ‘Individual support’ should therefore refer only to those services that take especial care to provide a bespoke service, rather than offering membership of a group or community of service users. (See also ‘Individual Budgets’, ‘social therapy’ and ‘therapeutic community; )

Although the focus on this community is on homelessness services, there are homeless people on acute wards; and discharge liaison requires a better understanding and knowledge of services. Meanwhile, it appears some psychiatric services are beginning to adopt some of the PIE principles.

Visiting staff, employed by a healthcare agency (or similar) to provide extra support to clients