Projects & Services
- Julian House Night Shelter & Day Centre
- Overflow Shelter
- Community Support Team (CST)
- Barnabas House & Simon House
- Peter House
- Libra Project
- Meaningful Occupation Project (MOP)
- Outreach Service
Julian House Night Shelter & Day Centre
The night shelter is a direct access facility with 18 beds (3 specifically for women). It operates 7 days a week, 365 days a year and in addition to a bed provides a full evening meal, breakfast plus access to shower and laundry facilities.
The Day Centre is located in the same building as the night shelter and for many clients this is their first point of contact with the Julian House staff. The centre offers welcome respite from the daily rigors of life on the streets. Free tea and coffee and limited catering facilities are available, as well as access to showers and laundry.
Staff work with clients to identify their needs and to agree a support plan. They provide a 'signposting' service to specialist agencies and other assistance as appropriate; including advice on welfare benefits and housing issues. A registered GP practice also operates within the building.
Opening Times
Night Shelter |
Every night 8pm – 8.30am |
|---|---|
Overflow Shelter |
Every night 10.30pm – 7.30am |
Day Centre |
Mon–Fri 9.30 -12.30 Sat 9.30 – 1.00 Sun CLOSED Client assessments are held each afternoon Mon-Fri 1.30 – 3.30 |
Overflow Shelter
In order to meet the growing demand for bed spaces, an overflow shelter was opened next door to the main night shelter in November 2006. This facility has space for up to 15 extra emergency beds and although a full evening meal cannot be provided this additional capacity provides a much safer alternative to sleeping rough. Julian House is indebted to Manvers St Baptist Church for their generous support in making this facility possible.
Community Support Team (CST)
The Community Support Team provides support to people who have experienced homelessness moving into a place of their own. Supporting people to adjust to the rigors of managing a tenancy are essential to this client group. The CST helps clients address issues and develop the skills that will enable them to sustain their tenancies.
This may also include referrals to other specialist agencies (e.g. mental health, drug and alcohol abuse), participation in the Meaningful Occupation Project, life skills training and other resettlement related help. Supporting clients in their own accommodation is proven to have a major impact on ensuring tenancy sustainment; thereby breaking the cycle of homelessness followed by short lived tenancies and then back onto the streets.
Barnabas House & Simon House
Barnabas House & Simon House are supported housing projects (10 and 5 beds respectively) where clients can adjust to the demands of independent living after the chaos of homelessness, which often involves sleeping rough. Barnabas House provides a PIC 5 bed sit type accommodation with shared communal facilities. Staff are on hand during office hours to assist with client led resettlement programmes and other targeted support.
Simon House is targeted at clients with more complex needs who have exhausted all accommodation options. The project is staffed 24 hours a day.
Peter House
Peter House is a joint venture between Julian House, Probation, the Community Drugs and Safety Partnership, the Police and Somer Community Housing Trust. Up to 5 priority/prolific offenders, who would ordinarily be homeless on leaving prison, receive targeted support which will prepare them for the move to longer term accommodation.
The success of Peter House will have two valuable consequences – a reduction in those who are forced to sleep rough (or in the Julian House night shelter) and incidents of crime by these individuals.
Libra Project
Unlike the existing women’s refuge in Bath the Libra Project is targeted at women (and children) with complex needs. After a successful pilot the project has been extended for at least two more years.
Meaningful Occupation Project (MOP)
Often referred to as ‘The Shed’, clients here are given access to courses and activities which ordinarily would not be available, because of their disconnection from mainstream society. Life skills training, basic literacy & numeracy, IT coaching sessions and even an allotment – these are just some of the activities which improve self esteem and provide valuable skills for the future.
Outreach Service
Despite the best endeavours of the organisation some clients may be reluctant to ask for support or have mental health issues which make it very difficult for them to do so. These are often the most vulnerable. The Julian House outreach service addresses this problem by going out and meeting clients on the street – often in concert with other specialist agencies. Like so much of the work that Julian House undertakes, it can be a very challenging process but in many many cases, very successful.
Projects & Services
