Leaving hospital
If you are worried that you may be homeless when you leave hospital, or that your home is not safe or suitable for you to return to, tell the nursing staff or hospital discharge team as soon as possible. The earlier they know about your housing situation, the more time there is to plan for a safe discharge.
If you live within Lichfield District, the hospital has a legal duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 to refer you to our housing team if you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, provided you give your consent.
You do not have to wait for the hospital to make a referral - if you are worried about your housing, you, a family member, carer or someone supporting you can contact our housing team directly for advice and assistance.
What happens next?
Whether you are referred by the hospital or contact us directly, our housing team will assess your individual circumstances and discuss the help available.
The support we can provide will depend on your circumstances, the evidence available and the information we receive from the organisations supporting you.
If we owe you a homelessness duty, we will work with you to prevent or relieve your homelessness and, where appropriate, may provide temporary accommodation while a longer-term housing solution is found.
If you cannot return home immediately
Sometimes you may be medically fit to leave hospital, but your home is not yet safe or suitable for you to return to. This could be because essential repairs, adaptations or specialist equipment are needed before you can safely live there again.
It may also be because your home has been assessed as unsafe or unsuitable to live in. For example, there may be serious hazards, a lack of essential facilities such as heating or water, unsafe access, structural problems, fire risks, or other conditions that make it unsafe for you to return home.
If you have family or friends who can provide you with somewhere suitable to stay while these issues are resolved, you should consider making those arrangements where possible.
If you have nowhere suitable to stay, your family or friends are unable to accommodate you, or you cannot afford to pay for alternative accommodation yourself, contact our housing team as soon as possible.
We will assess your circumstances, including your housing situation, financial circumstances and any medical information provided by the hospital or other professionals. Where we have a legal duty to assist, we will work with you to identify a safe place to stay while your home is made safe or suitable for your return.
Where appropriate, we will also work with partner organisations, including the Adult Social Care team at Staffordshire County Council, health professionals and other support services, to help address the issues preventing you from returning home safely.
Support with care needs
If you need help with everyday activities such as washing, dressing, preparing meals or moving around safely, the hospital discharge team may arrange an assessment by Adult Social Care before you leave hospital.
This helps make sure any care and support you need is in place before you are discharged.
Already been discharged?
If you have already left hospital and have nowhere safe to stay, are worried about becoming homeless, or cannot return home because your home is unsafe or unsuitable, please contact our housing team.
We will assess your circumstances and discuss the housing options available to you.
For more information about the duty to refer see Shelter's website.