Emergency services and SLDC join forces in search for homeless people (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Don't suppose there are any details on being able to help out with the searches? or if help is wanted with them?

Cor! I bet that homeless person was happy... First tracked down by the police, ambulance crew and Council officials using thermal imaging equipment, and then woken up and presented with a leaflet on where s/he might be able to access help!

Now if the Council was tracking down homeless people to tell them that there are lots of affordable homes available, with associated support, should they want somewhere warm and dry to live on a permanent basis that WOULD be progress.

God help them if the SLDC are involved I believe the Salvation Army do this sort of thing, and much more ably I would imagine. Why all these departments involved to find one person?A case of overkill again, remember the search for the "missing" lady From Adlington who was only taking photographs in her dressing gown!They called out everybody when a simple knock on doors would have given the answer. The worlds going mad where is the common sense anymore?

One person?

I bet he enjoyed having his nice warm, den and sleep disturbed. People sleep rough for a variety of reasons and are entitled to their privacy. Sure some are vulnerable and need help, but if not then what right do we have to stomp in.

Manna House and other agencies do a very good job of providing support for those who want it.

I dread to think how much this exercise cost.

I've worked with homeless people in the past, and most of them know exactly where to go to get help if they want it. They also have a very effective grapevine, speaking with one another about which organisations offer the best advice and support for particular needs, and which ones are all talk and no action. It sounds to me like this was an exercise for the all the public services involved to be able to tick their boxes to say that they had made the effort to find homeless people and assist them, and had worked in partnership to do so.

Only one person found, huh? Look out soon for SLDC's statement that they are withdrawing funding from local homelessness charities because there isn't enough demand for their services.

jazzactivist wrote:
I've worked with homeless people in the past, and most of them know exactly where to go to get help if they want it. They also have a very effective grapevine, speaking with one another about which organisations offer the best advice and support for particular needs, and which ones are all talk and no action. It sounds to me like this was an exercise for the all the public services involved to be able to tick their boxes to say that they had made the effort to find homeless people and assist them, and had worked in partnership to do so.

Only one person found, huh? Look out soon for SLDC's statement that they are withdrawing funding from local homelessness charities because there isn't enough demand for their services.

You are exactly right let the professionals
look after them or him ,SLDC please stop wasting our money

As usual the kind of misinformed critism from those who think they know it all !..

I would hazard a guess that those that say they know what it's like to be homeless or have worked with the homeless really do not have any idea what it is like being on the streets.. i think people need to understand that it is very rare that the whole story ever gets into the press.. what you read is often a small and sometimes inaccurate summary of what's taken place!.. It might actually be helpful if people realised that bashing SLDC all them time is not only counter productive (when ill informed!) but silly as it shows a lack of understanding of the real issues!.

The law states that SLDC must periodically carry out a rough sleeper count - the law says this NOT the Council.. Certain local "homeless" charities are in the habit of telling the world that there are lots of homeless people on the streets of South Lakeland , whilst at the same time encouraging people who have absolutely no connection to South Lakeland to turn up here on their release from prison.. it may interest people to know that the emergency services and council officials that took part in the count did so completely un-paid and in their own time.. and it might interest some to know that SLDC in common with other council homeless teams actually prevent a large number of households from becvoming homeless.. so perhaps being better informed would lead people to think twice before they bash their local council again.. more affordable housing ?? ... try lobying your local MP.. wasting money ?.. maybe better training for some of those really good homeless charities wouldnt go amiss - sometimes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.. but hey, some people get a kick out of trying to sound clever!!!

notsoclosedminded wrote:
As usual the kind of misinformed critism from those who think they know it all !..

I would hazard a guess that those that say they know what it's like to be homeless or have worked with the homeless really do not have any idea what it is like being on the streets.. i think people need to understand that it is very rare that the whole story ever gets into the press.. what you read is often a small and sometimes inaccurate summary of what's taken place!.. It might actually be helpful if people realised that bashing SLDC all them time is not only counter productive (when ill informed!) but silly as it shows a lack of understanding of the real issues!.

The law states that SLDC must periodically carry out a rough sleeper count - the law says this NOT the Council.. Certain local "homeless" charities are in the habit of telling the world that there are lots of homeless people on the streets of South Lakeland , whilst at the same time encouraging people who have absolutely no connection to South Lakeland to turn up here on their release from prison.. it may interest people to know that the emergency services and council officials that took part in the count did so completely un-paid and in their own time.. and it might interest some to know that SLDC in common with other council homeless teams actually prevent a large number of households from becvoming homeless.. so perhaps being better informed would lead people to think twice before they bash their local council again.. more affordable housing ?? ... try lobying your local MP.. wasting money ?.. maybe better training for some of those really good homeless charities wouldnt go amiss - sometimes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.. but hey, some people get a kick out of trying to sound clever!!!

Paid or unpaid was it really necessary for all these people to be involved, typical overkill. AS for a little knowledge ,you only have to look at the SLDC history to judge their performance ,get up to speed "notsocloseminded" join the real world

hogheaven wrote:
God help them if the SLDC are involved I believe the Salvation Army do this sort of thing, and much more ably I would imagine. Why all these departments involved to find one person?A case of overkill again, remember the search for the "missing" lady From Adlington who was only taking photographs in her dressing gown!They called out everybody when a simple knock on doors would have given the answer. The worlds going mad where is the common sense anymore?

hog's , your own post smacks of not being well informed and out of touch !.. what knowledge or expertise do you have that qualifies you to judge the Sally Army as being better placed to do such things .. or Manna house as another poster has suggested ! (a little knowledge.. and we're all experts") .. I think you will find that the guys involved had quite a large area to cover and given that a certain local charity had suggested that the area was full of homeless people I think the resources employed were correct !.. although to be fair you do t actually know the full story , so to say " overkill " is just another example of how misguided some folks can be !.. I don't think to be fair that SLDC can do right for doing wrong here !.. if a homeless person had been found dead having died of hypothermia , it would have been the Councils fault .. and of course in this case it's " overkill , and a waste of resources!" .. by the way , the thermal imaging cameras did not cost anything to use or man , fire brigade did this for free, and meant that large areas of ground that could not normally be seen could be covered by fewer people ( saving man power).. perhaps it was necessary for such an exercise to be undertaken in the light of over exaggerated claims by certain charities ( possibly to secure funding !) when a more accurate picture would mean funding was directed more appropriately ! .. I for one believe that SLDC did good for once and they should be aplauded !.. It's a shame more people don't come forward like the first poster and say " how can I help", rather than gripe about what was a very useful exercise.. hog heaven why don't you get in touch with SLDC and find out more rather than being negative .. or better still offer to help !!!

hogheaven , I would be interested to know who your experts are as per your " leave it to the experts" comment !.. and how you would qualify them as experts ???

Well I have been put in my place by notsocloseminded ....or not.The exercise was NOT FREE it used resources funded by taxpayers.If a homeless person dies its neglect is it our fault for not housing him? If some poor pensioner dies in their own home from neglect by lack of funds for a carer its our fault.You cannot care from everybody some will fall through the system .As for experts I think the Sally Army have more expertise than any of us,in dealing with the homeless. I still maintain. it was overkill if these charities exaggerated as you say to gain funding, they should have been asked to provide proof of the numbers of homless. If you really want to see homeless people in numbers go to London Seattle San Francisco, San Diego ,Los Angeles ,I know they exist I have seen them on a recent visit, and I am not an expert.I use my eyes!!!!

I agree with notsoclosedminded. It's always the same old people whittering on about how terrible it is to try and help people. Or what a waste of money it is when it doesn't affect them. Or how the SLDC have made the wrong decision even though they don't know the facts.
notsoclosedminded has given a real insight into what actually happened and he appears to know a bit about it.
I used to read these pages for the comedy, now it's just depressing me.

PropMeUpWithTeabags wrote:
I agree with notsoclosedminded. It's always the same old people whittering on about how terrible it is to try and help people. Or what a waste of money it is when it doesn't affect them. Or how the SLDC have made the wrong decision even though they don't know the facts.
notsoclosedminded has given a real insight into what actually happened and he appears to know a bit about it.
I used to read these pages for the comedy, now it's just depressing me.

If more people "wittered" instead of sitting back and let it happen we would be a better country.There is no comedy in being homeless, most of the MP"s. who have lived rough for a night were shocked, but in this age we are led by the hand from birth to our graves. Its called a nanny state,

Most people sleeping rough will have mental health issues , substance abuse problems or a combination of all of the above !.. some people are less capable then others to sort themselves out after getting into a situation!.. I always think of the old adage " there but for the grace of god go I !!!".. easy to talk tough about the "nanny state" when you have been helped by said nanny state already .. I just hope you don't need to be helped in the future .. as good or bad it's being rapidly dismantled !... incidentally hog's , were you aware that statistically 10% of those found to be rough sleeping are ex soldiers !.. there was even a case of an ex SAS soldier !.. even the most robust of us run into difficulty .. we just need a helping hand from time to time !.. I just hope we do not end up like the states , then we will be in trouble !.. they say you can get a measure of how civilised a society is by how it treats its most vulnerable !

notsoclosedminded wrote:
Most people sleeping rough will have mental health issues , substance abuse problems or a combination of all of the above !.. some people are less capable then others to sort themselves out after getting into a situation!.. I always think of the old adage " there but for the grace of god go I !!!".. easy to talk tough about the "nanny state" when you have been helped by said nanny state already .. I just hope you don't need to be helped in the future .. as good or bad it's being rapidly dismantled !... incidentally hog's , were you aware that statistically 10% of those found to be rough sleeping are ex soldiers !.. there was even a case of an ex SAS soldier !.. even the most robust of us run into difficulty .. we just need a helping hand from time to time !.. I just hope we do not end up like the states , then we will be in trouble !.. they say you can get a measure of how civilised a society is by how it treats its most vulnerable !

My Last comment on this matter I was born in a work house ,brought up during food rationing, worked all my life without claiming benefits,and never expected any.Mental institutions are releasing people who should never have been put into the public domain Soldiers are dumped after fighting pointless wars started by our misguided politicians. I have helped people who really need it , but only if they try to help themselves.When we have long term unemployed living off benefits ,who are better off than a working man there is something sadly wrong. finished

Blimey, of all the things that drag the country down I do find it kind of amusing people get fixated on these minor "expenditures" of which there was next to nothing...when you've got bankers waltzing away with epic-sized bonuses. Think some people need a re-jig of how their complaints should be prioritised! Still wondering how I can get involved and help with exercises like this!