Our Work, Our Services, Our Funding
We work 24 hours a day 365 days a year from our Centre in Central Cardiff.
We work with every client who comes to us and develop a plan with them to support them off the streets, looking at a range of needs and opportunities. These conversations are led by the client and take place with an expert case worker.
Interventions can be brief (moving clients quickly off the streets in 24 hours) or longer term (living with us in self-contained accommodation. All of our work is designed to support positive progression for the individual and for them to take greater ownership of their own life and journey.
Accommodation
- Digital Skills, Literacy Support, Gardening, Cooking and Catering, DIY and Construction
- This is 44 beds of self contained accommodation where we work with clients long term.
People are placed daily that report as homeless to Cardiff city council or are found by Street Outreach teams.
We also provide a small number of beds for emergency housing by the police for very vulnerable individuals.
We have 16 beds of community housing across Cardiff for those who are well and able to live in the community as the final step out of homelessness services.
Critical Intervention Centre - Our Centre
- This is 44 beds of self contained accommodation where we work with clients long term.
- 40 beds of emergency provision in Pods
- Access to Dr and Nurse services through our partnership with CAVHIS Health provision
- Access to Dental services
- A Harm reduction programme including a pioneering Needle exchange, Wound care and overdose prevention service.
- A First Responder Welsh Ambulance service onsite that responds to critical health issues in the service and wider community.
- Advocacy - we have a team who support clients with complex issues including debt management, benefit support, safeguarding and domestic violence, housing applications and referral to immigration specialists
- Advocacy - we have a team who support clients with complex issues including debt management, benefit support, safeguarding and domestic violence, housing applications and referral to immigration specialists
- Skills, Training and Employment programme
Our Funding 24/25
We are funded by
- Rent paid on rooms paid by housing benefit on behalf of residents
- Cardiff City Council for the provision of accommodation, emergency bed and some day services
Fundraising
- Moondance Charity support our Day centre with a very generous grant
- Waterloo Foundation support our Employment and Skills Service again with a generous grant.
- Smaller donations corporate, individuals, faith groups sustain much of our work.
Intervention Centre
- Time – to come to terms with their past and present situation
- Help – with the practical things of life
- Support – to move forward.
It is a specialist service, which is focused 24/7 on the individual needs of each client – and where their wellbeing and safety takes priority over other aspects of their care.
Our Intervention Centre is where we deal with their immediate, practical needs. They can shower, get a change of clothing or wash their own – have hot drinks and food from our commercially equipped kitchen. The meals are free for anyone without access to money. Otherwise, we charge a nominal £1.50 for food, as we want to prepare clients for managing their own finances.
Day visitors, as well as clients staying in our emergency accommodation and hostels, can also access a range of specialist services, including Advocacy and Substance Misuse Support. We also have our own Bond Board.
Our Development and Training teams organise varied and meaningful sessions in everything from art, music classes and sport to courses in digital literacy and support into further education.
These are designed to build confidence and resilience as well as providing the opportunity to develop new skills and interests. They also help clients with their mental health and wellbeing, providing a “time-out” from daily lives.
Clients can use the computer suite to get online, search the web and complete digital forms – or to access IT training. They can also get assistance to participate in “skills based” and employment courses as well as in finding job placements and employment.
We encourage everyone to contribute to life within the centre. Clients are consulted about current as well as future services and activities. They can also help out within the centre, garden and allotment, take part in upcycling furniture as well as volunteer in the kitchen and Café H.
There are opportunities to take part in community led litter picks, helping to keep the area clean and tidy for everyone, as well as to volunteer on neighbourhood environmental projects.
Our goal with all activities and volunteering opportunities is to boost confidence and to encourage clients to become more independent. To help them build, and maintain, a relationship with the people and services supporting them.
Huggard Hostel and Ty Tresillian
Next door to our Intervention Centre is Huggard Hostel, which has 20 bedsits, and Ty Tresillian, with a further 24 rooms. The hostels are designed to give clients their own space, a place to call home, while still having access to “around the clock” specialist support. There will also be facilities for separate accommodation within the hostels for groups of clients, such as for women and people recovering from addictions.
Hostel residents are also given support to prepare them to move-on and live independently. This includes learning to prepare and cook their own meals, to manage their finances as well as how to maintain a tenancy. We also have a Bond Board to support clients moving into privately rented accommodation.
Temporary and Emergency Accommodation
Our temporary accommodation consists of 33 pods. These are cubicles, which have a bed, chair and door, and offer some privacy.
No one should have to sleep on the floor, however, due to demand for our services, we’ve had to replace the mattresses with up to six emergency beds. While still commune living, it is a step in the right direction.
Lockers are provided for people to safely store their belongings while accessing our services.
We also manage nine houses in Cardiff, which provide supported accommodation for those still needing a little help in living independently. Clients are still able to access specialist support from us, and our partners, before finally going on to get their own place.
Life is challenging for the majority of clients and they may not always show the respect they would normally give to others or their environment. This is why we have CCTV in all public spaces and two security SafeGuards are on site at all times. Occasionally, we take the difficult decision to exclude people from our services if they present an imminent and serious risk to other service users or staff. It is not something we do lightly, and we will try to re-engage with the individual or to find another way of getting them the support they require.
If you would like to support our work you can donate here.
Social Media
You can keep in touch with our latest news and events by following us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Any information or photos about clients, staff and volunteers is shared with their permission.