On the street
Hartlepool Outreach, meeting people where they are
Our outreach team walks the streets of Hartlepool, offering warmth, food and a way forward to people sleeping rough — no judgement, just help.
What we do
The value of our homeless response team
Street support
Food, warm clothing, sleeping bags and a friendly, familiar face.
Finding a way forward
Practical help into accommodation, services and support.
Referrals & advice
Connecting people to housing, health and welfare services.
Partnership working
Working alongside local services, police and the NHS.
Our approach
Find. Locate. Help.
Rough sleeping can feel impossible to escape. Our outreach workers build trust over time, meeting people on their terms — with a hot drink, practical help and a genuine route off the streets when they're ready.
- Consistent, compassionate contact
- Immediate access accommodation when it's needed
- A team that doesn't give up
Out on the round
The team, on the move
Early mornings, late nights and a lot of miles. This is what the outreach round actually looks like across Hartlepool.
Report a rough sleeper
See someone sleeping rough? Tell StreetLink
StreetLink connects people sleeping rough anywhere in England and Wales to the local outreach team — in Hartlepool, that is often us. If you are worried about someone, sending an alert takes about two minutes, and it is the single most useful thing you can do.
If someone is in immediate danger or needs urgent medical help, call 999 first.
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1
Spot someone
Anyone sleeping outside, bedding down for the night, or sleeping somewhere not meant for it — a doorway, a stairwell, a car.
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2
Pinpoint where they are
Mark the exact spot on StreetLink's map, and describe it in words as well. “Under the lamppost next to the stadium” is worth more than a postcode.
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3
Describe what you saw
The time you saw them, and anything that would help the team recognise them. You never have to approach anyone or ask them a single question.
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4
The team goes out
Your alert goes to the outreach service for that area — in Hartlepool, often us. Ask for an update and you will hear back within 10 working days.
Part of the team
Bob comes out with us
Bob is part of our outreach and response team, and he does a job none of us can. Walking up to someone bedded down in a doorway is an intrusion, however kindly it is meant — but a dog changes the shape of it entirely. People who will not talk to a support worker will talk to Bob. And once they are talking to Bob, they are talking to us.
- A first approach that doesn't feel like an assessment
- Calms things down when someone is frightened or angry
- Often the reason someone talks to us at all
They kept coming back, even when I told them to leave me alone. That's how I knew they actually cared.