This page describes some of the main agencies we are collaborating with, and give links to some of our funders and supporters.
National partners
In 2014 Pathway worked with the Care Quality Commission to help the CQC understand the health needs of homeless patients and so improve it’s primary care inspection regime. Pathway co-hosted a seminar with the CQC to discuss homelessness and health, and the role of primary care. Some of Pathway’s service user reference group attended the seminar to make sure the experience of homeless people was represented.
Working with Sir Muir Gray, during 2014 Pathway co-hosted two seminars on behalf of Public Health England to explore how far population based commissioning strategies might help meet the needs of the homeless population. Some of Pathway’s service users attended these sessions to make sure that homeless people’s views were represented.
Throughout 2014 Pathway has attended a series of working sessions with NHS England to help their review of NHS primary care dental contracts. Pathway used the results of our action research project on homeless people’s access to dentistry to help inform our input.
Justlife
Justlife is one of the only organisations in the country working with single homeless residents of unsupported temporary accommodation. Justlife manages the Pathway+ project, operating in Brighton and Hove. Working in partnership with Pathway, St. John Ambulance and Brighton Homeless Healthcare, Justlife provides support to patients who live in unsupported temporary accommodation when they are discharged from hospital. The team work to ensure that client’s health recovery is sustained and that they receive relevant assistance with their broader needs, linking in with the wide range of services which are available in the city.
For more information about Justlife please visit: www.justlife.org.uk
TB Find and Treat
A specialist service that works with a mobile x-ray unit and alongside other front line services to tackle TB among the most ‘hard-to-reach’ groups. Homeless people are one of the services key target groups and are particularly at risk from TB. Pathway has agreed to form a strategic alliance with Find & Treat focussed on improving the links between street based and hospital based services.
Partners in the homelessness sector
St Mungo’s/ Broadway One of the UK’s leading homelessness agencies. We are working with St Mungo’s to define new ways to integrate healthcare provision into hostels for the homeless and to develop new forms of residential care for chronically sick homeless people. St. Mungo’s have now merged with Broadway who were in their own identity a London based homelessness charity. Among the things they primarily did was manage the CHAIN database which helped track what’s happening to homelessness in London, and publish regular reports on the numbers of homeless people in the city. This task will continue under the new umbrella of St. Mungo’s/Broadway.
Thamesreach
One of London’s largest voluntary sector homelessness agencies. We are working with Thamesreach on the development of our Care Navigator programme. Thamesreach are providing payroll services for the employment of our first formerly homeless Pathway Care Navigator.
Groundswell
Groundswell is the UK’s leading client involvement and self-help organisation working in the field of homelessness. Groundswell people have helped by giving us regular feedback on the development of our services to make sure we understand how best to improve homeless people’s experience of the health service.
Streetleague
Working with us on our first Care Navigator training programmes. Steetleague deliver structured sport and education programmes to some of the hardest to reach groups across the UK, with a particular focus on young people.
The National Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Council. A US partner/collaborator from whom we are learning a great deal. Much useful content on their web site. It is a home for those who work to improve the health of homeless people and who seek housing, health care, and adequate incomes for everyone
Homeless London
Web based advice and links for people currently homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Shelter
National housing and homelessness charity
Crisis
National charity focused on single homeless people
Supporters and Funders
Pathway has won a grant from the Health Foundation of just under £400,000 over the next two years. The grant is one of eight awarded as part of the Health Foundation’s ‘Closing the Gap programme, supporting projects aiming to transform relationships between clinicians and patients, and put patients at the centre of their own healthcare. Changing relationships around homeless people in hospital is central to the work of the Pathway.
The London Housing Foundation have agreed to grant the Pathway £120,000 over the next two years to support our core operations, develop our training and support programmes for Care Navigators (former homeless people working with patients in the hospital), and build a network for specialist Pathway nurses. The London Housing Foundation is one of the sponsors of the Andy Ludlow Homelessness Awards. Pathway won the top award in 2010.
UCLH Charity provided seed corn funding to help Pathway get established. UCLH Charities continue to provide a range of support to the London Pathway.https://www.uclhcharity.org.uk/
UCLH – the site of the first Pathway ward round service. UCLH Hospital Trust have provided a wide range of support to help Pathway get going and is the location for our first service.
UCL Partners – the new umbrella body for a collaboration of world-class health institutions in central and North London. An early supporter of Pathway.
DoubleTree by Hllton, London, Westminster – generously provide overnight accommodation for key Pathway medical staff.
We are grateful to Arup’s, who have given Pathway support in developing our plans for residential medical ‘respite’ care centres for homeless people. We plan to launch a major fundraising effort to establish the first such centre during 2012.
The recently launched College of Medicine – Pathway is partnering with the college of Medicine to develop the UK’s first Faculty of Homeless Healthcare. The Faculty will promote and encourage holistic & collaborative healthcare for people with tri-morbidity (physical and mental ill health with drug & alcohol misuse), so often associated with poverty and homelessness.
https://www.collegeofmedicine.org.uk/innovators-focus/pathway/
The Mayor of London
We have benefitted from advice and support from GLA homelessness staff and from the Mayor of London’s Office. The Mayor’s Housing Advisor chairs the London Delivery Board to co-ordinate action on homelessness.
Datafield
More recently Datafield have provided Pathway with the tools to be able to improve the standard of data collection especially useful for involving service users in evaluating projects.
