Introduction
Who is this referral for?
Choose the option below that describes you. This takes you to the right place, and means you are only asked for information you are likely to have.
If you would like more information on the referral process, read our homelessness advice and assistance page first.
If you are worried about someone else
Thank you for looking out for someone. Our online referral form is designed for people to refer themselves, or for organisations with a legal duty. If you are a friend, a relative, a neighbour, or you work somewhere without a duty to refer, filling out the form on someone else’s behalf is not the right route.
In these cases, the most useful thing you can do is to help the person you are concerned about to make the referral themselves. There is guidance on how to do this below.
If they have nowhere safe to sleep tonight, they should phone us urgently on 0300 123 2224, or 0300 123 2327 after 5pm, at weekends and on bank holidays. You can help encourage them to make that phone call.
You can use StreetLink to alert local agencies about someone who is rough sleeping. They will try to help the person access support and accommodation.
Help someone else make a referral
A referral made by the person themselves reaches us faster and with the information we need, because they can answer questions and provide information about their own situation.
You can help by sitting with them while they complete it, or by phoning us together. Here is what to expect.
- It should take around 15 minutes.
- They will be asked for their name, date of birth, contact details and current address.
- They will be asked what is happening with their housing, and when they expect to lose their home.
Based on the information provided, we will be able to advise them on their immediate options, focusing on practical and legal advice to help them stay where they are or help them to find alternative accommodation. If we cannot prevent their homelessness, we will help them look for somewhere else to live.
We aim to phone them as soon as possible using the information they have given in their online application. This usually happens within 1 working day, so please make sure they keep their phone on them.
Our phone call may appear as ‘private number’ on their phone. If we cannot get through to them on our first attempt, we will call again at a later date. If we are unable to contact them following a second attempt, we will write to them explaining how they can contact us.
The earlier they inform us of their circumstances, the better the chance we have of being able to help.