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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| How to help if you see a sick homeless person | How to help if you see a sick homeless person |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Mark Mummery, a homeless man living in Grimsby, died last week. According to reports, his body lay on the street for three hours before anyone noticed. | Mark Mummery, a homeless man living in Grimsby, died last week. According to reports, his body lay on the street for three hours before anyone noticed. |
| "Nobody seemed to be taking any notice of him at all, even though there was clearly something wrong. He was just lying there lifeless," a local resident told Grimsby Live. | "Nobody seemed to be taking any notice of him at all, even though there was clearly something wrong. He was just lying there lifeless," a local resident told Grimsby Live. |
| Homelessness is on the rise in England - 280,000 people are homeless, mainly consisting of people who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation. This figure is up 23,000 since 2016, according to the charity Shelter. | |
| Last year, at least 726 homeless people died in England and Wales. | Last year, at least 726 homeless people died in England and Wales. |
| So what should you do if you see a rough sleeper who appears unwell? | So what should you do if you see a rough sleeper who appears unwell? |
| Two in three British people want to help when they see a homeless person, but aren't always sure how to, research by charity Crisis shows. | Two in three British people want to help when they see a homeless person, but aren't always sure how to, research by charity Crisis shows. |
| "British people care about homelessness and they want to help but uncertainty and nervousness are stopping them," says Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis. | "British people care about homelessness and they want to help but uncertainty and nervousness are stopping them," says Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis. |
| If you see a homeless person, Crisis advises: | If you see a homeless person, Crisis advises: |
| "Many people we work with tell us that not being acknowledged or treated as a fellow human being can be just as painful as the physical hardships," adds Mr Sparkes. | "Many people we work with tell us that not being acknowledged or treated as a fellow human being can be just as painful as the physical hardships," adds Mr Sparkes. |
| 'Difficult or scary prospect' | 'Difficult or scary prospect' |
| Andrew Mcleay, a support worker at Ealing soup kitchen in London, says striking up a conversation with a homeless person can be a "difficult or scary" prospect. | Andrew Mcleay, a support worker at Ealing soup kitchen in London, says striking up a conversation with a homeless person can be a "difficult or scary" prospect. |
| But he believes that "taking that risk - for the most part - is better than walking by." | But he believes that "taking that risk - for the most part - is better than walking by." |
| If you see a homeless person who is ill, approach them and ask what you can do to help, Mr Mcleay advises. | If you see a homeless person who is ill, approach them and ask what you can do to help, Mr Mcleay advises. |
| "Don't worry about saying the wrong thing. More often than not they are just grateful someone spoke to them, because that could be their only conversation that day." | "Don't worry about saying the wrong thing. More often than not they are just grateful someone spoke to them, because that could be their only conversation that day." |
| If you're urgently concerned for someone's welfare, call 999 immediately. | If you're urgently concerned for someone's welfare, call 999 immediately. |
| "No one should be left on the streets for hours - that is a horrible thought, and quite a sad and lonely end to a story. Think - maybe that person has a family. Wouldn't you want your family to know?", says Mr Mcleay. | "No one should be left on the streets for hours - that is a horrible thought, and quite a sad and lonely end to a story. Think - maybe that person has a family. Wouldn't you want your family to know?", says Mr Mcleay. |
| 'We got him the help he needed' | 'We got him the help he needed' |
| His teams on patrol frequently seek medical attention for homeless people, and they have driven people with broken bones and other injuries to A&E. | His teams on patrol frequently seek medical attention for homeless people, and they have driven people with broken bones and other injuries to A&E. |
| "One older gentleman we encountered on the street just looked horrendous," Mr Mcleay recalls. | "One older gentleman we encountered on the street just looked horrendous," Mr Mcleay recalls. |
| "He was quite weak and I asked him what had happened. He said he hadn't eaten so we gave him some food, but he looked terrible so I asked if I could phone the ambulance, and he agreed. | "He was quite weak and I asked him what had happened. He said he hadn't eaten so we gave him some food, but he looked terrible so I asked if I could phone the ambulance, and he agreed. |
| "The ambulance look him away, and at least we felt he was going to get the help he needed." | "The ambulance look him away, and at least we felt he was going to get the help he needed." |
| Contacting professionals | Contacting professionals |
| If you want to find professional help for a homeless person, you can contact government-funded StreetLink, which alerts local authorities in England and Wales about rough sleepers. | If you want to find professional help for a homeless person, you can contact government-funded StreetLink, which alerts local authorities in England and Wales about rough sleepers. |
| StreetLink will contact professionals who will try to find the rough sleepers and help them access shelter and food. | StreetLink will contact professionals who will try to find the rough sleepers and help them access shelter and food. |
| You can call StreetLink or use their website or app to enter details of the location, time and date you saw the person, and any other information you have. | You can call StreetLink or use their website or app to enter details of the location, time and date you saw the person, and any other information you have. |