Protecting Lives in Cold Weather

SWEP stands for Severe Weather Emergency Protocol. It is an emergency response designed to protect the lives of rough sleepers during periods of severe weather. All areas in England have this provision, with some variations in how it is organised. London’s 32 boroughs and the City of London have signed up to a city-wide protocol which means that SWEP is activated by the Mayor of London when there is a threat of loss to life due to weather conditions (i.e., when the Met Office forecasts the temperature to be 0 degrees Celsius or below).

The protocol means that local authorities and homelessness services must offer shelter to people who are rough sleeping to ensure their safety and wellbeing. Once someone is in SWEP accommodation partners should work together to help people stay off the streets – this is known as the “In For Good” principle.

When SWEP is activated, a whole host of people jump into action to deliver the emergency accommodation needed, often working extra-long hours and extra-late shifts during this period. Street outreach teams and local authority officers work together to identify people who are rough sleeping and work out the best place for them to get shelter. Volunteers are often called to assist with these efforts.

 The shelter offered to people varies, and includes low-cost hotel rooms, hostel spaces, or in some cases communal spaces for example in a town hall – these are sometimes called ‘rest centres’. Teams phone people they know are at risk to check their wellbeing and offer a space, and outreach staff go out to proactively look for people who might be without shelter. While many of those provided with shelter are helped to secure onward accommodation under the “In For Good” principle, sadly too many still return to the streets, including those facing destitution as they have restricted eligibility to public funds.

Last winter (2022/23) was one of the harshest in recent times for those sleeping rough across London. SWEP was activated six times in total. During the first activation alone, almost 1,000 people at risk of sleeping outside in the freezing weather were provided with vital shelter by London boroughs and partners.

Find out how you can volunteer to support the SWEP effort here.

To find out more about SWEP provision you can visit Homeless Link’s website here and read the full

London Council’s SWEP briefing.