Health and Homelessness

Our Health and Homelessness team provides a vital link between health care and homeless services in order to help address the significantly health inequalities experienced by people who are homeless. 

Cyrenians hospital in reach service now supports patients in all three acute hospitals in Edinburgh - the Royal Infirmary, the Western general and the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. Our Hospital InReach team connects with homeless people who have been admitted to hospital, ensuring that their treatment care and discharge planning recognises they are without a settled home. Placing access to suitable accommodation as a priority within their recovery, we support the individual through the transition out of hospital we aim to connect them with the community-based supports they will need to continue their recovery and help prevent against further hospital stays.

Set up in 2020 as a pilot, the service was identified as a need and developed because we know that people experiencing homelessness are admitted to hospital more frequently than the general population and have some of the poorest health outcomes of all groups in society. Cyrenians wanted to reduce those glaring health inequalities, and to provide some cost savings to the NHS by reducing admissions and reducing length of stay. 

Read the Edinburgh University Evaluation of the Cyrenians Hospital In-reach service here.

For those enrolled in LEAP (Lothian and Edinburgh Abstinence Project), we provide out-of-hours care and support, outwith time spent at the Astley Ainslie hospital. Working in partnership with NHS clinical staff and peer support workers we provide emotional support for residents promoting a ‘therapeutic community model’ – a participative, group-based approach dealing with addiction issues. Residents are encouraged to take part in group activities and to shape a wellbeing programme to suit their needs.

Providing one-to-one support, our community link worker is able to help people navigate their way through the often-complex systems designed to provide support. From accessing health care, to understanding how to apply for housing or benefits, our link worker becomes a trusted ally in an individual’s journey to creating an independent and sustainable lifestyle.

Our Community Link Worker is the only link worker in Scotland that works exclusively with the homeless population.