Creating a WIN-ing idea: Hub for Homeless

This report explores the experiences of homeless and vulnerable people in Wokingham and highlights the role of the Wokingham In Need (WIN) Hub, based at the Salvation Army site, in helping people access health, social care, housing, and wider support services. Healthwatch Wokingham Borough worked with WIN and the Salvation Army to understand the needs, experiences, and challenges faced by people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. 

The report emphasises that homelessness is often hidden and can affect anyone. Causes include relationship breakdown, debt, mental or physical health problems, substance misuse, and difficulties following discharge from institutions such as the armed forces. While Wokingham is generally an affluent area with good health outcomes, the report notes a growing number of vulnerable people who require support. 

A key finding was that homeless people often face significant barriers to accessing healthcare. Although everyone is entitled to register with a GP regardless of housing status, people using WIN reported difficulties registering because they lacked a permanent address, identification documents, or proof of residence. As a result, some homeless people relied on accident and emergency departments for healthcare, where they could receive immediate treatment but not always the follow-up care they needed. 

The report also identified problems accessing information about healthcare and treatment, obtaining diagnoses and follow-up appointments, navigating complex paperwork, attending appointments, and providing evidence required by agencies such as housing services. These barriers often compounded existing health, housing, and social difficulties. 

Healthwatch heard several personal stories demonstrating the impact of the support provided through WIN and the Salvation Army. Individuals described how staff and volunteers had helped them secure housing, overcome addiction, escape abusive relationships, understand legal and housing processes, and regain stability. Many credited the service with significantly improving or even saving their lives.

The report highlights the benefits of the WIN Hub model, which brings multiple forms of support together in a single location. The hub provides practical facilities including clothing, bedding, food supplies, secure storage, washing facilities, food preparation areas, computer access, and one-to-one support. The aim is to reduce the need for vulnerable people to visit multiple locations and make services easier to access. 

The Salvation Army and WIN also provided emotional support, advocacy, help with form filling, access to computers, guidance on housing and benefits issues, and opportunities for social interaction. Volunteers played a significant role in delivering these services and supporting people with everyday challenges. 

The report recognised that homelessness often has serious implications for physical and mental health. Homeless people are more likely to experience poor health, long-term conditions, substance misuse, mental health problems, and repeated hospital admissions. The report noted that these issues frequently occur together and require coordinated support from multiple agencies. 

Looking ahead, the report outlined plans to expand services at the hub. Proposals included introducing a regular nurse-led clinic, accessing podiatry services to address common foot health problems among homeless people, developing employment and job-search support in partnership with the Salvation Army and Jobcentre services, and creating pathways back into work through social enterprise projects. 

Overall, the report concludes that the WIN Hub provides an important and effective source of practical, emotional, health, and housing-related support for homeless and vulnerable people in Wokingham. It demonstrates how coordinated, community-based services can help people overcome multiple barriers and improve their health, wellbeing, and long-term prospects.