01. What does Glass Door help with? Expand Glass Door runs a shelter/hostel service from November until April and an advisory and support (casework) service year-round. Our services are open to all, and we operate on a first-come, first-served basis. You must be over 18 to stay in our shelters/hostels, but we can direct you to other more appropriate services if you are under 18. You do not need to bring your ID or any documents to receive help, but they may be useful for our caseworkers to help you.
02. What can the caseworkers help me with? Expand Caseworkers can help you build a route on from homelessness. You can speak to a caseworker at one of our partner day centres. Here is a list of some of the things our caseworkers help with, it’s still best to ask our caseworkers if they can assist you with your specific situation. Finding accommodation, through the council or privately Accessing our hostel service Employment Training Creating a CV Accessing benefits Opening a bank account Obtaining a National Insurance Number Immigration (including EU Settlement) Replacing ID, identification documents Accessing healthcare Resolving debt Reconnecting to your country of origin Accessing specialist support (e.g. mental health, gambling, substance use, trafficking, or modern slavery)
03. What are the shelters/hostels like? Expand Our shelters run from early November to early April. The shelters exist as a safe, warm space to get off the streets, have some food and speak to a caseworker. The shelters are very basic, and guests must move between seven different church halls, one for each night of the week. A new sleeping bag and a mat is provided on the first night of stay, and dinner and breakfast are provided every day. Staff are available all throughout the night to ensure your safety. Those who stay with us must be able to attend regularly, or they lose their spot. As the location changes each night, there is no space to store your items during the day, and you must always keep your items with you. Because demand is high, our guests are permitted to stay for up to 90 days. However, the stay can be extended if they are receiving on-going casework support. Please note that due to COVID-19 our shelters are not currently running, we are running hostels instead. The hostels provide a single-occupancy room with a shared bathroom between 1-2 other individuals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided and staff are available 24/7. Caseworkers visit the hostel and hold appointments with all guests of the hostel. We still require that guests stay every night to maintain their space due to high demand.
04. English is not my first language; can I still receive help? Nie umiem mówić po angielsku. Nu pot vorbi engleza. እንግሊዝኛ ምዝራብ ኣይክእልን. We have caseworkers who can speak Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Finnish, Hindi, Gujarati and Urdu. Expand We are happy to help as best we can. Some of our caseworkers can speak different languages. We have a translation service we can use during conversations to make sure you understand the information. [pl] Chętnie pomożemy najlepiej jak potrafimy. Niektórzy z naszych pracowników zajmują się różnymi językami. Obecnie mamy pracowników zajmujących się sprawami, którzy mówią po polsku, hiszpańsku, portugalsku, włosku i rosyjsku. Mamy usługę tłumaczenia, z której możemy korzystać podczas rozmów, aby upewnić się, że rozumiesz informacje. [ro] Suntem fericiți să ajutăm cât mai bine. Unii dintre lucrătorii noștri de caz pot vorbi limbi diferite. În prezent avem lucrători care pot vorbi poloneză, spaniolă, portugheză, italiană și rusă. Avem un serviciu de traducere pe care îl putem folosi în timpul conversațiilor pentru a vă asigura că înțelegeți informațiile. [ar] يسعدنا تقديم المساعدة قدر الإمكان. يمكن لبعض أخصائيي الحالات لدينا التحدث بلغات مختلفة. لدينا حاليًا أخصائيون في الحالات يمكنهم التحدث باللغة البولندية والإسبانية والبرتغالية والإيطالية والروسية. لدينا خدمة ترجمة يمكننا استخدامها أثناء المحادثات للتأكد من فهمك للمعلومات. [es] Estamos felices de ayudar lo mejor que podamos. Algunos de nuestros trabajadores sociales pueden hablar diferentes idiomas. Actualmente contamos con trabajadores sociales que hablan polaco, español, portugués, italiano y ruso. Tenemos un servicio de traducción que podemos usar durante las conversaciones para asegurarnos de que comprenda la información. [ti] ብዝተኻእለ ዓቐን ንምሕጋዝ ሕጉሳት ኢና ። ሓድ-ሓደ ናይ ጉዳይ ብሓባር በብዓይነቱ ብዙሀ-ቃንቋ ምዝራብ ይኽእሉ ። ሓበሬታ ተረድአ ንምርግጋጽ ብዝርርብ ጊዜ ተጠቕመ ከኣለ ናይ ትርጉም ኣገልግሎት ኣለና።
05. I’m in a wheelchair/I have limited mobility Expand Our partner day centres are wheelchair accessible, and you shouldn’t have to go up stairs in order to get advice and support from a member of the casework team. Not all our shelters are wheelchair accessible, so please let us know that you are mobility impaired in your application, and we will try to accommodate your needs. Please note that due to COVID-19 our shelters are not currently running, we are running hostels instead. Our hostels are not accessible to people in wheelchairs or with mobility issues. Please speak to a caseworker about how to receive alternative support.
06. I’d prefer to access women’s-only services Expand You are welcome to attend our women’s group, which is currently closed during the coronarvirus pandemic, but usually operates on Wednesdays from 15:00 to 17:00 to speak to a female caseworker. You can also ask to speak to a female caseworker when you visit the usual drop-in. Our shelters have a separate space for both men and women when sleeping but the space is shared while eating. If you would prefer to go to a women’s-only shelter, a caseworker will help refer you. Please note that due to COVID-19 our shelters are not currently running, we are running hostels instead. Our hostels have single-occupancy rooms so you wouldn't be in a shared space. The hostels have separate floors for men and women and you can ask to speak to a female staff member or caseworker if you feel uncomfortable with male staff.
07. I’m under 18. Can I stay in your shelter/hostels? Expand We are an adult's only service, if you are under 18 you will not be able to access our shelter. Centrepoint has a specialised advice line for people 16-25, you can contact them on 0808 800 0661. You can also visit New Horizon Youth Centre which is a specialised day centre for people 16-25. If you are under 16, we recommend you go to a police station or call 111.
08. I have children with me, can I still access your services? Expand Our services are for adults only. If you or somebody you are referring has children (under 16) with them, please contact the Local Authority's Housing or Social Services Department. If you cannot get assistance from these and a child is at risk of rough sleeping, you should inform the police.
09. I’m transgender/non-binary. Can I still go to the shelters/hostels? Expand We are currently doing our best to make the shelters as trans and non-binary inclusive as possible. Be aware that our shelters are currently split into a men’s area and a women’s area and only some venues have a third space. Be sure to include in your application where you would prefer to sleep and inform our staff if you have any additional needs. Our caseworkers can also signpost and refer you to specialised LGBTQ services, if appropriate. Please note that due to COVID-19 our shelters are not currently running, we are running hostels instead. Our hostels have single-occupancy rooms so you wouldn't be in a shared space. However, we do have separate floors for men and women, so please let staff know your preference for where you will stay.
10. I have a dog, can I still access the shelter/hostel? Expand Our shelters/hostels operate on the basis that we reserve as much space as possible for people who need help. Therefore we cannot permit dogs to take up the space, particularly since we operate a long waiting list. However we recognise that the bond between an owner and their pet is important and we want to support people as best possible. Generally there are three options for guests with dogs. Use the Dog’s Trust website to search for dog-friendly hostels. Crisis at Christmas allows dogs in one of their night shelters so our caseworkers can help make a referral for them, however this service is only available for a two week period in December. We have an agreement with Mayhew, a local animal welfare charity, who will agree to keep our shelter guest's pets safe during their stay for a fixed period of time. There are a few important conditions like the owners agreeing for the pet to be neutered on arrival, no visiting access for the time duration their pet is at the centre, and no longer than a stay of three months or the pet will be re-homed. Their service comes with a high degree of care like free veterinary treatment, including vaccines, regular exercise and socialisation and a spacious room to name a few. We also have links to other organisations who help with animal care through our daytime partner drop-in services. StreetVet goes to the Ace of Clubs to check up on pets sleeping rough. As far as moving into accommodation, our caseworkers will do their best to help people find homes where their pets are allowed but they’re unfortunately restricted by the council or landlord’s rules.