Introducing our Women’s Casework Drop-in – Women's Month 2025

It’s Women’s Month at Glass Door Homeless Charity– throughout the month, we will spotlight the importance of our gender-informed women’s services, our amazing colleagues on the frontline, and the unique challenges women face when experiencing homelessness in London.  

To spotlight our weekly women's drop-in service, we chatted to the Glass Door caseworkers who run the drop-in and support guests on a regular basis. We also spoke to some of our wonderful drop-in volunteers, who help make the space comfortable and safe for women guests. 

Content warning: This page contains reference to domestic abuse, sexual violence, trafficking and modern slavery.

What is the purpose of the women's drop-in, and how does it work? 

In Winter 2023-24, we ran our Women’s Night Shelter for the first time, along with a dedicated casework drop-in service. After seeing continued demand for women’s homelessness support, this winter marks the second year of providing a women’s night shelter and weekly drop-in. You can read more about our women’s services in our first ever Women’s Services Report.  

The purpose of the women’s drop-in is to provide a space for those who have opted to stay in the women’s winter night shelter, and are therefore in need of a women’s space specifically for casework support.  

Alice – Senior Caseworker, Multiple Disadvantage: The drop-in was created where women caseworkers can meet with guests in a women’s space, because many of the other drop-ins have a lot of men attending. This can be a bit intimidating for women who already have a nervousness around men. We set up this drop-in so that having mixed-gender drop-ins didn’t become a barrier for women engaging with the casework service.

The night shelters are crucial for giving guests somewhere to sleep and something to eat, but unless they come and speak with a caseworker, they will most likely end up being street homeless again.

The casework service is there to help people to find a route out of homelessness, and to support them with the long-term issues that keep them in the cycle of homelessness. So, having drop-ins that people feel comfortable coming to is very important.  

Grace – Caseworker: Once a guest has been staying in the women’s night shelter for about a week, they will be assigned a caseworker. At that point, we invite them to attend the women’s drop-in sessions. These drop-ins are held in a women's space and offer a chance for the caseworker to meet with the guest, understand their individual situation, and provide tailored advice. The drop-in is also a vital space for women to share confidential information. For example, some of my guests have disclosed experiences of domestic violence during these sessions, which allows us to take immediate safeguarding measures and make referrals to refuges. 

Zara – Caseworker: Obviously, we can’t create a life with no men for women guests. But we can hold this space for private, trauma-informed conversation, where women who might be nervous around men can feel more confident and comfortable. Here they can talk about things like hygiene issues and menstruation, which they might not want to do around men. And they can talk about things like domestic abuse, sexual assault, trafficking, modern slavery – things where they might feel judged, or just like they want to speak with another woman about. Sometimes we have conversations about how it’s going to be challenging to find accommodation that is only for women, and about why they don’t want to live with men; that’s a conversation that’s often easier to have without men around, so they don’t feel like they need to worry about offending anyone.  

Why is this space important?  

Zara: It’s for women to feel more empowered to talk about things they wouldn’t usually. We can mirror the approach of the women’s winter night shelter, and it means that people come along with their friends that they’ve made in the shelter, so it can be more of a community setting.

In this space, there’s no discomfort for the guests to ask for things like period products or just general hygiene products that they might not feel comfortable asking for in a mixed-gender space. 

Alice: We want to make sure that there isn’t anyone who isn’t engaging with casework or is slipping through the net.  

Grace: It’s also important that it’s a drop-in which is quite local to where the night shelters are. The other day centres are quite far away from each other. Also, it’s one of the night shelter locations of the women’s shelter circuit, so people already know where it is, it’s a familiar space.  

How would you describe the atmosphere of the women’s drop-in space? 

Zara: The space is very relaxed. It’s quiet, but sometimes the women are quite chatty, and it gets busier. The volunteers are great, they bring a lot of hand-baked goods, and some of them have been so delicious. I had a lemon and poppy seed slice that was the best thing I’ve ever had.  

Sarah – drop-in volunteer: I have only volunteered at the woman’s drop in twice, but I think it is such a great service. The women enjoy sitting around a table and chatting together over tea and cake.  

One of the highlights I think is that the women are offered a pair of pants and socks and can choose two or three toiletry items. This seems like a small thing, but I think it is a really big deal. Being given new underwear and toiletries is very meaningful. It should also be noted that these are bought by the women who volunteer on the service, which shows their care and kindness. 

Zanni – drop-in volunteer:  I have been part of the drop-in volunteer team since 2023. For the drop-in, there are always two volunteers to help set up the tables and chairs and look after the guests. We aim to make sure that, in addition to the opportunity to see the caseworkers, which is the reason the women are there, we offer them a safe, welcoming space to sit and wait. We offer them a choice of coffee, tea, hot chocolate or herbal tea (important on cold days) and their drinks are made to order.   

Also, there is always freshly made cake or cookies available. We have a rota of incredible home bakers, and the lemon & poppy seed drizzle cake and freshly baked banana bread are two of the favourites.   

In addition, we have created a donation service where the volunteers, their friends and members of the church’s congregation donate small, travel sized toiletries, tissues, wet wipes, etc.  Each guest is given a small packet of tissues and then can choose a couple of other items from our donation baskets – perhaps a hand cream, a packet of wet wipes, a roll-on deodorant, lip salve, a new toothbrush or body wash/lotion.  The small size is perfect when you are carrying everything around all day, every day.  They are also offered a new pair of pants and a new pair of socks to supplement their belongings.   

All the guests are greeted with warm smiles and good wishes, and most are returned tenfold.

By being welcoming and giving them the option to pick and choose some small items they might need, our guests not only feel respected but appreciated and it seems to be a little boost to their day – their smiles and thanks tell us that.   

The caseworkers do an incredible job, handling everyone with positive empathy and courtesy. They also seem to appreciate the volunteers who help ensure that even on the busiest of days, when there are many people waiting to speak to them, everyone remains calm and happy as we look after them.  It is a privilege to be part of the team.