Frequently asked questions for guests

What does Glass Door Help with?  

Glass Door offers a year-round Casework service and delivers and emergency night shelter provision in the winter months.

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, 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.

What can the caseworkers help me with? 

Glass Door has a team of Caseworkers to support guests build a route out of homelessness. Caseworkers can provide you with advice and support including: 

• Housing options
• Employment
• Benefits
• Alcohol and drug support
• Immigration
• Financial problems
• Health services
• Obtaining identification

We ask that all guests of the night shelter speak to a Glass Door Caseworker withing the first 28 days of staying in the shelter. You can speak to a caseworker at one of our partner day centres.  

Get support from a caseworker 

What are the shelters like? 

During the Winter season, our shelters run every night across three circuits in west and southwest London. 

The shelters are as a safe, warm space where guests can sleep while they work with our caseworkers to address their housing needs. 

We have an open-access policy, meaning there are no prerequisites to access the shelter. A new sleeping bag and a mat is provided on the first night of stay, and dinner and breakfast are provided every day. Those who stay with us must be able to attend regularly, or they may lose their spot. As the location changes each night, there is no space to store your items during the day.  

Two staff are awake throughout the night to ensure your safety. 

English is not my first language; can I still receive help? Nie umiem mówić po angielsku. Nu pot vorbi engleza. እንግሊዝኛ ምዝራብ ኣይክእልን. 

Yes, we will support people who may struggle with English. Many of our staff can speak different languages. We have a translation service we can use during conversations to help 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።  

I use a wheelchair/I have limited mobility 

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.  

I'm under 18. Can I stay in the night shelters? 

Our night shelters are for adults, young people (16 or 17 years old) may stay for several nights in extreme circumstances.  

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 101.   

I have children with me, can I still access your services? 

Our night shelters are for adults. 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 on 101 or visit a police station.