About our Services

Most people who come to St Mungo's for the first time go into one of our hostels. Some are larger hostels, with up to 120 beds, where anyone who is sleeping rough can come in if there is a room free. There are smaller hostels reserved for homeless people who have a particular need - we run specialist hostels for heavy drinkers, mentally ill people and women. All our hostels offer decent food and a bed in, usually, a single room, and residents typically stay for a few weeks or months. We also run temporary hostels with more basic facilities..

We have always believed that hostels should be more than just places of shelter: they should be both communities and stepping stones to appropriate long-term accommodation. Our staff arrange regular social events for residents, and help them get access to health services. All residents have a designated member of staff to work with to produce a plan of action to get their lives back on track. We also help residents find their own homes and jobs.

Hostels
All our hostels are open 24 hours a day, and offer residents food, shelter and companionship. While there is no time limit to a resident's stay, hostels are intended to be temporary until more appropriate accommodation can be found. Almost all hostel residents have slept rough during their lives. While in a hostel, residents are assigned a member of staff (a key worker) to help them, are treated for any mental and physical health problems they may have and are helped to find more permanent housing. Most hostels are permanent, but some are open for a few months.

Supported Housing
St Mungo's runs 45 supported housing schemes, accommodating over 500 beds men and women. Hostel residents who are capable of living more independently than in a hostel are offered places here. The projects consist of shared housing, group homes, cluster flats and independent flats. Tenants are expected to cook, clean and shop for themselves, but members of staff visit regularly to help with practical matters. Depending on the needs of the tenants, staff might be based on-site, or might visit weekly. Some of the schemes specialise in housing those with mental health problems, heavy drinkers and those who are elderly.

Residential Care Homes
Residential Care homes are smaller than most hostels, with a higher ratio of staff to residents, allowing staff more time to devote to residents. This is because residents have more serious mental and physical health problems and may be less able to look after themselves. Residents stay in care homes for months or years, and the intention is to support clients in achieving the best possible quality of life. Residential Care homes are partly funded by local authorities under the Community Care system.