Individual care plans for homeless people could be rolled out nationally

An individualised healthcare approach to homeless people, as trialled in Dublin’s north inner city, could be extended across the country.

An individualised healthcare approach to homeless people, as trialled in Dublin’s north inner city, could be extended across the country.

Minister of State Frank Feighan, responsible for public health and drug policy, made the suggestion at the launch of research backing this ‘case management’ approach.

Also speaking at the launch, a senior HSE official working in homeless services in Dublin said certain groups “urgently need to be prioritised” in the Covid-19 vaccination rollout.

'Individual care plan'

Mr Feighan said a case management approach meant that homeless people would get an “individual care plan”, one which they were involved in drafting.

“Already we are seeing the benefits of the case management approach in north inner-city Dublin and in the Housing First programme,” the minister said.

“I hope that this review will help to extend this successful approach to services for people who are homeless across the country.’’ 

Additional funding

He said the Department of Health had allocated additional funding of €15m to homeless services during the pandemic.

The research was commissioned by the Health Research Board and was carried out by a team of academics at the University of Stirling in Scotland, led by Dr Joanna Miler.

Our latest evidence review explores international evidence on the needs of people who are homeless and may need treatment for drug use. It will inform the development of Inclusion Health policy that aims to protect vulnerable groups – more details here: https://t.co/U21xijeQxL

— HealthResearchBoard (@hrbireland) March 30, 2021

The review found the Housing First model supported a flexible harm-reduction approach that enabled referral to other services and that this model could bring about improvements in housing as well as in physical health and wellbeing.

It said staff at homeless services need to be compassionate and non-judgemental.

Dónal Cassidy, attached to HSE Social Exclusion – Addiction Services in Dublin North City and County, said while the service, working with voluntary agencies, had done well in responding to Covid among the homeless population, there had been an increase in transmission in recent weeks.

High risk

He said this included family hubs and settings catering for more challenging people. He said there was a “very significant group” who were medically vulnerable and at high risk if infected.

These included the 482 people in long-term accommodation and 230 people in “shielded” accommodation.

He said the homeless population was not homogeneous and there was a particular cohort which “urgently need to be prioritised to be vaccinated”.

Lorraine McGrath of Simon Scotland said a major campaign there had achieved "remarkable success" with only 10-20 rough sleepers in both major cities.