OXFORD City Council will tonight activate its Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) for rough sleepers.

Extra bed spaces will be available for any rough sleeper in the city - even if they would not usually be eligible for the city’s adult homeless pathway.

SWEP opens on the first night of a period when it is forecasted that overnight temperature will drop to zero or below for three or more consecutive nights.

The current Met Office forecast for Oxford is for overnight temperatures to be above zero on Friday 18 and Saturday January 19, but the current outlook from Sunday 20 January onwards is for overnight temperatures to fall to zero or below.

The council and its partners will decide tomorrow whether SWEP will remain open over the weekend or close prior to reopening on Sunday night.

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The council activates SWEP in consultation with its local partners including Homeless Oxfordshire, A2Dominion, Aspire and St Mungo’s, which runs the Oxford Street Population Outreach Team (OxSPOT).

OxSPOT is notifying potential rough sleepers that SWEP beds are available tonight, which includes the offer of free kennelling for any rough sleepers with dogs, although these must be arranged in advance.

Rough sleepers who want to access SWEP accommodation need to present themselves at Homeless Oxfordshire’s O’Hanlon House, on Luther Street, between 9 pm and 9:30 pm.

They will then be allocated an emergency bed in one of three main venues in the city.

The decision about which SWEP venue is most suitable for an individual rough sleeper is based on information provided by OxSPOT about their needs, where this is known.

O’Hanlon House and Simon House provide a secure environment for known rough sleepers with chaotic behaviours and those presenting for the first time whose needs are unknown.

Known rough sleepers who present a lower risk to themselves or to others are usually given a bed outside the city centre.