We are SIFA Fireside: the Birmingham charity which stands by the people who are facing, at risk of, or in recovery from the effects of homelessness. Although anybody can become unhappy, depressed, addicted, homeless, destitute or at-risk, this is far more prevalent amongst particular groups and SIFA Fireside exists to challenge and address the systemic causes, as well as the effects of homelessness.

Our Adult Lead Worker Service offers inclusive tailored - support to those facing multiple disadvantages. Funded by Adult Social Care and Public Health, this new service aims to tackle structural barriers in all aspects of a client’s life within the community and prevent statutory interventions.

This is achieved by shaping a healthier environment and fairer opportunities for our clients to live affordable, sustainable, and enjoyable healthy lives. The Adult Lead Worker service provides personalised support for health and well-being development, mental health engagement, social community engagement, social wellbeing, digital inclusion skills development, and building independence.

This service provides support for those aged 25 plus, whether they’re childless or single adults, couples (and their pets) or older adults aged 65+ with support needs. Clients must have a local connection to Birmingham and are experiencing or have experienced two or more of the following:

Substance use
Poor mental health
History of repeat homelessness
Offending history
Serially excluded from services or be at risk of exclusion from mainstream services.

Access to the Adult Lead Worker Service is by referral only.

SIFA Fireside's new Exempt Accommodation Team work hard to empower individuals who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Birmingham. The team specialise in providing information and guidance for people living in a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) and/or those who require support with their substance use.

The team offers long-term support for clients with substance abuse or addiction issues, providing holistic support that's centered on the client and their own, individual needs. The key here is long-term, trauma-informed care so that clients realise that we are standing by them as they progress along their journey out of homelessness.

Find out more about the work we do and take a look at Fiona's story at the link below.

Our Digbeth Support Centre enables clients’ basic needs to be met and is the main day centre for adults that are facing homelessness in Birmingham. We provide access to a range of health services including a nurse, optician, chiropractor and podiatrist. Our Homelessness Intervention team offers expert advice and information on how to alleviate the effects of homelessness and our clients can also access face-to-face appointments with the Department of Work and Pensions, take advantage of barber visits and onsite mental health support.

As well as acting as the conduit to Birmingham City Council’s Housing Options Team, we also offer hot meals, showers and clean clothes to anyone who is rough sleeping or in need of emergency support, as well as food parcels, conversation and an internet connection.

Open from Monday to Friday, 9am until 12.45pm, the team build trust and rapport with people experiencing homelessness and stand by them while they rebuild their lives in safety and with dignity.

Individuals over the age of 25 who are rough sleeping or in need of emergency support can present at SIFA Fireside from 9am onwards.

To find out more about the work we do, take a look at Scott's story below.

SIFA Fireside's Restricted Eligibility Team specialise in working with clients who are non-UK Nationals and have no recourse to public funds (NRPF) or restricted eligibility to public funds. These clients have legal barriers to accessing universal credit that UK national clients are entitled to. Due to their restricted eligibility, these individuals are often left vulnerable to exploitation and are likely to encounter issues surrounding their mental health.

The team support clients with passport retrieval and applications, medical forms and translations as well as meeting their basic needs. They also create pathways and direct clients to specialised external services who can support them further, before staying in contact with clients to assess how and if these external services are working for them.

To find out more about the work we do, take a look at Mahmood's story below.

This new team conducts outreach work within the local community to assist individuals who are rough sleeping aged 18+ who often struggle with loneliness and disconnection from society. These individuals may have limited experience of managing tenancies and will often struggle to trust services, especially when transitioning into unfamiliar accommodation. This can result in them feeling safer on the streets within their known community, leading to reluctance to engage and share their experiences to improve their situations.

Our Peer Mentors work to bridge this gap, offering lighter-touch support for a successful, individualised relationship to develop. This relationship can aid the transition to independent living, including practical, health and wellbeing, social and potential employment, education and training support.

The Peer Support service is about meeting the client where they are on their rough sleeping journey and accompanying them on that journey, rather than simply telling them what they should do.

This service is referral only.

One of our main aims is to get to a point where our clients don’t rely on SIFA Fireside’s services anymore. This journey to independence requires developing life skills, accessing specialist services, and navigating complex systems.

To increase client involvement and co-production, we involve clients and individuals with lived experience in the design, delivery, and evaluation of SIFA Fireside’s activities, services and policies. We regularly run focus groups to discuss issues and ideas with our clients as well as facilitating quarterly Client Committee meetings.

Our homelessness recovery offer is focused on developing life and practical skills through activities and groups so that clients are well prepared and equipped to lead happier and healthier independent lives. Our program includes popular creativity workshops where people can express themselves via a range of different art projects. We also deliver, individual or group budgeting sessions, Cookery classes, Digital Inclusion and Help with seeking Employment and Training.

Find out more about the work we do via the link below.