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Anybody can become unhappy, depressed, addicted, homeless, destitute or at-risk. We are SIFA Fireside: the charity which stands by the people of Birmingham who are facing, at risk of, or in recovery from the effects of homelessness.

 

SIFA Fireside provides an ever-evolving range of responsive homeless support services so that people can rebuild their lives in safety and with dignity. These include: 

A member of The Ash Team on Outreach.

Prevention - The ASH

Together, we can prevent homelessness

The Adult Support Hub (ASH) strives for early intervention and homelessness prevention for single adults and childless couples aged over 25 in Birmingham. Commissioned by Birmingham City Council, The ASH provides tailor-made services for each individual’s set of unique circumstances.

This can range from offering money and welfare benefits advice, health and wellbeing services and guidance with regards to specialist housing.

Maintaining employment is, of course, an integral part of preventing homelessness which is why SIFA Fireside hosts Job Clubs and CV workshops, English Language sessions and regularly signposts clients to employability training and budgeting workshops.

Homelessness Intervention Team Member

Homelessness Intervention

Together, we can work through crisis

Our Digbeth Support Centre enables clients’ basic needs to be met, all of the time. We can provide a ‘Care Of’ postal address, safe document storage and access to a range of health services including a nurse, optician, chiropractor, podiatrist and mental health support. 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.

SIFA Fireside is also part of a consortium set up to focus on women’s rough sleeping, with the emphasis on creating a pathway model for prevention, crisis and recovery. We engage in outreach and specific services which enable vulnerable women to see SIFA Fireside as a safe space in which to rebuild their lives with dignity.

Staff and clients at our 2023 Black History Month event.

Recovery

Together, we can support recovery from homelessness

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

We respond to our clients’ needs and aspirations dynamically by designing recovery services around them.

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.

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 services and policies. We regularly run focus groups to discuss issues and ideas with our clients as well as facilitating quarterly Client Committee meetings.

The service is complemented by a Peer Mentor team that supports clients with navigating the services here at SIFA Fireside, as well as the support available across Birmingham.

We also support our clients to build their own Social Networks by empowering them to get involved in activities within their own community as well as accessing education and training.

If you are concerned about someone sleeping rough, send an alert to StreetLink by visiting thestreetlink.org.uk so that a trained professional can meet the individual and offer them support.

Our service was re-launched in 2023 to better support people in Birmingham that are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The services, skills development workshops and activity classes that SIFA Fireside offers continue to evolve through regular consultation around the changing needs of our clients.

Learn more about the impact that SIFA Fireside has, as a charity, on the lives of people experiencing, at risk of, or in recovery from the effects of homelessness in Birmingham.

Your donations rebuild lives.