A council has been blasted for screening off a homeless man from public view by surrounding his pitch with plastic barriers covered in warning signs.
Nottingham City Council cordoned off the sleeping man by erecting yellow screens around the doorway where he has been staying.
An official even handwritten a note shaming the 27-year-old rough sleeper for refusing council accommodation.
Nottingham City Council cordoned off the sleeping man by erecting yellow screens around the doorway where he has been staying
An official even handwritten a note shaming the 27-year-old rough sleeper for refusing council accommodation
The man, who wishes to remain unnamed, said he turned down three nights in a bed and breakfast as he feared for his personal safety.
The sign, which was later removed by the council, read: ‘This man has refused to take an offer from Framework of 3 nights in a hotel.’
The rough sleeper said he rejected the offer of accommodation in Derby because he has faced ‘problems’ there before.
Homeless charities have blasted the move and accused the local authority of ‘dehumanising’ the homeless man.
The man, who sleeps in Nottingham city centre, said: ‘It’s just making me feel wound up. They’ve put this sign up and they’ve said I was begging, but I wasn’t.
‘These people said I could sleep at this doorway because it’s a closed down shop.
‘I’ve got reasons why I’ve refused the hotel because there’s problems in Derby.
The man, who wishes to remain unnamed, said he turned down three nights in a bed and breakfast as he feared for his personal safety
Homeless charities have blasted the move and accused the local authority of ‘dehumanising’ the homeless man
‘I’m on bail for begging in Derby, that’s the truth why I’m not allowed to be there. And that’s it.
‘They’re p****** me off and they’ve annoyed me so much in the last three months, and I don’t know why they’ve put this sign here.
‘They’ve never done anything like that here before.’
Homeless charity Framework, which supports rough sleepers in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire, claimed the barrier had ‘absolutely nothing to do’ with the organisation.
Denis Tully, chief executive of Nottingham homeless charity Emmanuel House, said: ‘To put up a sign is a very dehumanising thing to do and it’s not where we would want to go.
Labour Councillor Toby Neal, the portfolio holder for community and customer services, said that the barriers were there to protect the man’s privacy
‘In terms of the barrier, again I think it’s a question of whether it actually contributes to someone’s human dignity.
‘If the council is attempting to provide greater protection for people who are homeless it’s a good thing – but I’d be interested to know what they [rough sleepers] say about a barrier being put around them.
‘It’s got a warning symbol on it – what is the warning symbol warning people against?
‘It’s not something we would want to be associated with.’
Labour Councillor Toby Neal, the portfolio holder for community and customer services, said that the barriers were there to protect the man’s privacy.
Claiming that the letter was the result of ‘frustration’, he added: ‘I think the sign was a mistake.
‘If I’m honest I think it was probably a bit of frustration from somebody who’s been dealing with somebody for three days.
‘But they understand it was a mistake and it’s not what our policy is about..
‘Our policy about making sure vulnerable people are protected and preferably off the streets if we can.
‘But, if we can’t, we provide them with support that we can on the street itself.
‘If the person isn’t willing to engage, it doesn’t remove our obligation to try and sort the issue for them, or to try and help steer them towards making better choices.
‘Those privacy barriers are an attempt to try and at least not make them have people gawking at somebody sitting in a doorway having people talking to them, and trying to work through the issues with them.
‘That’s the main thrust of them.’
In a statement released by Nottingham City Council, Toby Neal added: ‘This was the first and only time privacy screens have been used and having listened to feedback from the public and partners, we are stopping their use until a clear protocol can be established on when they should be used and more appropriate screens found.
‘I am sorry about the placing of a sign, which was not authorised or appropriate, and which we removed as soon as we heard about it.
‘The intention was that the screens would only be used on a very temporary basis in exceptional circumstances – for example if medical intervention is required or when officers are trying to have conversations with individuals about potentially sensitive matters.
‘The aim would be to help maintain the privacy and dignity of the individuals concerned by keeping their intervention with agencies out of earshot of any passing public while they are trying to engage with and support them.
‘The City Council has invested £106,000 to put measures in place that ensure nobody need sleep on our streets this winter, on top of almost £4m we spend on homelessness prevention and support throughout the year.
‘Sometimes individuals are resistant to accepting the support that is offered to them but it is available to everyone and we will do all that we can to get them off the street and to one of the many facilities in the city, especially when harsh weather is forecast.’