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• Evaluation of wet drinkers' centre initiatives

Housing

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Summary

The Homelessness Directorate and the King's Fund commissioned research to review the performance and function of wet day centres and compile a comprehensive manual on the setting up and running of new centres.

Street drinking has a major negative effect on communities and drinkers alike. Wet centres can offer a way forward both by providing support, help and treatment for severely disadvantaged and chaotic people.

People who are reluctant or unable to stop drinking often receive little help from the mainstream health and social services. Meanwhile, as more local authorities introduce town centre management bye-laws to ban street drinking, there is increasingly nowhere for street drinkers to go. Wet centres allow people to consume alcohol on their premises, and some local authorities are considering starting up wet centres in an effort to curb street drinking and provide more targeted resources to drinkers. Wet centres work with street drinkers and other vulnerable groups, including people with mental health and drug problems and rough sleepers. Many have chronic health and alcohol problems and are homeless or have housing-related difficulties.

The research findings and development manual provide a useful resource for those considering planning and setting up a wet day centre. It highlights the vital role that wet centres can play in engaging with socially excluded people, and sets out specific guidelines for managing a centre and working with this specific client group.

The project summary gives further details of how the research was conducted, its findings, and the lessons learnt. The full report (summary) and manual are available on the King's Fund website.

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