Start with a conversation, not a rescue

Finding out that a friend is sleeping rough is frightening, and the instinct is to fix everything at once. But the most useful thing you can do first is simply turn up, say hello, and ask what they actually need. People who are homeless are used to being managed, moved on and talked about. Being treated as an adult whose opinion matters is rarer than a hot meal.

Ask direct, kind questions: where are you sleeping at the moment? What is making tonight difficult? Is there anything you would like me to do? You do not need the whole story, and you should not push for it. Offer rather than insist, and if they say no, accept it. A refusal is not a rejection, and it does not mean you stop caring.

A few things to avoid: do not take photographs, do not post about them on social media, and do not share their whereabouts with people they have not chosen to tell. Above all, do not promise what you cannot deliver. Trust is built on small promises kept.

Practical things that genuinely help

Rough sleeping is exhausting, uncomfortable and often wet. Useful items tend to be the unglamorous ones. Ask before you buy, because carrying too much is its own burden.

• Keeping warm and dry: a good sleeping bag, a bivvy or survival bag, a waterproof rucksack, a decent coat, thermal base layers, thick socks, gloves, a hat, and a roll mat or foam mat for insulation from the ground.
• Staying clean: wet wipes, hand sanitiser, roll-on deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste, dry shampoo, sanitary products, and a small towel.
• Eating and drinking: a refillable water bottle, a flask, and food that needs no cooking — nuts, cereal bars, tinned fish with a ring pull, fruit. A tin opener is worth more than it sounds.
• Staying connected: a power bank, a charging cable, phone credit or data, and somewhere to keep documents dry.
• Small dignities: blister plasters, painkillers, sun cream in summer, a book, a puzzle book, a notebook and pen.

If you can offer a shower, a laundry load, a hot meal indoors or a phone charge, that can mean as much as a sleeping bag. Agree boundaries in advance so you both know what is being offered and for how long.

Signposting to services that exist for this

You do not have to become their caseworker, but knowing who does this work locally is invaluable. Most areas have a street outreach team whose job is to find and support people sleeping rough; your local council's housing options or homelessness team can tell you who that is, and they are usually reachable through the council's main switchboard or out-of-hours line.

• Day centres and drop-ins often provide showers, laundry, a hot meal, advice, post-holding and a place to sit.
• Night shelters and winter provision vary by area, and many councils open extra emergency beds during a Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) when temperatures drop near freezing.
• Housing advice services, including local advice agencies, can help with applications, appeals and benefit issues.
• Specialist routes exist for people fleeing domestic abuse, young people under 25, care leavers, veterans, and people with mental health or substance use needs.

If your friend is willing, you can make the first call together and sit with them while they speak. That single act removes a huge barrier.

Help with the paperwork

Homelessness is often less about a lack of housing than a lack of documents. In England, Wales and Scotland, councils have legal duties to assess and help anyone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless soon, and to give them a written plan — but only if the person makes contact.

Things you can help with:

• Requesting a replacement birth certificate or driving licence, or chasing a lost passport.
• Opening a bank account: some banks and building societies will accept a care-of address, such as a day centre, with permission.
• Registering with a GP — you do not need a fixed address, and a day centre address can be used.
• Claiming benefits such as Universal Credit, which usually needs a bank account and an address for correspondence.
• Keeping a folder of letters, appointments and reference numbers, and taking photos of key documents on your phone.

Cold weather and emergencies

Sleeping rough in winter is genuinely dangerous. If someone is very cold, drowsy, confused or unresponsive, that is a medical emergency — call 999 and say you believe they may have hypothermia. Do not rub their limbs or give them alcohol. For urgent but non-life-threatening health worries, NHS 111 can advise.

In freezing weather, check whether your council has activated its emergency shelter protocol and, if your friend agrees, help them get to a bed. If they cannot or will not go, at least make sure they have dry layers, a mat and something warm to drink.

Looking after yourself, and keeping the friendship going

You cannot single-handedly house your friend, and it is not your job to try. Consistently showing up — a weekly text, a coffee, a message that says "I have not forgotten you" — matters more than grand gestures. Share the load with others where you can, and be honest about your limits. Saying "I cannot do that, but I can do this" is far kinder than disappearing.

Notice your own stress too. Supporting someone who is sleeping rough can be distressing, and you are allowed to find it hard. Keep the friendship human: talk about ordinary things, laugh where you can, and remember that they are still the person you knew, not a problem to be solved.