Our approach
How we put our values into practice
There’s a misconception that those who are homeless should be grateful for anything they’re given. We strongly disagree – and so our approach is rooted in choice, agency and self-determination. Homelessness is a complex issue which runs deeper than not having a roof over one’s head. It involves losing the people, the places, the comforts that you love most. Our approach is one of empathy, respect and dignity.
People-powered practice
Our services are shaped and strengthened by the people who use them. We believe that those with lived experience of homelessness are the true experts in what kind of support really works.
Coproduction
Coproduction means designing and delivering services with people, not for them. Those with lived experience of homelessness know better than anyone what kind of support really works, so their insight, leadership and voices are essential to our operations.
For Turning Tides, coproduction is more than a method: it’s a movement. We work to embed it in every layer of our organisation – from shaping policies to writing training programmes and influencing commissioners. Real change happens when power is shared, every experience is recognised as valuable and every voice is treated as equal. As the saying goes: “Nothing about us without us.”
Our Partnership and Coproduction Team (PACT) coordinates feedback and involvement across services, with coproduction steering groups for new projects, house meetings for residents and training for staff to strengthen internal practice. Coproduction also guides the activities and groups we run, making sure they truly meet people’s needs.
Peer support
Peer Support is when people with lived experience of homelessness use that experience to support others going through similar challenges. It’s based on understanding, recognising that sometimes the most powerful help comes from someone who’s ‘been there’ themselves. It helps break down power imbalances and create hope by showing that change is possible.
Peer support can be informal – the everyday encouragement and solidarity people offer one another – or structured, through trained roles within our services. Our Peer Support programme includes a three-month training pathway, combining learning with volunteering in our hubs. Participants complete modules (such as safeguarding and naloxone training) and gain hands-on experience.
Peer Support workers are embedded in our hubs, often working side by side with staff and building bridges between lived experience and professionals. For some it’s a career pathway: we’ve seen peer support workers go on to deliver staff training, speak at conferences, attend local homelessness prevention meetings and even take up project worker roles within our services.
Trauma-informed foundations
We know that many people who come to Turning Tides have experienced trauma, often beginning in childhood and sometimes in very complex ways. Trauma can affect how people see the world, respond to stress and form relationships, so we strive to create safe, respectful and empowering environments where people feel seen.
Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE)
A Psychologically Informed Environment recognises how our surroundings and interactions impact us psychologically. It’s about creating spaces – both physical and relational – that feel safe, inclusive and welcoming. For Turning Tides this means considering everything from the colour of our walls to the way a door closes so that our environments don’t feel like prisons or hospitals. It also means shaping policies and staff practices that focus on people, not just processes: greeting people by name, offering choice, listening well, and building trust from the very first interaction. Coproduction is central to this.
Trauma-informed approaches
Trauma-informed practice goes hand in hand with PIE. It means recognising that trauma is widespread, understanding how it can affect behaviour and wellbeing, and responding with care and empathy. Rather than seeing someone’s response as “difficult behaviour”, we ask what experiences might be behind it and how we can help without causing further harm. This perspective shapes not only our everyday interactions but also our policies and systems, and staff receive regular trauma-awareness training. We’ve developed a Trauma-Informed Practice (TIP) language guide to help staff use language that is respectful. We’re conscious that many people we support have experienced rejection or abandonment in the past, so when a staff member or a peer moves on, we work hard to make sure it feels like a positive ending, not another loss.
Prioritising physical and mental health
Harm minimisation
We support clients to use substances more safely by helping them understand what they’re taking, encouraging registration with CGL for substitute prescribing, and promoting access to wider health services. Our focus is on reducing risks, whether someone is in temporary accommodation, engaged with our hubs or has moved on from our services, while also encouraging longer-term recovery options such as detox and rehab. All staff are trained and equipped with naloxone to respond to opiate overdoses, ensuring immediate safety alongside ongoing support.
Counselling and mental health
Mental health and homelessness are closely linked, yet access to consistent, high-quality support can be a huge barrier. Turning Tides offers up to two years of free counselling for people using our services and this support continues even if someone is evicted or moves on. This is provided mainly by volunteer student counsellors, coordinated and supported by our dedicated counselling service coordinator.
Counselling is offered across our different services and locations, making it easier to access. We take a person-centred approach while also offering therapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This helps people to explore deeper questions such as the experiences that contributed to their homelessness.
All our counselling complies with the ethical standards of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). We take contracting seriously, setting clear boundaries and expectations to build trust, and each new counsellor receives training and induction on the realities of homelessness. Above all we strive to make sure that counselling is empowering and upholds self-determination.
Healthy relationships, wellbeing and sexual health
Wellbeing is more than the absence of illness – it’s about dignity, connection and the freedom to make choices. Many people who experience homelessness lose touch with family, friends, communities and activities they enjoy. Having a social worker embedded in our services is unusual, but essential. They help clients connect with families and children, navigate safeguarding and adult social care, and provide guidance on broader wellbeing and social connections.
We run coproduced projects on sexual health, safety, consent and healthy relationships. Many people experiencing homelessness face significant health inequalities – including lower sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Our workshops and programmes work to bridge these gaps, making sure that people can access information and take control of their own sexual health and relationships.
Championing access for all
Homelessness can strip people of the resources and opportunities many take for granted – we’re working to remove those barriers.
Digital inclusion
Being online is essential for everything from applying for jobs and housing to staying connected with friends and family – yet many people who experience homelessness face barriers to digital access. Our Digital Inclusion work provides devices, skills training and support so that everyone can take part fully in today’s digital world.
Health inclusion
Health shouldn’t be a privilege – but for people without a home, even the basics of healthcare can be out of reach. We bring healthcare directly into our hubs. At St Clare’s in Worthing, Health Central Surgery provides a GP and nurse drop-in. In Littlehampton, a dedicated health engagement volunteer talks with clients about their health, helps them navigate services and advocates on their behalf.
Alongside this, key workers across our projects support residents to connect with GPs, nurses and sexual health specialists, enabling access to ongoing care beyond our services. Strong partnerships with local providers – such as Safe Surgeries, Adur Integrated Care Network and CGL’s needle exchange – create trusted pathways so our clients aren’t left to overcome health inequalities alone.