Rough sleeping funding worth £2.5m given to council

The £1.4m grant will support the county in meeting the intended outcomes of the national drug strategy, the council said

Up to £2.5m is to be spent on reducing rough sleeping and drug misuse in Shropshire.

The council said it had made two successful bids for government money to help build on work already being carried out in the county.

A £1.4m grant will go towards treatment for substance misuse and support for rough sleepers, and £1.1m towards reducing the level of rough sleeping.

Shropshire is one of 20 areas to benefit from the government funding.

The projects will be implemented via Shropshire Council in partnership with Shropshire Recovery Partnership, the Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust (MPFT), Connexus, The Shrewsbury Ark and Intuitive Thinking Skills.

Support plans will be tailored to individuals, and will address health, mental health, substance abuse, family connections, as well as working to develop a pathway into accommodation, the council said.

Simon Jones, cabinet member for adult social care and public health, said: "We know how important it is to focus on the root causes of rough sleeping in order to break the cycle.

"It is crucial that we support the most vulnerable people in our society and this money will allow us to do just that."