From crisis to confidence: Inside the Plymouth service supporting people through homelessness
By Charities Correspondent
A Plymouth councillor has praised the work of The Salvation Army’s Devonport Lifehouse after visiting the service to meet residents and staff.
Councillor Paul Rielly visited the Plymouth service on Friday to find out more about the support available for people experiencing homelessness and the challenges many residents face.
The Devonport Lifehouse, which works in partnership with Plymouth City Council, provides accommodation and support for 62 people with medium-to-high support needs.
Many residents are dealing with issues including addiction, mental health difficulties or financial pressures.
During the visit, Cllr Rielly toured the Lifehouse, heard about the range of support on offer and spoke with residents about their experiences. The service provides not only a place to stay, but also help with health and wellbeing, recovery, skills and preparing for more independent living.
The visit also highlighted the importance of Naloxone, a medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
Cllr Rielly will take part in Naloxone training at the Lifehouse in the coming weeks.
Across The Salvation Army’s homelessness services, staff administered Naloxone in almost 90 per cent of unresponsive overdoses during 2024/25. The organisation says this quick response has helped reduce drug-related deaths among people using its services.
Cllr Rielly, Vice-Chair of Plymouth City Council’s Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Panel, said:
“I was deeply impressed by the dedication and compassion shown by the team at Devonport Lifehouse. The Salvation Army is doing truly remarkable work in our community, supporting some of the most vulnerable people with dignity and respect.
“I’m committed to working closely with them to tackle homelessness and addiction in Devonport.”
DON'T MISS:
Good News Post
Ian Miller, Service Manager at Devonport Lifehouse, said the team welcomed the opportunity to show Cllr Rielly the work taking place at the service.
“We were pleased to welcome Cllr Rielly to Devonport Lifehouse to meet staff and residents over lunch and learn more about the support we provide, from health and wellbeing services to addiction recovery,” he said.
“It was encouraging to hear his enthusiasm for working alongside us to tackle the issues facing our residents and the community. We appreciate his genuine interest in our work and his time.”
Devonport Lifehouse works with residents to address the reasons behind homelessness and support them as they work towards greater independence.
More information about The Salvation Army’s work in south west England can be found at The Salvation Army South West England.
Further details about Devonport Lifehouse are available at Devonport Lifehouse.
