YOU might believe that handing over loose change to a homeless person in the street is the best way to help them, but city organisations and police are urging people to think again.

Worcester News reporter Liz Sharpe, joined Sergeant Carl Jones, PC Paul Slaymaker and PC Paul Lambon, representatives of Caring for Communities and People (CCP), which works to prevent homelessness and family breakdown, and Maggs Outreach And Transition Service (MOATS) on one of their daily welfare sweeps of the city last Monday.

Sergeant Jones was very clear in his message to those who hand out change in the street.

He said: “People need to be aware - begging either actively or passively is a crime. If you give money to someone you are causing them to break the law.”

He explained that a much more suitable way of helping was to give money to charitable groups which will then be able to use the money to help homeless people find a way off the streets.

PC Slaymaker expressed concern that homeless people and rough sleepers would remain out in vulnerable conditions as they see it as a better opportunity to get money, due to the sympathy of passer-bys.

Flora McNerney, senior support worker at Maggs Outreach And Transition Service (MOATS), said: “Homelessness is a very complex issue - it is not just about getting people housed.

“We are really fortunate in Worcester, in that quite a lot of the people who are homeless are able to claim benefits, that includes Maggs Day Centre as a care of address in order to make a benefit claim.

“They don’t have to access Maggs if they don’t want to. So then you do reach a problem where people are in receipt of benefits, they are getting some money coming in and they are obviously begging and that causes a problem because quite often, not probably in every situation, but more often than not, what you give to them (homeless people) does go on alcohol and drugs.

“So those then have a knock on effect on how CCP and Maggs are able to support those clients.”

She added: “I would say that giving money is not the best thing to do and you would be better off to give to a charity directly just buy somebody some food that is what they need.”

The police join CCP and Moats on a humanitarian basis and to provide back-up if required.

PC Lambon said: “We work in partnership with agencies on all sorts of issues. Sometimes they want us to be there for safety.”

A makeshift encampment set up on Chapel Meadow, on land owned by Worcester Cathedral, is currently home to four people, a couple and two single men.

The city’s agencies are working with the group to get them into accommodation.

On last Monday’s visit, officers and staff visited each tent but unfortunately found the group were not inside.

Sgt Jones pointed out that the encampment was not a police matter as no offence had taken place and they were not looking to move the rough sleepers on, but that representatives of the cathedral were “concerned” for the homeless people on their land.

He is keen for people to report homeless sightings to StreetLink so that the agencies can help them. Donna Sawyer, senior support worker at Caring for Communities and People (CCP), said: “It is relationship-based. It is not something that happens overnight. These people have lots of complex needs.

“We worked with one man who was becoming entrenched.

The work we did with him meant he moved back to his home town. “Another lad that was becoming entrenched - we helped him move out of the area because he wanted a fresh start.”

Recently, Maggs Outreach And Transition Service (MOATS) scooped a three year grant from the Big Lottery Fund to provide a three-strong team of full-time outreach workers, that operate countywide to engage with rough sleepers, working in partnership with relevant local agencies.

It is part of the Maggs Day Centre, which opened in 1985 to support the homeless and vulnerable in Worcester.

Caring for Communities and People (CCP), Worcester City Council’s county homelessness contractor, is based at 19 to 21 Park Street, off Wyld’s Lane, where there are eight empty flats, which are set to be used as temporary accommodation for homeless people.

CCP also arrange transport for rough sleepers around the county. To report a homeless person, or to report yourself as homeless to Streetlink, go to streetlink.org.uk.