Manna House operates a pod as an emergency night shelter for one person. It stands in the corner of our garden and has been in use without incident, since 2023. It provides short-term emergency respite for those who would otherwise sleep rough on the streets.
Bookings & Referrals
Pod bookings are made only by Manna House staff. Other organisations may refer their clients to Manna House with no promise of a place; clients will have an interview and go through Manna House’s usual process of assisting people into more stable accommodation through the council and other channels, before they are given the very last option of the Pod. A Pod stay is on a first come, first served basis.
Liaison with Police
Police will be informed via email with all known details that we have a Pod guest; they will provide a background check for us; we will leave the porchlight of the Stephenson Centre on to let them know a guest is in residence; police will visit the Pod to introduce themselves, if possible, to let guests know they are about; police will have the Manna House staff on-call mobile number in case they feel we could be of assistance after hours.
Once signed in
Guests will have to read, agree and sign a Guest Agreement which informs them of the behaviour expected of them.
There will be a Manna House staff member on call every night. This means a staff member will have a mobile phone which guests can call if they need assistance or reassurance. This number is also quoted below for those who are concerned about a guest to ring.
All guests will be placed with a support worker at Manna House who will assist them with whatever they may need from benefits advice to job search help. They will work on finding alternative places of accommodation during these sessions.
Any concerns or questions will be taken through the info@manna-house.org.uk address which is checked daily. There is a Complaints Form which can be downloaded.
The POD on call phone number to be used from 4.30pm – 9.30am when a non- emergency concern arises while a guest is in the pod is 07803 312552.
Please do not use this number when no guest is in residence. No one will pick up.
Please use this number only to report concerns which are ongoing – if it can wait until morning, please telephone Manna House’s daytime land number (01539 725534) or email info@manna-house.org.uk from 9.30am until 4.30pm.
In emergency, always telephone 999.
All incidents will be crossed referenced by CCTV.
Length of stay
A guest may stay from one to four nights, and we will work hard to assist them to move on. This can sometimes take a longer period of time than expected. Some may need the accommodation for only one night, others may need it for the entire four-night period. Each night the Guest Agreement must be signed anew. After four nights in a row, if a person is still in need, a review with Manna House staff and SLDC HOT will determine the next course of action.
Operator Statement
The rationale for obtaining the pod was set out in an operator statement submitted to the planning authority as part of the application. You can download the full statement here: Operator Statement