An action research project in a night shelter for rough sleepers

From October 1999 to June 2000, an action research project was undertaken in a homeless night shelter called Jimmy's. This project was grounded in user-consultation and sought the involvement of staff and management to institute tangible improvements in service delivery using the Power Audit. A brief overview of Jimmy's is given, then this research is placed in local and national context by describing policy development in homelessness. A brief description is given of the research methodology and a short description of the Power Audit. Following this, the lives and experiences of the guests (Jimmy's residents) are conveyed using ethnography. This tells of the development of relationships with guests, staff and management without which the project could not have succeeded. Finally, an overview is provided of the interview content and the practical changes made.