Nottingham City Council has scrapped its use of yellow plastic barriers to screen off rough sleepers after the first use of the tactic attracted fierce criticism.
Community Protection Officers from the authority put the screen around a man sleeping in a doorway on Lower Parliament Street on Wednesday (December 6)
They also stuck up a sign next to him saying he had refused accommodation.
The council later said the sign was a mistake, and the officer involved had been spoken to.
But at the time, Councillor Toby Neal, Portfolio Holder for Community at the council, said the screens were a new tactic being used for the first time to protect rough sleepers and provide privacy.
Both tactics were condemned by homelessness support charity Emmanuel House, where Chief Executive Denis Tully accused the council of ‘dehumanising’ the homeless.
On Friday (December 8) the council issued a statement, in which Cllr Neal appeared to reverse the authority’s use of the barriers after the criticism – but said new “more appropriate” screens might be used in future if the council deemed them appropriate.
“This was the first and only time privacy screens have been used and having listened to feedback from the public and partners, we are stopping their use until a clear protocol can be established on when they should be used and more appropriate screens found,” he said.
“I am sorry about the placing of a sign, which was not authorised or appropriate, and which we removed as soon as we heard about it.
“The intention was that the screens would only be used on a very temporary basis in exceptional circumstances – for example if medical intervention is required or when officers are trying to have conversations with individuals about potentially sensitive matters.
“The aim would be to help maintain the privacy and dignity of the individuals concerned by keeping their intervention with agencies out of earshot of any passing public while they are trying to engage with and support them.”
Mr Tully had also said the authority’s choice of barrier was questionable.
He said: “It’s got a warning symbol on it – what is the warning symbol warning people against? It’s not something we would want to be associated with.”
The handwritten sign, stuck next to the man’s sleeping place, accused him of turning down three nights in a hotel offered by Framework, the homeless support charity.
The man, who asked not to be named, told Notts TV the accommodation offered to him had been in Derby and he “had his reasons” for turning it down.
Framework said the incident was “nothing to do with” the organisation.
