A PARTNERSHIP deal is being discussed to run a homeless health hub in a Bournemouth church hall – but the public is currently being kept in the dark on the details.

The building in St Stephen's Way is being bought by BCP Council as a base for a local multi-disciplinary team working with homeless people across the area.

Lead member for homelessness Cllr Hazel Allen said the option was one of several being worked on and could involve setting up a not-for-profit community interest company with other partners.

She told this week’s overview and scrutiny committee that it was believed the partnership approach could be the best option for the centre when it came to unlocking grant aid and financial support.

At that point she was stopped from speaking by committee chairman Cllr Steve Bartlett who said that what she had touched on was only available to councillors in an appendix only they could see.

The paper will go, next week, to the council’s cabinet meeting for a decision.

Cllr Vikki Slade objected to the way the item was being handled claiming that the public ought to be told what the options are for the running of the building, which will be known as a Homeless Inclusion Health Centre, or ‘Health Hub’.

“The public need to know why we are making this decision. We all know why it is but we’re not allowed to discuss it,” said Cllr Slade.

Committee members voted 8-3 to exclude the press and public from the meeting.

The process to buy the St Stephen's Church hall, which has offered help the homeless over a number of years, was started in May 2021 following a cabinet decision.

It also set out the terms of reference for the appointment of a specialist programme lead and the establishment of an overseeing board which includes the cabinet homelessness lead as well as representatives from Housing, Social Care, Drug and Alcohol Services, Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group Primary Care, Estates, Communities, Voluntary Sector/Homeless Action Collaborative and Communications.

A report to councillors said: “Procedures are being established for jointly case managing clients, setting the ‘welcome offer’ service scope and agreeing the approach for working with clients.

“The communications team as part of the Programme Board is developing options for branding to enable a potential ‘soft’ launch during April 2022 which will be dependent upon the status of the building base at that time.”