Combined Homelessness and Information Network

What is Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain)?

CHAIN is a multi agency database recording information about rough sleepers and the wider street population in London. The system, which is commissioned and funded by the Mayor of London and managed by St Mungo's, represents the UK's most detailed and comprehensive source of information about rough sleeping.

CHAIN allows users to share information about work done with rough sleepers and about their needs, ensuring that they receive the most appropriate support and that efforts are not duplicated. Reports from the system are used at an operational level by commissioning bodies to monitor the effectiveness of their services, and at a more strategic level by policy makers to gather intelligence about trends within the rough sleeping population and to identify emerging needs.

Find out more about the information on CHAIN and how to get access to the CHAIN database.

By having access to CHAIN, agencies and staff can:

  • Find background information about their clients
  • View information to help with support planning
  • Access information to help with linking clients in with available services
  • View the history of a client's engagement with services such as outreach teams, hostels, day centres and resettlement teams

In 2012 CHAIN was awarded the Salesforce.com Foundation Social Impact Award, recognising its "innovative, game-changing work... using Salesforce technology."

If you have any queries regarding statistics on the CHAIN reports or need to know more about how CHAIN works, please call the CHAIN Team on 020 3856 6007 or email chain@mungos.org.

CHAIN reports

CHAIN quarterly and annual reports for April-June 2014 onwards can be accessed on the Greater London Authority (GLA) website.

If you have a media enquiry, please call the St Mungo's Communications Team on 020 3856 6009.