Homeless Project Scotland believes if they had not been there, then the woman would have been “forced to walk the streets of Glasgow all night” with her young children.
The woman arrived at the HPS night shelter on Glassford Street with her 6-year-old and 7-month-old(Image: X/Homeless Project Scoland)
A mum and her two children were left to “sleep on the streets” as she could not get in touch with Glasgow City Council for help during their phone blackout.
The mum-of-two was forced to take her family to a homeless shelter after being removed from a temporary accommodation.
She arrived with her children at Homeless Project Scotland’s night shelter on Glassford Street at around 9.30pm on Monday, July 28. The team were shocked to see she was in the company of her six-year-old daughter and seven-month-old baby, reports Glasgow Live.
Founder of the charity, Colin McInnes, believes if the volunteer-run shelter had not been there, the woman would have been “forced to walk the streets of Glasgow all night”. Glasgow City Council’s phone lines were down on Monday evening, meaning she could not get in touch for help.
City Chambers in George Square, Glasgow(Image: Getty Images)
Once volunteers managed to make communication with the council, the woman and her two children were safely picked up and placed back in temporary accommodation at around 12.30am, Colin confirmed.
He says the incident came after the council’s Health and Social Care team failed to inform the hotel that the family required an extended stay, leaving her on the streets of Glasgow.
Posting on X, Homeless Project Scotland wrote: “Glasgow City Council phone lines were down. No support was available. If our volunteer-run shelter didn’t exist, this newborn and their mum would have been sleeping on the streets of Glasgow.
“This is the harsh reality. This is why we fight to keep our shelter open. Because when the system fails, we step in.”
A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: “We regret there was a period of time last night when the public could not make contact with council services. Alternative contact details were communicated, and the issue was resolved promptly.”
Glasgow City Council warned locals that its telephone systems were down yesterday as Community Alarm calls were going unanswered.
The City Council’s Community Alarm telecare service enables people with disabilities, health problems and elderly people to summon assistance in an emergency. Users wear a pendant with an emergency button that allows calls to be made from anywhere in the home to 24-hour call handlers who can then call relatives, police or the fire brigade to assist.
Call handlers could see the calls coming in but could not answer them, the council said, with all incoming calls affected. The council said it would contact family members and send responders out to check on the well-being of Community Alarm users.
Glasgow City Chambers(Image: Daily Record)
In a statement shared to social media, the council said: “Please note our telephone systems are down. All incoming calls to council services are affected.
“Our alarm receiving centre can see calls coming in but can’t answer them. This includes calls from service users with a Community Alarm – we will make contact with family members and will send responders out to check on their well-being.
“The Glasgow and Partners Emergency Social Work Services are contacting all relevant partners to provide alternative details for any urgent social work needs. Further updates to follow.”
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