AHEAD of my call to street pastor Del Thomas, he tells me I can ring any time as he “will be up for ages”.

It doesn’t take long for the reason to make itself known. “One of the rough sleepers has gone missing,” he says as I call, “and he’s been missing for three or AHEAD of my call to street pastor Del Thomas, he tells me I can ring any time as he “will be up for ages”.

It doesn’t take long for the reason to make itself known. “One of the rough sleepers has gone missing,” he says as I call, “and he’s been missing for three or four weeks, so I’m rushing around trying to see if anyone’s heard of him and put out a few feelers.”

Having spent a freezing night out with Del and the Street Pastors looking out for Southend’s homeless, this kind of commitment doesn’t surprise – and it’s the sort of dedication many people have come to expect from the town’s various agencies.

It may also be why, despite appearances, the situation is improving. Although homeless people are generally more visible during the summer and have most recently been seen camping on the beach, Del says, year on year, numbers are down.

“The issue of homelessness is actually decreasing in Southend,”

he says. “Homeless charity Harp saw 1,300 people in 2013 but, last year, that figure was 1,077 so, in terms of numbers, it’s only a small drop, but it is going down.

“The police have just started Operation Zest again. They’re moving rough sleepers and beggars from the High Street, so they’re not seen – but they don’t mind where they move on to and the closest places are the cliffs and beach.”

Del recently joined the committee of Street Spirit, a group dedicated to caring for the homeless, and his description of the way it operates provides an insight into the way Southend’s various groups and agencies work together to do the best they can.

He says: “Our major aim at Street Spirit is to feed, clothe and be there as a listening ear for the homeless and, where needed, we help by taking them to hospital or try to get them housed by working with agencies like Harp and St Mungo’s Broadway.

“We’re always looking at how we can work together more, as well as with groups like Soup for Southend and the council.

“We have such a wealth of agencies in Southend. We’re very lucky, because in most places it’s not like that.”

St Mungo’s Broadway is a national charity based in London which last year established an Essex outreach group at the request of, and is funded by, Southend, Basildon, Castle Point, Rochford, Thurrock and other councils.

St Mungo’s David Walton says much of the charity’s work is helping homeless people once groups like Street Spirit have initially engaged them.

He says: “We are commissioned to support people and get them off the streets into housing, looking at opportunities around work, moving on and often addressing issues around physical and mental health.

“Our approach is very much about building trust with clients and figuring out what will work for them to leave the streets behind.

“It can be as simple as helping someone getting paperwork together, but we are also often looking at emergency options and for something more permanent.

“We have a worker based in Southend who is out regularly doing shifts, as well as working with clients.

“In my experience, I’ve never met anyone who has made an active choice to be homeless and sleep rough, but it can take time to unwrap the complex causes – that’s what we’re here for.”