Changes introduced at Torbay homeless hostel

Torbay’s homeless hostel is undergoing a series of changes aimed at improving life for both residents and the wider community.

The Leonard Stocks Centre, in Factory Row, came under the direct control of Torbay Council in February 2023. The council later bought the building in November that year.

Since taking over, the council has introduced new rules, including set times when residents must be in the building and in their rooms overnight. Anti-social behaviour and loitering are now strictly prohibited.

Hostel staff work more closely with the council’s CCTV and security teams to monitor behaviour, and security officers are on site during set hours. The council’s anti-social behaviour (ASB) team is also involved in managing and enforcing the rules.

There has been a significant reduction in how long people stay at the hostel – down from an average of 506 days in February 2023 to 269 days by February 2025.

Recovery workers from the local drug and alcohol service are now on-site five days a week, up from three previously. Engagement with this team is now a condition of residency. Additional support is also in place for women, alongside smoking cessation clinics, foot care sessions and acupuncture.

Councillor Hayley Tranter, Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services, Public Health and Inequalities, said: We’re working with partners to look at some of the challenges to see how we can create new and innovative initiatives so we can better support individuals in the hostel and surrounding areas with their recovery.

 “Since taking over the building’s lease, we’re already making some of those changes. Hostel staff, our CCTV and security teams and ASB teams are working much more closely together and the hostel’s relationship with the police has improved too.

“It’s important to remember that most issues in and around Factory Row are not caused by residents of Leonard Stocks.”

The changes come as local charity the Friends of Factory Row marks 30 years of supporting hostel residents through fundraising and community involvement.

One recent initiative sees residents taken out of the town centre for weekly beach swims, organised by Healthscape. The Friends provide wetsuits, towels and hot water bottles for participants.

The charity has also funded sailing and fishing trips, a lunch club, games evenings, welcome packs for new arrivals and move-on grants to help residents set up when they leave the hostel.

Nick Pannell, Chair of the Friends group, said: “We fund a lunch club, games evenings, welcome packs for new residents, meal deliveries and move-on grants for when people are ready to move out. Our donations come from individuals and churches.

“The welcome packs contain basic kitchen items and toiletries as well as a welcome card. They’re little enhancements but they improve the quality of life for people.

“The move-on grants fund larger items like bedding and small kitchen appliances – they help people feel at home and that they have a stake in their new home. It helps their transition from the hostel to their own accommodation. If you have something, you are more likely to take care of it. The aim is to build people’s self-worth.”

The Friends raise around £5,000 a year and have over 100 members, with about a dozen regular volunteers.

Find out more about the work of the Friends of Factory Row

Watch our video about Leonard Stocks

Read a long form version of this press release on our LinkedIn page