In January 2021, I was featured on BBC News discussing homelessness and the use of hotel accommodation as part of hospital discharge pathways during the COVID-19 pandemic — a model I had developed prior to COVID and rapidly adapted to support system pressures. What sat behind that feature was not a temporary fix, but a practical, scalable solution to a long-standing system challenge.
Across health and social care, a consistent issue continues to place significant strain on services: individuals who are medically fit for discharge but have no suitable accommodation to return to. For people experiencing homelessness — often alongside mental health needs and complex social circumstances — this challenge becomes even more acute. The result is a system under pressure: hospital beds remain occupied unnecessarily, patient flow is delayed, risks increase, and staff are left managing complexity without the right pathways in place. These are not new challenges, but they require practical, coordinated solutions.
Prior to COVID-19, I designed and implemented a homeless step-down pathway using local hotels. This created a bridge between hospital and longer-term accommodation by providing safe, immediate placement on discharge, structured support, and coordinated multi-agency working across health, housing, and social care. The model was intentionally built to be simple to implement, cost-conscious, and replicable across systems — removing barriers to discharge while maintaining safety, dignity, and continuity of care.
When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, system pressures intensified rapidly. The pathway was adapted at speed into COVID-positive and COVID-negative step-down beds, enabling safe isolation, continued discharge flow, and reduced pressure on NHS capacity. This was real-time system transformation delivered under pressure — not theoretical planning, but practical delivery.
Following the BBC feature, there was significant interest in the model. I shared process documents, operational frameworks, and practical implementation guidance with NHS organisations, hotel providers, and system partners to support wider adoption. The aim was simple: enable others to respond quickly using a model that was already working.
This work highlights a clear approach that continues to underpin my consultancy: turning strategy into delivery, working across systems, leading in complex environments, and developing scalable solutions that create wider impact.
Through Stepwise Elevate, I now support organisations facing similar challenges — including discharge pathway improvement, homelessness service design, mental health and social care integration, safeguarding, and system transformation. Alongside this, I provide consultancy and operational expertise in Somaliland, supporting project delivery, logistics, procurement, and NGO programme implementation.
The BBC feature marked an important moment, but more importantly, it demonstrated what is possible when systems collaborate, solutions are practical, and leadership is proactive. This is the approach I continue to bring to every piece of work.
🎥 The BBC feature is available below.
Get in Touch
🌐 Website: www.stepwiseelevate.com
📩 Email: info@stepwiseelevate.com
📱 Instagram: @stepwiseelevate
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdilaahi-ali-6183b03bb