There are 164,040 homeless children in England living in temporary accommodation. Many are living in dangerous conditions with little support to help them navigate through our complex systems. Families are continuously placed out of area, far away from their school, GP and community. The educational attainment of homeless children plummets when they become homeless. The barriers to healthcare increases and children’s health and development suffer.
This guidance has been developed in collaboration with local authorities, schools, health professionals and families with lived experience of homelessness. We know that a little can go a long way in providing children and their families with a sense of hope during a very difficult time and that Health and Education services are well-placed to provide the stability that homeless families need to continue to thrive. Each local authority has its own process of housing allocations and is encouraged to utilise the systems that are already in place.
Please use the buttons below to download our guidance for Local Authorities, Schools and Primary Care.
“We’re taking action…the DPM will chair the cross governmental strategy to ending homelessness.” – Rushanara Ali MP, Minister for Building Safety and Homelessness.
Shared Health Foundation held a fringe event at the Labour Party Conference on the impact of temporary accommodation on children. Helena Dollimore MP, Rushanara Ali MP, Dr Laura Neilson and Cllr Bev Craig highlighted the issue and shared hope that things can and will change for the most vulnerable homeless families.
“The impact of being homeless on these children’s lives is huge, and it’s a scandal, and it’s a growing problem. So it’s something that we really need to be on the front foot of and really holding the new government’s feet to the fire to have a strategy to deal with this.” – Helen Morgan MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health and Social Care.
Shared Health Foundation held a fringe event at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference on the impact of temporary accommodation on children. In her speech, Helen Morgan MP emphasised the lifelong impact of living in temporary accommodation on children’s health and wellbeing, called for immediate action, as well as a long term solution – safe and secure housing for the people that need it.
Confirmed speakers: Dr Laura Neilson – CEO, Shared Health Foundation Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP – Chair of the APPG for Households in Temporary Accommodation Danny Beales MP – MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip Gideon Amos MP – MP for Taunton and Wellington Kwajo Tweneboa – Social Issues Campaigner Professor Katherine Brickell – Professor of Urban Studies, King’s College London Dr Mel Nowicki – Reader in Urban Geography, Oxford Brookes University Vicky Sleap – Deputy Director, National Child Mortality Database Niamh Flannigan – Implementation Lead, Centre for Homelessness Impact Sam Pratt – Policy and Communications Lead, Shared Health Foundation Vicky Spratt – Housing Correspondent, i News Michael Buchanan – Social Affairs Correspondent, BBC News Hannah Miller – Political Correspondent, BBC News Daniel Hewitt – Investigations Editor, ITV News
There are 151,630 homeless children in England living in Temporary Accommodation. Many are living in dangerous conditions with little support to help them navigate through our complex systems. Families are continuously placed out of area, far away from their school, GP and community. The educational attainment of homeless children plummets when they become homeless. The barriers to healthcare increases and children’s health and development suffer. There is a national focus and political will for rough sleeping, but less so for families. And tragically, 55 children have died in Temporary Accommodation, most were under 1.
We now invite you to attend the Homeless Families Conference in London on Thursday 24th October. Come and join our network of champions who are working hard to improve the lives of the most vulnerable families. If you feel like you’re on your own, you’re not.
If you work with homeless families in any capacity then this conference is for you. We want to bring together our experts by experience alongside colleagues from housing, health, education, the home office and the voluntary and faith sector. Whether you are front line, a volunteer, a commissioner or a politician, the crisis of homeless families is all our responsibility to share.
Things can and will get better.
Additional Information
Lunch and refreshments are included. Dietary requirements can be specified on the order form.
This event is hosted by the Shared Health Foundation.
Child homelessness is linked to increased child mortality, long-term impacts on physical and mental health, and social impacts well into adulthood.
You are invited to attend our fringe event “Impact of Temporary Accommodation on Children” at the Labour Party Conference. Speakers at the event will be Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP, Dr Laura Neilson, Cllr Bev Craig and Rushanara Ali MP.
Monday 23rd September, 12:30-2:00pm Grace Suite 3, Hilton Hotel 3 Thomas Steers Way Liverpool L1 8LW
Child homelessness is linked to increased child mortality, long-term impacts on physical and mental health, and social impacts well into adulthood.
You are invited to attend our fringe event “Impact of Temporary Accommodation on Children” at the Liberal Democrats Party Conference. Helen Morgan MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Housing, Communities and Local Government), will be a speaker at the event.
Tuesday 17th September, 1:00-2:00pm Regent Room, Grand Hotel 97-99 Kings Road Brighton BN1 2FW
Good health should be shared with all. It should not be damaged by social or economic disadvantage.
Alongside colleagues from Deep End GM, Shared Health Foundation hosted a day of clinical training for GPs in Greater Manchester working in the Deep End of medicine at our annual Doctors in Deprivation Training Day.
It was a day of laughter, tears, challenge and most of all encouragement to keep going.
The video recordings of all the talks can be found on our Youtube channel, please do watch and share with your colleagues.
We are proud to be part of the Deep End Network and look forward to hosting more gatherings to look at the impact of poverty on health in our communities.
For more information about Shared Health please email contact@contactsharedhealth.org.uk
There are 151,630 homeless children in England living in Temporary Accommodation (data from March 2024).
Many are living in dangerous conditions with little support to help them navigate through our complex systems. Families are continuously placed out of area, far away from their school, GP and community. The educational attainment of homeless children plummets when they become homeless. The barriers to healthcare increases and children’s health and development suffer. There is a national focus and political will for rough sleeping, but less so for families. And tragically, 55 children have died in Temporary Accommodation, most were under 1.
And yet, we dare to hope.
The Homeless Families Conference: Dare to Hope was hosted by the Shared Health Foundation in partnership with GMCA to encourage, support and inspire people working with homeless families in any capacity. If you feel like you’re on your own, you’re not.
We want to bring together our experts by experience alongside colleagues from housing, health, education, the home office and the voluntary and faith sector. Whether you are front line, a volunteer, a commissioner or a politician, the crisis of homeless families is all our responsibility to share.
Things can and will get better.
The video recordings of all the talks can be found on our YouTube channel, please do watch and share with your colleagues.
We look forward to hosting more gatherings to look at and work to improve the health and education outcomes for children and families in the homelessness journey.
For more information about Shared Health please email contact@contactsharedhealth.org.uk
On Wednesday 28th February DLUHC published a change to the Homelessness Code of Guidance, specifically covering the provision and space allocation for cots in temporary accommodation. (S17.12+ 17.13)
We know that homelessness is complex and our families face multiple barriers to access services. Having a cot significantly reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and is vital that this is provided for every night of a child’s homelessness journey.
So how do councils, housing providers and nightly providers like B&Bs apply this new guidance considering financial and operational constraints?
The Shared Health Foundation are hosting a one-off webinar to go through the data and health risks for infants who don’t have access to a cot as well as solutions that you can implement quickly to ensure that every child that experiences homelessness will have a safer place to sleep. Councils should consider this advice in addition to their statutory duties to ensure that accommodation is suitable for the needs of the household.
There will be a time to ask questions to paediatric clinicians to ensure that your practice going forward is as safe as it can be.
This event is open to Local Authorities, homeless and housing teams, housing providers, housing associations, and nightly providers like B&Bs and hotels. Whether you have a family for 1 night or 2 years, are a Premier Inn or an independent B&B, have thousands of families or a handful, have a safer sleeping policy or don’t, this training is for you. All it takes is one night for the worst to happen.
Please share this with colleagues and sign up for your free ticket below.
