Keynote speaker confirmed: Alison McGovern MP, Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness
Tuesday 9th June 2026 09:00 am – 4:00 pm King’s College London
There are over 176,130 homeless children in England living in Temporary Accommodation. Many are living in dangerous conditions with limited support to help them navigate through our complex systems. Families are continuously placed out of area, far away from their school, their GP and community. The educational attainment of 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. Tragically, 104 children have died in Temporary Accommodation since 2019. Most of them were under 1 year old.
And yet, we dare to hope.
Our past Homeless Families Conferences have seen research, reports, and lived experience stories exposing the dire state of Temporary Accommodation, now is the time for action.
Following the release of the Child Poverty Strategy and the Homelessness Strategy, it is now time for politicians, policy makers and the Government to take action from Whitehall to Town Hall and change Temporary Accommodation for families and children. Our conference will be focused on the strategic next steps to influence policy locally, regionally and nationally.
Whether you work in housing, health, education, the home office, the VCFSE sector, have lived experience of Temporary Accommodation, Dare to Hope is for you.
Come curious to see, listen, share best practice, and leave the day with actions ready to implement within your organisation.
Tickets to the event are free of charge.
Agenda
09:30am – 09:50am Welcome & Scene Setting – Big Wins & Challenges – Dr Laura Neilson 09:50am – 10:30am Reflections from the Frontline – Gifty Amponsah & Jane Williams (Magpie Project), Rebecca Walker & Iris (CARIS Families), George O’Neill & Dave Saunders (Cardinal Hume) 10:30am – 11:00am Housing Solutions Panel – Nicky Kilby (Cratus), Mark Fox (Portakabin), Georgina Lynch (PJ Livesey) 11:00am – 11:30am Coffee break 11:30am – 12:00pm Neurodiversity in Temporary Accommodation – Ysabella Hawkings, Dr Rosalie Warnock, Thea Grattidge & Leila Baker 12:00pm – 12:30pm In Conversation with Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP Chair of the APPG for Households in Temporary Accommodation 12:30pm – 1:30pm Lunch 1:30pm – 3:00pmFresh Paint – Creative Audio Piece about Temporary Accommodation, Made by Mortals 3:00pm – 3:30pm Action & Commitments – In Conversation with Alison McGovern MP, Minister for Homelessness
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
Doctors in Deprivation Training Day: Find Your Tribe.
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 invites any GP or clinical lead who is working in the Deep End of medicine to join us at our annual Doctors in Deprivation Training Day. You will be inspired, challenged, encouraged and most importantly find your tribe of other clinicians working in areas of deprivation.
The training day will explore the challenges faced by those working in areas of deprivation and disadvantaged communities and share the hopeful work organisations in Greater Manchester and beyond are doing to reduce health inequalities and the impact of poverty on health.
Get to grips with the health inequalities that many people face, and how you can help put things right. Learn about the causes and effects of health inequalities, and find out about the ways in which GPs and healthcare staff can do their bit to make a difference.
We hope that after attending your skills, outlook and understanding will have been transformed and you will feel more hopeful in your vital grassroots work.
Tickets to the training day are free of charge.
Agenda
9:30am – 10:00am Welcome – Dr Laura Neilson 10:00am – 10:50am Missingness Workshop – content from Professor Andrea Williamson 10:50am – 11:15am Coffee break 11:15am – 11:45am Adult Safeguarding Workshop – Dr Joanna Bircher, Dr Rebecca Marchmont 11:45am – 12:15pm Access as Human Fit – Equitable access to care and resources for GPs and PCNs – Dr Jennifer Voorhees 12:15pm – 12:45pm Fairer Practice Toolkit – Professor Dom Patterson (online), Dr Lindy Bolzern 12:45pm – 1:30pm Lunch 1:30pm – 3:00pmLearning Disability: Jasper Pickles Climbs Everest – Audio story exploring health inequalities of people with learning disabilities, Made by Mortals 3:00pm – 3:30pm Coffee break 3:30pm – 4:10pm So What Now? – reflections on the year ahead 4:10pm – 4:30pm Open Mic – Got a story, a rant or an idea? Come and pitch it in 60 seconds! 4:30pm – 6:00pm Drinks Reception – networking
Additional information
A certificate of attendance will be awarded digitally to all participants after the training day. This will include CPD Points.
The museum has no parking facilities.
Upon arrival at the museum on the day of your event, please report to the front desk and let them know you are there for the Doctors in Deprivation Training Day.
Lunch and refreshments are included. Dietary requirements can be specified on the order form.
Information from the caterer:
Allergens Whilst great care and attention is taken when preparing all of our dishes guests with severe allergies are advised that we can’t guarantee our dishes are free from allergens. We would therefore ask that any guests with severe allergies get in touch at least 2 weeks prior to the event to discuss the options we can offer. Please note, on the day of an event we would not be able to provide modified dishes, unless it has been organised in advance.
Nut Allergy Information When we are advised that guests have a severe nut allergy, every reasonable precaution will be taken to ensure there are no nuts in the vicinity when the food is being prepared. However, the production unit does have nuts on site and food is prepared for several events at a time, therefore we cannot guarantee there won’t be traces of nuts in any of the dishes.
This event is hosted by the Shared Health Foundation
The Shared Health Foundation is a clinically-led and evidence-based not-for-profit, passionate about reducing the impact poverty has on health.
The impact of poverty is catastrophic on communities from the most deprived neighbourhoods. This conference is not a celebration of poverty but an event that celebrates best practice in these hard-pressed areas. By bringing together practitioners, academics, politicians and those with lived experience, we dare to hope that things can and will change for those impacted by health inequalities.
Doctors in Deprivation Training Day: Find Your Tribe
Tuesday 4th November, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
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 invites any GP or clinical lead who is working in the Deep End of medicine to join us at our annual Doctors in Deprivation Training Day. You will be inspired, challenged, encouraged and most importantly find your tribe of other clinicians working in areas of deprivation.
The training day will explore the challenges faced by those working in areas of deprivation and disadvantaged communities and share the hopeful work organisations in Greater Manchester and beyond are doing to reduce health inequalities and the impact of poverty on health.
Get to grips with the health inequalities that many people face, and how you can help put things right. Learn about the causes and effects of health inequalities, and find out about the ways in which GPs and healthcare staff can do their bit to make a difference.
We hope that after attending your skills, outlook and understanding will have been transformed and you will feel more hopeful in your vital grassroots work.
Conference Day Agenda:
09:00-09:30 Arrive and registration 09:30-09:40 Welcome – Dr Laura Neilson 09:40-10:10 How does General Practice respond to the growing health inequalities yet major infrastructure change in the NHS? – Professor Margaret Ikpoh, Vice Chair of Professional Development, RCGP 10:10-10:40 Coffee break 10:40-12:40 Stuck workshop – Made by Mortals, Bringing Lived Experience to Life 12:40-13:30 Lunch 13:30-14:00 Adopting Trauma Informed Practice – Dr Ruth Thompson, GP and Chair of Manchester Homeless Partnership 14:00-14:30 Missingness in Healthcare – Professor Andrea Williamson, GP and Professor of General Practice and Inclusion Health 14:30-15:30 Breakout sessions A1: Prediabetes and Health Inequalities in BAME Communities – Dr Lynda Odoh, GP Registrar and Core20plus5 Ambassador A2: Paternal Post-Natal Depression – Richard Miller, Policy Researcher and Advocate B1: Asylum Seeker Training – Dr Sarah Kiely, GP with an Extended Role in Mental Health B2: Attendance Allowance Pilot Project – Imogen Fox, Delivery Manager, Stockport Council & Ciara McGirr, The Heaton’s PCN Lead Care Coordinator 15:30-16:00 Table reflections 16:00-16:15 Open Mic – 60-second sharing 16:15-16:30 Wrap up
Drinks Reception
Tuesday 4th November, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
An opportunity to network and meet other attendees of the conference. The reception will be held at the same venue.
NHS Managers
Wednesday 5th November, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (half-day)
Training for managers who run services or practices in the NHS.
Lunch will be served at the end of the event, from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, for colleagues attending both half-day events.
Secondary Care Clinicians – Cancelled
Due to low booking numbers, we are sorry to say that we have cancelled our Secondary Care Clinicians half-day on Wednesday, 5th November. We will look at potentially rearranging the training day in the new year.
Thank you for understanding and apologies for any inconvenience.
Homeless Families: Dare to Hope Conference
Thursday 6th November, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
There are 172,420 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, 74 children have died in Temporary Accommodation, most were under 1.
And yet, we dare to hope.
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.
Conference Day Agenda:
09:00-09:20 Arrive and registration 09:20-09:30 Welcome – Dr Laura Neilson 09:30-10:00 Kings College Research Update – Professor Katherine Brickell, Professor of Urban Studies, Dr Mel Nowicki, Reader in Urban Geography & Dr Rosalie Warnock, Research Fellow 10:00-10:05 Video from the Domestic Abuse Commissioner 10:05-10:35 Lived Experience – Interview with families with lived experience of temporary accommodation 10:35-10:45 Fabrics of Home Exhibition Intro – Dr Hannah Fairbrother, Senior Lecturer in Public Health & Rebekah Johnston, Textile Artist and Educator 10:45-11:00 Coffee break 11:00-11:45 Politics Panel – Cross-party discussion on homeless families 11:45-12:30 Journalist Panel – National and local journalist discussion 12:30-13:15 Lunch 13:15-13:45 Children’s Commissioner Policy – Stephanie Friend & Isabelle Sherlock, Children’s Commissioner Policy Team 13:45-14:30 Local Authorities Panel – Supporting homeless families and best practice from around the country 14:30-14:50 Coffee break 14:50-15:30 Homeless Families Toolkit and Rights of the Child Jane Cook, Registered General Nurse, Public Health Specialist and Queen’s Nurse, Anne Dowling, Digital Transformation Consultant & Lisa Gavin, Deputy Service Manager, Specialist Services, Professional Nurse Advocate and Queen’s Nurse; Rachel Fox, Senior Policy Adviser, UNICEF UK. 15:30-16:30 Best Practice Panel Professor Nadzeya Svirydzenka, Professor of Cultural Identities; Wendy Dearden, Senior Policy & Research Officer, Bevan Foundation; Revd. Canon Ian Rutherford, Co-Chair of the National Leadership Team, Citizens UK; Hayley Hughes, Assistant CEO, Citizens Advice Manchester. 16:30-16:45 Wrap up
Additional Information
Lunch and refreshments are included for all events. Dietary requirements can be specified on the order form.
This event is hosted by the Shared Health Foundation.
We want to make this event as accessible as possible so we have made it free for all to attend. To ensure that we don’t have wastage on the day, any no-shows will be invoiced a £50 fee.
By train: The closest train station is Manchester Victoria (10 min walk). If you are coming from Manchester Piccadilly, the venue is a 25 min walk away.
Join in and join us to change Temporary Accommodation for children! With 164,040 children living in Temporary Accommodation, come and help us change their lives for the better.
You are invited to attend our fringe eventat the Liberal Democrats Spring Party Conference. Lee Dillon MP (Newbury) and Josh Babarinde MP (Eastbourne) will be speakers at the event.
Over 4,300 children in Manchester are homeless and vulnerable to missing the vital support that schools can provide. Living in Temporary Accommodation can deeply affect their educational attainment and often schools are unaware of a families housing situation until crisis point.
Manchester City Council have adopted a notification protocol that informs schools and GPs of a child’s homelessness status. It is essential these services are aware so they can support the families where needed. Therefore, Manchester City Council, Manchester Communication Academy and the Shared Health Foundation are hosting an online training session that will provide detailed guidance as to how schools can best support our most vulnerable children after receiving this notification on Thursday 16th January at 3:30pm. To join, please use the link below:
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
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.
