Spotlight on: Young people and homelessness

Panel one: Changing the story: preventing youth homelessness and providing routes out

This presentation will highlight how Centrepoint is stemming the flow of youth homelessness through innovative upstream prevention work in schools. The Upstream England programme works with 13–16 year olds to identify children who are hidden at risk and works with them and their families to prevent homelessness.

Centrepoint’s Upstream England project follows in the footsteps of Llamau’s Upstream Cymru. The Upstream survey was created by Llamau and Cardiff University and was itself modelled on the successful approach of the Australian Upstream Project, which saw youth homelessness numbers reduce by up to 40%.

The session will outline how partnership working with others is the crucial ingredient for making both programmes successful and how putting young people at the heart of both programmes enables effective, replicable schemes.

Workshop one: Trauma informed approaches to working with homeless youth

This workshop will provide delegates with an introductory knowledge of trauma informed approaches and best practice when working with homeless young people. Delegates will get the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of integrating a trauma informed approach into their work.

This workshop will include:

• an explanation of trauma and stress vs. trauma

• trauma informed practice and psychologically informed environments

• adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and the implications and impact of trauma

• core principles and pillars of a trauma informed approach

• individual and organisational benefits of being trauma informed

• the difference you can make in your role

This workshop will explore duties to house and assist homeless young people, including from social services and local authority housing departments. It will also briefly look at housing duties to care leavers and how to challenge a decision not to house or assist a homeless young person.

This workshop will include:

• when social services have a duty to house a young person

• when the local housing authority has a duty to house a young person

• how to challenge a decision not to house a young person

• housing duties to care leavers

Panel two: MHCLG youth homelessness advisers: preventing and reducing youth homelessness

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) provide advice and guidance to local areas implementing the Homelessness Reduction Act, working closely with local authorities on delivery of the new duties, improving performance and homelessness prevention services to young people, in particular 16-17 year olds and care leavers.

This session aims to inform, update, and share best practices.