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Making the link: opening up research into homelessness, 4 October 2005
Keynote session audience, Making the link.
Making the link: opening up research into homelessness aimed to bring together speakers from leading think tanks, academic institutions and voluntary sector agencies to explore latest findings, thinking and methodology from inter-connected areas of social research.
On the day, the event did indeed attract a diverse range of delegates, with attendees from homelessness services, housing associations, drug and alcohol and mental health services, government agencies and academic institutions, among others. Feedback from the event shows that delegates enjoyed both the variety of attendees and the "range and relevance" of the event's subject matter
"It was an excellent event with interesting ideas emerging"
- event attendee
Delegates had the opportunity to network, share good practice and findings and hear inspirational addresses from the keynote speakers. Four contrasting workshops offered an in depth look at specific pieces of research from a variety of fields connected to homelessness, the majority of which focused on new and emerging results.
The dynamic final panel
Tom Biddlecombe, Director of CRASH, raising awareness of the CRASH research index: http://www.crashindex.org.uk
Once the afternoon workshops concluded the final debate brought the focus of the event squarely back into the homelessness field and provided a constructive forum to consider the strengths and weaknessess of current thinking around research within the sector.
The panel stirred up some valuable and thought-provoking discussion between speakers and members of the audience. Among the points raised, the debate highlighted a detrimental and sector-specific tendency to be protective over and not share our research, making it difficult to prove our point effectively outside the sector and thus effect change. The upshot of the panel was a real sense of dedication towards increased momentum in ‘joining up’ our research. Tom Biddlecombe, Director of CRASH, drew delegates' attention to the recently updated Crash research index, http://www.crashindex.org.uk and urged homelessness researchers to view the listings prior to conducting any new research in order to avoid unnecessary and costly duplication.
Homeless Link also invited organisations to contact alice.evans@homelesslink.org.uk for information on joining our Research Forum.
Other points raised included the advantages of peer research in obtaining quality results and the benefits of other innovative research methods in improving research in the sector. If you would like to hear about future workshops focusing on practical tools for research please contact Homeless Link's Events and Training Team at events@homelesslink.org.uk
Keynote sessions
Keynote speakers Gerard Lemos, Lemos and Crane, and Linda Butcher, Off the Streets and Into Work.
Broadening out research into homelessness
Gerard Lemos, Lemos & Crane Consultancy
"Excellent. An inspiring, passionate speech which dealt with some innovative ideas for prevention work"
Gerard Lemos focussed on a piece of research conducted over a period of nine months involving a number of discussions between key London homelessness agencies. The salient issues emerged as a result of a dialogue between the agencies.
In a change from the usual concentration on statistics, the research presented the more personal aspects of the homeless person experienc e. He summed up these experiences under five main themes.
Five Themes of the research
The importance of family and friends: The family is the most important source of support for many and is usually the first port of call when someone is homeless. Therefore, if at all possible people should be helped to rebuild family relationships.
Homes not houses: Isolation is an issue for many homeless people. In this context it is the community and the neighbourhood that is more important than the quality of the accommodation. There was acknowledgement that there is not enough move-on and therefore little choice of where someone is settled. In the equation of successful tenancy sustainment, who one lives with, or near to and meaningful occupation were important factors.
Work not jobs: Work can bring positive improvements to the life of a homeless person. In the United States help to find a job is an initial step provided by authorities to assist the homeless. However, the work available to many is “insecure, uncongenial, repetitive”. This leads one to ask “what is the value of work”. It is a means of escaping financial exclusion as well as homelessness. Homeless people need help to regain self-respect, capability and to actively participate – aspects which are often neglected by homeless agencies. Finding a job can restore self-worth but the quality of jobs needs to be improved.
The importance of loving and lasting one-to-one relationships: When Bondway residents were asked about what would help them, they asked for a dating agency. A man escaped homelessness by falling in love. We cannot neglect the complex question of why people have difficulty in forming relationships; that problems in the early years of life, such as homelessness, make homelessness in later life more likely. Do we give sufficient attention to clients’ relationship histories and aspirations.
Positive identity: We need to help people to pay attention to what they are seeking and what they find important rather than reinforcing their problems. People carried strong negative identities, but they also had positive aspects in their lives – which did not necessarily figure in what agencies thought of as examples of positive experience. For example, amongst those homeless people who were in the armed forces, many speak with pride of army life. We can help them to recover the good things in their lives through dialogue and one-to-one discussion. It would be of value to help someone do one thing really well.
Keynote session: Building the evidence base
Linda Butcher, Chief Executive Off the Streets and Into Work
"Excellent focus on better use of infomation and evidence"
"Excellent connection between their work, wider sector and broader issues"
Just an occasional research exercise or a way of working? This session looked at methods OSW has used to build evidence gathering and sharing into day-to-day working practices. OSW has pioneered new and innovative techniques and approaches to create a stronger evidence base and make an impact both within the UK and across Europe.
Areas OSW has been working on include:
- Utilising and developing links across agencies
- Looking at wider issues beyond homelessness
- Looking beyond the UK and Europe
- Using the evidence gathered to bring about change.
Workshops
WK1 What Happened Next? Longitudinal research into social exclusion
Dr Joan Smith, Director, Centre for Housing and Community Research, London Metropolitan University Speaker biographies
"Lively, dynamic speaker. Good tips on how to do longitudinal research, interesting findings"
"Very informative, good ideas shared. Showed value of longitudinal research"
Workshop leader Joan Smith with Evelyn Tehrani, Research co-ordinator for Crisis
This session looked at different aspects of social exclusion and what should be monitored in order to understand a client’s progress (or set backs) and what services made a difference to them. It discussed different forms of longitudinal research and the results of studies undertaken in the past ten years in the fields of homelessness and mental health. The session presented some results from a current study of ex-residents of 10 foyers, and discusses, with participants, methods of tracking client outcomes.
WK2 Making the link: mental health and homelessness
Iain Ryrie, Assistant Director of Research, Christina Vasiliou, Senior Research Officer and Kim Penketh, Young Person Consultant, Mental Health Foundation Speaker biographies
"This workshop was really interesting and gave me something to follow up on"
"Well organised and relevant at a practical/community levet. Supported on a good research methodology"
Workshop leader Iain Ryie
The session began with a summary of the current background literature on homelessness and mental health amongst young people (16-25). An overview of the methodological procedures was =presented with particular focus on the project’s sampling framework and the procedures and strategies employed to overcome problems in recruitment of services in London. The service sample was then described and preliminary findings presented, focusing on general and specific mental health service provision to young homeless people, including examples of promising practice. The young homeless person sample was described and the relationship between mental health and homelessness among the young person sample was briefly addressed. The workshop ended with a group discussion on policy and practice within the field of mental health and homelessness of young people.
Project Title
Explorative Study of the Mental Health Needs of Young People who are Experiencing Insecure, Fragile Accommodation and/or Homelessness in London: A literature review and field study
Project Summary
This study explores the association between mental health and homelessness among the young and describes examples of promising practise in relation to young people’s housing and mental health needs. The research includes a review of the current literature and service provision, and an exploration of the experiences of homelessness among the young
Left to right: Kim, Christina and Iain, Mental Health Foundaton, with Johanna Taylor, Conference Organiser
WK3 Opportunities for smaller organisations: research into male sex workers
Steve Philpott, Operations Manager Homelessness, & Debbie Higgins, Senior Worker, Homeless Services Centre Focus Futures Speaker biographies
"A good opportunity to experience the findings of Birmingham's work and compare the findings to those of Manchester"
"Excellent, opened my eyes to the problem"
Focus Future’s have worked with rough sleepers in Birmingham for 10 years, in this time the profile of need has appeared to change. This led to a unique opportunity to study male sex-workers – a largely under-researched subject area – and to engage process of defining how services might relate to presenting needs. This session looked at the experience, the pitfalls, how Focus were awarded a grant to conduct the research, and the preliminary findings.
WK4 Barriers to work and services
Joanne Bretherton & Nicholas Pleace Research Fellow, Centre for Housing Policy, University of York Speaker biographies
"An area which is difficult to access. Mainly because of the researchers basis of funding. Very well delivered and the Q & A session was very productive"
"Good debate after presentation which questioned ethical issues surrounding research"
The Department of Work and Pensions has commissioned CHP to look at the sharing of homeless people's records between service providers at the local level and between those service providers and central government. The main aim of the research is to explore the possibility of developing means of understanding homeless people's working lives and identifying those factors which present them with barriers to employment, education and training, with a view to counteracting social exclusion. To this end, the research is also exploring how services for homeless people might be better targeted and better coordinated through enhanced record and information sharing. This presentation discusses the many ethical hurdles to consider in developing possible protocols and systems for record sharing, including from the right to privacy and the rights of homeless people under the Data Protection Act and also explores the practical issues that can arise when trying to share records between agencies effectively.
Lunchtime bonus session
Drugs research: new methodology
Roger Grimshaw, Research Director, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies Speaker biographies
"Interesting presentation"
How can we pinpoint key events and experiences in problematic drug users’ lives over a period of time? The session looked at how calendar-based interviews can help.
Roger Grimshaw directs a research programme at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, King’s College London. Current studies focus on prisoners’ families, prison education and restorative justice in prisons. Previously he specialised in the study of policy, youth justice, and the care of vulnerable young people.
Closing debate
Research in the homelessness sector - moving towards a co-ordinated approach?
Chair: Theresa McDonagh Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Panel: Kevin Ireland, Executive Director London Housing Foundation
Fiona Mitchell, Research Manager Shelter
Shanti Bromfield, Divisional Manager St Basils, Birmingham
Mike Seal, Lecturer, Youth and Community Work YMCA College
"Very thought provoking" "Excellent. Want to be kept involved" "I liked the openness"
Panel members from left to right: Mike Seal, Kevin Ireland, Fiona Mitchell, Theresa McDonagh and Shanti Bromfield
The final debate brought the focus of the event squarely back into the homelessness field and provided a constructive forum to consider the strengths and weaknessess of current thinking around research within the sector.
The panel stirred up some valuable and thought-provoking discussion between panel members and the audience. Among the points made, the debate highlighted a detremental and sector-specific tendency to be protective over and not share our research, making it difficult to prove our point effectively outside the sector and thus affect change. The upshot of the panel was a real sense of dedication towards increased momentum in ‘joining up’ our research. Tom Biddlecombe, Director of CRASH, drew delegates' attention to the recently updated Crash research index, http://www.crashindex.org.uk and urged homelessness researchers to view the listings prior to conducting any new research in order to avoid unnecessary and costly duplication.
Homeless Link also invited organisations to contact alice.evans@homelesslink.org.uk for information on joining our Research Forum.
Other points raised included the advantages of peer research in obtaining quality results and the benefits of other innovative research methods in improving research in the sector.
We asked delegates ...for their best conference features
Exchange of experiences/practice
For me Gerard Lemos as he confirmed what I already know and validated our way of working
The workshops. Listening to practitioners and researchers in the field was fascinating. I loved the longitudinal stuff. Very interesting. Seeing how they did it and laid it out was excellent
Good mix of people. Very central location
Joan Smith’s session was excellent
Hearing the latest thinking. Less listening to people rant about the same old problems
Very good programme with inspirational speakers
An enjoyable day during which I learnt at lot
Contact
If you would like to hear about future workshops focusing on practical tools for research please contact Homeless Link's Events and Training Team at events@homelesslink.org.uk