Homelessness and safeguarding

Welcome to Learn on the Go, a podcast from Community Care Inform, where we discuss the latest research, theories and practice issues, and look at what they mean for social workers.

This episode is about safeguarding and homelessness. It covers key lessons from safeguarding adults reviews and gives practice advice for social workers working with people who are homeless and have complex needs, experience multiple exclusions, and/or are self-neglecting. Discussing these questions are Michael Preston-Shoot, emeritus professor of social work at the University of Bedfordshire, and Gill Taylor, strategic lead for single homelessness and vulnerable adults at Haringey Council. The questions were asked by Radha Smith, assistant content editor at Community Care Inform Adults.

Learning points:
- When and how social workers should carry out needs assessments under the Care Act for people who are homeless.
- The foundations for positive social care practice in safeguarding people experiencing homelessness.
- Strategies for supporting people who are homeless and self-neglecting.

Community Care Inform Adults subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast: https://adults.ccinform.co.uk/practice-guidance/homelessness-and-safeguarding-podcast-transcript/

In this episode:
0.31 – Introduction
2.00 – Defining homelessness
4.50 – Duty to conduct a needs assessment
16.47 – Wrongful assumptions
24.44 – Foundations for positive practice
32.12 – Multiple exclusion homelessness
43.04 – Self-neglect
48.08 – Making a real difference

References and useful links
Bramley, G and Fitzpatrick, S with Edwards, J; Ford, D; Johnsen, S; Sosenko, F and Watkins, D (2015)
Hard Edges: mapping severe and multiple disadvantage
https://lankellychase.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Hard-Edges-Mapping-SMD-2015.pdf?msclkid=e3c74440a6ae11ecb96b228237e6f1d6
LankellyChase Foundation

Cooper, A and Preston-Shoot, M (2022)
Adult Safeguarding and Homelessness: Understanding Good Practice
https://www.bookdepository.com/Adult-Safeguarding-Homelessness-Adi-Cooper/9781787757868
Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Local Government Association (2021)
Making every adult matter and every contact count: safeguarding people experiencing homelessness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfR32HKXHfk
(webinar including presentations by people with lived experience referred to in the podcast)

Martineau, S J; Cornes, M; Manthorpe, J; Ornelas, B and Fuller, J (2019)
Safeguarding, homelessness and rough sleeping: an analysis of safeguarding adults reviews
https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/files/116649790/SARs_and_Homelessness_HSCWRU_Report_2019.pdf
NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce, The Policy Institute, King’s College London

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (2018)
The rough sleeping strategy
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-rough-sleeping-strategy

Preston-Shoot, M (2020)
Adult safeguarding and homelessness: a briefing on positive practice
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