EP Reach-Out webinar – Promoting the visibility of and facilitating positive change for homeless children and young people with Dr Marc Pescod, Dr Poppy Lopez & Dr Leeya Roovis

Overview: Since the introduction of the Education Act of 1944 and “Inclusion for All”, the young homeless population has received little attention to ensure they get an equitable education.
With homelessness being associated with mental health issues, substance abuse, disruptive behaviour, and poverty, its experience on children and young people is often detrimental and profound (Bland and Shallcross, 2015). Many find their challenges outside of school often have an impact on their ability to engage in their learning with 44% of unaccompanied young homeless people not in education, employment and training. However, with little research in this area, the extent of their educational difficulties is not well known.
This session aims to bring this hidden population into the EP narrative through discussing the educational experiences of (homeless children and young people), by drawing on the learnings of three doctoral theses (Pescod, M., 2020, Lopez, P., 2020 and Roovis, L, 2021). We will share the voices of children living in temporary accommodation with their families, as well as homeless young people living alone, and consider how EPs can contribute to change for this group. We reflect that the UK educational system is not currently positioned to effectively support this population, without the necessary methods to identify YHP and/or their families to therefore provide targeted and evidenced-based support. The workshop concludes that EPs, and the education system more widely, have a responsibility to identify less privileged populations and mobilise to ensure meaningful support.