Shelter Study Finds 56% Of Teachers Have Worked With Homeless Children

Shocking new research from Shelter has highlighted the impact of homelessness on young people.

In the last three years, over half of state school teachers in Britain (56%) have worked at a school with children who were homeless or became homeless, the major study by Shelter and YouGov has revealed.

The charity’s findings show most teachers have first-hand knowledge of the damage done by the housing emergency to education –– with it now commonplace to see children grappling with homelessness at school. With the impact of the pandemic making housing inequalities worse, Shelter warns that this desperate situation could worsen for the 136,000 homeless children living in Britain.

Shelter is the UK’s leading housing and homelessness charity and believes that everyone should have a safe home. It helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through its free emergency helpline, webchat service, and local advice, support and legal services.

In the last three years, some of the most devastating effects seen by teachers with experience of working with homeless children or those living in bad housing include hunger, tiredness, absenteeism, and poor hygiene.

88% of these teachers reported children missing school as a key issue. This is often because children can face significant difficulties with their journey to school if they become homeless and are accommodated a long way from their former home. Additionally 87% reported children coming to school hungry, often because temporary accommodation such as B&Bs and hostels are often not equipped with suitable or any cooking facilities.

94% reported tiredness as an issue for homeless children and those living in bad and overcrowded housing. Lack of access to affordable washing facilities in temporary accomodation as well as issues such as mould and damp in poor quality housing resulted in 89% of teachers reporting children arriving at school in unwashed or dirty clothing. This can be caused by a lack of proper or affordable washing facilities in temporary accommodation, as well as issues such as mould and damp in poor-quality housing.

Shelter’s research resonates with Dani Worthington, a headteacher in Batley, West Yorkshire. She said: “Homeless children are at a disadvantage before the school day has even started. In my 15 years of teaching, I have seen the devastating knock-on effect of homelessness on education many times. Children who did well when they lived in a stable home became withdrawn and unable to follow their lessons. When families don’t have access to the basics like a washing machine, we end up washing their uniforms at school. We had one family where all the kids had to share a bed, they were shattered. It’s not right.”

To understand the impact of the pandemic on the education of homeless children and those trapped in bad housing, Shelter carried out a follow-up survey with teachers in October as schools re-opened their doors. The results paint a worrying picture, with pandemic disruptions appearing to have set children without a suitable home even further back. Almost three-quarters of teachers (73%) say that homeless children or children living in bad housing have had their education more negatively affected than children in suitable housing.

Dani Worthington continues: “The pandemic disruptions are making everything worse for homeless children. It was harder for them to keep up with their lessons in lockdown; they didn’t always have access to Wi-Fi or the equipment they needed. The bottom line is that without a safe home, education suffers. This was a massive issue before coronavirus hit - but the pandemic has intensified the problem, which is deeply worrying.”

Alongside its bid to get more secure social homes built, Shelter is urging the public to support its frontline services as they contend with a surge in demand triggered by the pandemic. Shelter’s services are open 365 days a year to provide expert advice and support to families facing homelessness, which includes helping families to access a safe home.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Without a safe and secure home, a child’s life chances can be deeply disrupted. This is a national scandal - and without action, the extra harm being done to homeless children as a result of the pandemic may never be undone. Homeless children must not be the invisible victims of this crisis.

“We still don’t know what the long-term impact of the pandemic will be on this generation of children. But for now, Shelter is here to support and give hope to the families who need us the most. With the public’s support we will do all we can to make sure every child has a safe and secure home - this winter and beyond.”

To donate to Shelter’s urgent winter appeal and give hope to families facing homelessness, please visit www.shelter.org.uk/donate.

For free and expert housing advice you can also visit: https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help