A national Peer Network for social workers specialising in homelessness and rough sleeping
Future 2026 meeting dates
- 6/5/26 (online)
- 5/8/26 (online) - guest speaker, Michael Preston-Shoot.
- 4/11/26 - Anyone want to lead/host the next in-person national event?!
Past meetings
- 2026: 4 February
- 2025: 4 November; 6 August; 7 May; 5 February.
- 2024: 2 October; 5 June; 7 February.
- 2023: 4 October (launch).
To receive updates, or suggest topics to discuss, email: ellie.atkins@manchester.gov.uk
Welcome from Ellie Atkins, Manager, Rough Sleepers Social Work Team
Hello and a very warm welcome! The spirit of this Network is a ‘place of belonging’ for us, as social workers across England specialising in the field of homelessness and rough sleeping. We have an exciting opportunity to pool our knowledge and resources and support a national movement for change. We advocate for the right care and support for many misunderstood people in our society, based on our intrinsic motivation to promote human rights, social justice and the self determination of the people we serve.
Over the last few years, key documents have had impact on our practice. ADASS and the Local Government Association (LGA) published ‘Care and support and homelessness: Top tips on the role of adult social care’. There is extensive learning from the harrowing narratives of lives lost, captured in national analysis of homeless thematic reviews and/or SARS. The evidence base is fundamental to our journey as emerging experts in this field. I can’t wait to hear how you want to take this Network forward.
Welcome from Jess Harris, Researcher, HSCWRU, King’s College London
HSCWRU is delighted to support this Network. A central finding of our recent national research (2019-23) on Strengthening Adult Safeguarding responses to homelessness and self-neglect is the importance of the specialist homelessness social work role. But this important role remains rare nationally, and often isolated within localities, with no peer support. A small follow up study has been exploring the impact and support needs of the role - findings are here.
Please do explore more of HSCWRU’s Homelessness Research Programme and sign up for our free webinars on homelessness research and innovative practice.
"The impact of the specialist homelessness social work role and next steps for policy and practice in England"
Manchester, 4 November 2025
Resources
Homelessness and rough sleeping
- McRae 2024 June's Story - use of the KcVETS model
- Solutions Circle; Karim's Story
- Social work with families who are homeless or who have housing needs | BASW
- Housing and Homelessness: The BASW Position Statement and Recommendations | BASW
- ‘Clarissa’ short film and supporting resource pack by Groundswell.
- The Kerslake Commission on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping
- Life Changing Care, St Mungo’s Report 2022
- Delivering health and care for people who sleep rough: Going above and beyond, The King’s Fund, 2020
- Care Act Multiple Needs Toolkit, Voices and Expert Citizens, 2016
- Care and support and homelessness: Top tips on the role of adult social care, LGA & ADASS, 2022
- crisis_its_no_life_at_all2016.pdf
- Unhealthy State of Homelessness 2022: Findings from the Homeless Health Needs Audit | Homeless Link
- Improving Access to Services for Clients Experiencing Multiple (aneemo.com)
Government (and arm's length bodies) publications
- Ending rough sleeping for good, Cross-government Strategy, 2022
- Health matters: rough sleeping, Public Health England Guidance, 2020
- Levelling Up the United Kingdom DLUHC, Policy Paper 2022
NICE guidelines
- Social work with adults experiencing complex needs, 2022
- Advocacy services for adults with health and social care needs, 2022
Self-neglect and safeguarding
- Adult safeguarding and homelessness: A briefing on positive practice, LGA & ADASS, 2020
- Adult safeguarding and homelessness: experience informed practice, LGA & ADASS, 2021
- Safeguarding resources, Local Government Association.
- Social work practice with self-neglect and homelessness: Findings from vignette-based interviews, Article, HSCWU, 2023
- Safeguarding Responses to Homelessness and Self-Neglect Communities of Practice, HSCWRU, King’s College London, 2022
- Adult Safeguarding and Homelessness: Understanding Good Practice, Jessica Kingsley, 2022
- Learning from Safeguarding Adults Reviews: An evidence base to support positive practice, Homeless Link, 2021
Resistance to change
- How to use legal powers to safeguard highly vulnerable dependent drinkers, Report, Alcohol Change, 2021
Mental capacity and executive functioning
- When mental capacity assessments must delve beneath what people say to what they do, Community Care Article, 2020
- Mental Capacity Guidance Note - Inherent Jurisdiction, 39 Essex Chambers, 2020
- Court of Protection Guide, Serjeants’ Inn Chambers, 2022
- Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice 2005
- Brain injury and homelessness, BrainKind
- Disordered Executive Function Article 2023
- Neurodiversity and Addictions, Addictions UK 2020
- Executive Function Skills - Toolbox
- Tracing the significance of executive functioning among people experiencing homelessness | Health & Social Care Workforce: (kcl.ac.uk)
- Opening the door for people with hidden disabilities and differences
- Executive function - by Ellie Atkins
- Short film by Ellie Atkins about Beryl
Neurodiversity
- Homelessness as a Product of Social Exclusion: Reinterpreting Autistic Adults’ Narratives through the Lens of Critical Disability Studies, Article, 2022
- Autistic Adults May Be Erroneously Perceived as Deceptive and Lacking Credibility, Article, 2021
- https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221105091
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361318768484
Strength-based reflective practice
No recourse to public funds
- Assessing and supporting adults who have no recourse to public funds (England): Practice guidance for local authorities
