Child Protection and Homelessness Safeguarding Children who are homeless

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Child Protection and HomelessnessSafeguarding
Children who are homeless

• Mor Dioum
• Stephanie Yorath
• Jane Cook
• VCF
• Victoria Climbié Foundation UK

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Every Child Matters Outcomes

• Aim for every child
• Be healthy
• Stay safe
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic well-being
• Every child has the right to
• Play and free time
• A good standard of living - to develop properly
• Education - that develops personality and
  abilities

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Every child has the right to

• Play and free time
• A good standard of living to develop properly
• Education which tries to develop their
  personality and abilities as much as possible

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Causes of homelessness

• Domestic violence
• Relationship breakdown
• Debt
• Mortgagee/rent arrears
• Eviction
• Anti-social behaviour
• Harassment
• Over crowding
• Under-occupancy
• Empty properties
• Lack of affordable housing

• More likely to have had
• histories of
• Abuse
• Living in care
• Being on the at-risk register

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The impact of homelessness

• Loss of
• Security and control
• Overcrowding
• Mobility
• Isolation
• Deskills
• Causes a loss of self confidence and self-esteem
• Can institutionalise and create dependency

• Loss of
• Family
• Friends
• Community
• Support
• Country

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Accommodation and conditions

• Homeless at home
• Squatting
• Temporary accommodation
• Hostels
• Transitional housing
• Bed-and-breakfast hotels

• Overcrowding
• Noise
• Unsafe
• Lack of space
• Lack of privacy
• Shared amenities
• Isolation
• Lack of planning and control over ones life

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Impact on the health of adults

• Mental health problems
• Stress
• Gastric problems
• Respiratory problems
• Musco-skeletal problems
• Antenatal and postnatal problems

• Loss of self-esteem
• Loss of confidence
• Institutionalises
• Multiple needs relate to
• Low income/poverty
• Inadequate housing
• Poor health
• Loss of opportunities

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Impact on the health of children

• Respiratory problems
• Infectious diseases
• Skin problems
• Gastro-intestinal problems
• Severe developmental and speech delay
• Behavioural problems
• High rate of accidents

• High rates of psychiatric problems (estimated at
  30)
• Rates of admission to hospital are high
• Twice as likely to be admitted to hospital
• Low rates of immunisation

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Safeguarding Children

• Role of public services
• Safeguarding systems and frameworks
• Targeted activity carried out to safeguard
  vulnerable groups of children
• The identification and response to child
  protection concerns by relevant agencies
• Interagency support for children in need of
  protection from abuse or neglect
• (Safeguarding children 2008)

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Common Assessment Framework

• Designation of a lead professional who is
  responsible for co-coordinating the actions
  identified in the assessment process
• The effective sharing of relevant information
  between agencies and practitioners
• Key to integrated frontline services
• Early intervention with children/young people
  with additional needs
• Child at risk of poorer outcomes in relation to
  Every Child Matters - 5 outcome areas

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Recommendations

• Notification system
• Holistic assessment - CAF forms
• Multiagency/multidisciplinary working
• Clear referral pathways
• Multidisciplinary teams staffing
• Joint strategies

• Joint commissioning
• Training
• Consultation
• Monitoring
• Evaluation

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A Child-Centred Approach

• The focus must always be
• Every Child Matters
• Children first and foremost

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Contact Us

• VCF Victoria Climbié Foundation UK
• Mor Dioum Director
• Stephanie Yorath Programme Director
• Jane Cook Trustee
• Tel [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email info_at_victoria-climbie.org.uk
• Web www.victoria-climbie.org.uk
• VCFthe link organisation between statutory
  agencies and the community