Homelessness prevention

Homelessness Prevention

Driving systems change through young people’s lived experience

30 November 2022

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“I think the initiative of having a systems thinking workshop with professionals and those with lived experience is brilliant and essential in how to move forwards.”
Young personSystems thinking workshop participant

Design challenge

Understand how young people can access support and better accommodation.

For this workshop, 16 to 25 Independent People (“1625ip”) recruited fourteen participants; eight between the ages 16 to 25 with lived experiences and six adults working in the sector and over the age of 25.

Participants highlighted socio-political determinants, such as:

Inconsistency in the system
Lack of strong community
Rising economic cost of living
Age related support services
Lack of integrated approaches

And they underlined the need for greater empathy in society.

This report aims to highlight the challenges young people face and give practical suggestions to remedy the situation. This study recommends inviting the City Council to discuss these findings and to co-produce solutions alongside young people.

“This was a very beneficial workshop that helped me further my knowledge of young people's support needs.”
Sector professionalSystems thinking workshop participant

Three recommendations

Public Health Pathways have identified:

Co-produce policy with the Council

Bristol City Council can co-produce policy with young people, utilising human-centred approaches to discover, develop, and deliver workable policy solutions.

Map support and services

Collaborative work to map current homelessness support and public health services visually can help young people assess and access their options.

Early education on homelessness

Education and public health support for young people should start early to help them, the community, and their peers detect risks and prevent homelessness.

“The system thinking approach helped address homelessness at its roots and its totality rather than as an isolated social fact.”
Young personSystems thinking workshop participant