The ramifications of Covid-19 has made the route to youth homelessness much easier and reaching vulnerable young people far harder. Centrepoint has successfully managed to pivot to virtual support, but we need your help to make sure we continue to help those with complex mental health needs.
Centrepoint has been building a new, psychologically-informed, working environment with staff wellbeing at its heart. Here, Senior Digital and Communications Officer Keir Forde, explains why and how we’re promoting staff wellbeing, and where we’ve got to in our first 12 months.
Men’s Health Week aims to improve the lives of men and boys, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This year, as we emerge from the biggest health crisis of the 21st century, the question is: where do we go from here?
In July 2020, we put together a mission statement of how we planned to support Black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) staff within Centrepoint. We promised to hold ourselves accountable, to look at our processes, and to speak to those at the heart of the matter: our staff. A lot of our work on being anti-racist begins on the inside, at the core. And so, we wanted to share an update on our progress with you, our supporters, to let you know we’re still striving towards our mission. Here’s what we’ve been up to.
Our research looks at the key reasons why relationships breakdown and the kinds of pressures faced by families.
Among the general youth population, rates of poor mental health issues are worryingly high. These rates are even higher for young people experiencing homelessness. This research report explored the full extent of the problem and investigated the prevalence of a range of mental health problems, including those that have not been formally diagnosed by mainstream health services.
Despite widespread calls from Centrepoint and others in the sector to make the Universal Credit uplift permanent, the Government chose to withdraw the extra money in 2021, impacting millions of vulnerable households across the country.
Over the last decade, recorded levels of destitution and food insecurity have risen sharply across the UK. This research shows that some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people in our society are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity.
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been unprecedented. Since the UK went into its first lockdown in March 2020, the Government has channelled funding of over £700 million to help prevent homelessness and provide emergency accommodation for rough sleepers as part of the Everyone In scheme.
David Monteith Hodge
Aimee, 18, is a young rapper with cerebral palsy. She became homeless in the middle of winter following a family breakdown. She was placed in a homeless hostel before being referred to Centrepoint where she has been given a self-contained flat and supported to develop independent living skills and advocate for herself. She recently won a Centrepoint 2024 Award presented to her, by Centrepoint's Patron, Prince William.
