Creating the right spaces to break the cycle of homelessness

But for many of the young people we support at Centrepoint, who have often experienced family breakdown and unstable housing situations, these fundamental pillars of their identity sometimes need building up. Their experiences can leave them feeling completely disconnected, like they cannot trust anyone and do not belong, anywhere they go.

If we want to support someone break the cycle of homelessness then rebuilding those connections and a sense of stability should be one of the first steps.

That is why, for the last few years, Centrepoint has been pioneering the development of psychologically informed environments (PIE) throughout its hostels and services for homeless young people.

That means creating spaces that take into account the thinking, emotions, personalities and experiences of young people. In turn, this can help them to better understand their behaviour, take responsibility for themselves and develop positive relationships with staff and peers.

A central element of this approach is the sense of home and belonging shaped by the environments where these young people are supported. And research has found that support workers across the homelessness sector trained within this framework are able to work more efficiently with young people experiencing complex trauma.

First impressions count. For an already marginalised group like homeless young people, entering a physical space that challenges their self-perception of being worthless can be very affirming and increase their willingness to engage with the services on offer.

They need spaces that offer a tangible sense of moving forward, of something brighter – so they can build the skills, confidence and self-worth they need to escape homelessness for good.

Last month a space just like this opened its doors to the young people facing homelessness in Manchester.

Once considered as clinical and uninspiring, our Manchester building has been transformed into a light an open environment that is welcoming and calming, in line with principles of creating psychologically-informed environments for both staff and young people.

Co-production was important for us during this process, so we worked closely with colleagues and a group of young people who know exactly what it is like to access a homelessness prevention and relief services like ours.

They told us what they wanted and we listened. Now, we believe that when a young person arrives at this building they will feel like they are valued and are equally worth the time of investment of the support services available. We can’t wait to see the positive impact on the thousands of young people who will access our services in Manchester in the coming years.

Best of all? This can be replicated.

There are five key elements underpinning a psychologically-informed environment: developing a psychological framework, the physical environment and social spaces, staff training and support, including reflective practice, managing relationships and evaluation of outcomes.

The Department for Communities and Local Government – now known as Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government – set out this guidance in 2012 and a toolkit for services looking to assess and implement a PIE is also available.

While these spaces require time, patience and financial investment, the benefits for both the young people and staff are more than worth it.

Young people deserve a second chance. The best way to ensure they get it is to welcome them into environments that inspire them and they feel safe in.

Dr Helen Miles is Centrepoint's Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) Lead