Depaul UK highlights the role of early support in schools, colleges and youth services before difficulties at home become a housing crisis.
Young people can be at risk of homelessness long before they leave home, youth homelessness charity Depaul UK has warned ahead of World Homeless Day on Saturday 10 October.
Schools, colleges and professionals working with young people are often well placed to notice changes in attendance, wellbeing or family relationships. Depaul UK says specialist housing knowledge can help them identify when those concerns may involve a risk of homelessness and connect young people with appropriate support.
Depaul UK, which supports young people across England, says the pressures that can lead to homelessness often develop during the school years. Housing insecurity can also remain hidden while a young person continues attending lessons or other activities. They may be staying on friends’ sofas, moving between relatives or living in temporary accommodation or somewhere they do not feel safe.
Its education team works alongside schools and other educational settings to prevent youth homelessness. Specialist professional training builds on existing safeguarding knowledge, covering homelessness risks, young people’s housing rights and responsibilities, and access to appropriate support.
Alongside this training, Depaul UK delivers interactive school workshops in areas where young people may face greater risk of homelessness. Films and discussion help students explore family conflict, healthy relationships and where to seek help, with smaller group sessions tailored in collaboration with teaching staff for those at greater risk.
One case shows how education and family support can work together. Depaul UK worker Kerry first met a girl aged 14 during a school workshop. When the girl stopped attending the workshops, friends explained that she had argued with her grandmother, her main carer, and returned to her mother’s home, where there was a history of violence.
Depaul UK referred her to Reconnect, its family support and mediation service. Working with the family revealed that she was also struggling at school and had not felt her concerns were understood. Kerry helped her access an advocate through the local authority. With her needs clearer, teachers introduced a pass allowing her to take time out of lessons and reduced her homework to a manageable level. As school became less overwhelming, tensions at home eased and she returned to live with her grandmother.
The need for earlier support is underlined by Centrepoint’s Youth Homelessness Databank, which estimates that almost 124,000 young people aged 16 to 24 across the UK faced homelessness or the risk of homelessness between April 2024 and March 2025.
Alexia Murphy, CEO at Depaul UK, said: “Youth homelessness does not start on the streets. More often, it begins behind closed doors through family conflict, instability and growing uncertainty about where a young person will sleep or whether they feel safe at home.
“Schools, colleges and youth services bring trusted relationships and safeguarding expertise to supporting young people through these challenges. Our education team works alongside them, contributing specialist knowledge of housing rights, homelessness prevention and the services available to help.
“This World Homeless Day, we want to strengthen those connections so that young people and families can access support before difficulties become a housing crisis.”
Changes in attendance, tiredness, anxiety or withdrawal can have many causes. Depaul UK’s specialist contribution is to help professionals consider whether housing insecurity forms part of that wider picture and identify services that can support their existing pastoral and safeguarding response.
In 2025, almost 400 professionals received training from Depaul UK. Among professional respondents providing feedback, 97 per cent reported a better understanding of what to do and where to get support.
Almost 15,000 young people also took part in its whole-group workshops. Among young respondents, 88 per cent said they would be more likely to ask for help and 89 per cent said they would know where to turn.
Schools, colleges and organisations supporting young people can find out about Depaul UK’s half-day professional training
Depaul UK’s free Spot the Signs toolkit is also available for anyone supporting young people and signposts its education programme and professional training.
Photo: Depositphotos. Posed by models.
