Martine PoyserCatherine Heighton

Susannah WebbJessie Singh

“Learning with and from homeless people”

Welcome

82% of homeless people have physical health problems (Mathie, 2010)

5x more likely to die of a preventable disease (Thomas, 2012)

“Several commentators suggest that as many as half of the homeless population suffer from some form of mental illness.” (The Queen’s Nursing Institute, 2012)

11% increase in homeless application in 2011 (Crisis 2013)

Homelessness: the facts

Time line of project LIGHT

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

First senior SSC:3 weeks August/ September

Second senior SSC: Research (Goodier et al., 2014)

Third senior SSC: Inter-professional design LIGHT training course

Fourth senior SSC:3 weeks August/ September

Charity first AGM March 2014

First junior SSC:12 weeks September to December

LIGHT Charity formed

Research Design

Mixed methods design◦ Semi-structured interview (quantitative/qualitative)◦ Student interview (pairs), opportunistic sample◦ Analysis: SPSS, thematic analysis

8 rough sleepers/56 temporary residence (n=64)◦ 8 refused interviews (language, busy)

Research Findings Welcomed student help (97%)

Health issues affecting the population interviewed◦ Heavy alcohol (67%)◦ Tobacco (73%)◦ Mental health (58%)

Preferred location for the running of LIGHT services◦ Fixed location (61%) ◦ Drop in service (58%)

Evenings (47%) Weekends (56%)

Services requested ◦ Counselling (70%) ◦ Health checks (65%) ◦ Health promotion (48%)

Goodier et al., (in press). Students make international links to further interprofessional learning :LIGHT- a student led initiative for the homeless population. Journal of Interprofessional Care: Early Online: 1–3! 2014 Informa UK Ltd. DOI: 10.3109/13561820.2014.944258

Assessing the effectiveness project in reducing stigma and increasing awareness of homelessness

Effectiveness of student led health promotion sessions

Effectiveness on student preparation for practice

Next Steps: Concurrent Research

Self awareness of prejudices & misconceptions

Engagement in health promotion sessions with homeless people is improving own knowledge of health conditions.

Development of communication skills

Qualitative research

Jessie Singh

Final Year Medical Student

Suzie Webb

Masters Psychology Student

Potential further research◦ Comparison of outcome of homeless individuals

who have engaged in the project with those who have not.

◦ Research into how students involved with the project perform in the clinical environment.

Development of the project◦ Further integration into healthcare education◦ Share outcomes to support similar projects

elsewhere.

Future of Project LIGHT

“To be homeless means more than just the absence of secure accommodation.

Homelessness has as much to do with social exclusion as with bricks and mortar, and [it] demands a range of health promotion

strategies”

Robert Power, Rebecca French, James Connelly, Steve George, Derek Hawes, Teresa Hinton, et al. Health, health promotion, and homelessness; February 27 1999;BMJ

Aims of Project LIGHT

• Facilitate the advancement of Leicester’s Homeless population.

• Offer a solution to reducing barriers to homeless population accessing statutory services.

• Prepare students for working with marginalised groups.

Short Term

• Reduce stigma in healthcare• Increase awareness of homelessness

Long Term

Any QuestionsThank you