Use this factsheet to make sure your staff are clear on:
- Who might count as being 'homeless'
- What impact it can have on children
- What signs they should look out for
- What they should do if they have concerns
- How they can support children
You could either use it as a basis for talking about the issue at a staff meeting, or send it round for staff to read themselves. Before you share it, make sure to edit the 'What should I do?' section to add any other support strategies your school has in place.
Want to make it more interactive? Ask staff whether they know who counts as homeless before sharing the factsheet with them, or ask them about the potential risks to and impact on children of being homeless.
If you want to have more of a discussion about the issue at a staff meeting, try using these questions:
- Which other safeguarding issues may overlap with homelessness?
- How might homelessness affect a child’s learning?
- As a school, how can we support pupils and families who are homeless or at risk of being so?
Next ...
... use our safeguarding scenario on homelessness to get staff to put the learning into practice.