Subject: Young Persons’ Investigation into Youth Homelessness (Peer Research)
Organisation: Kettering Borough Council
Background
In partnership with Connexions, Kettering Borough Council completed an important piece of research into youth homelessness. The purpose of the research was to gather intelligence from young people with experiences of homelessness about what services are working well and what could be changed or improved.
The research for this project was carried out by young people from Kettering who have personal experience of being homeless and of using local homelessness services. A Connexions Personal Advisor selected the peer researchers and supported them throughout the research.
The work was supported by mwb consultancy ltd; they provided training for the young researchers, organised some elements of the interviewing process and carried out the initial analysis of the data collected by the young people.
Peer research
The Council decided to encourage, train and support young people to act as ‘peer researchers’ rather than use outside researcher staff based on the following things.
Firstly it offered an opportunity for young people in Kettering to learn some new skills, boost their confidence and feel that they are valued in their community.
Secondly the evidence suggests that peer researchers can often get richer data and more honest information from their peers than older researchers with no direct experience of homelessness.
Thirdly the peer researchers are able to capture some of the nuances of local service delivery more effectively as a result of their direct experience of services in the area.
Fourthly peer researchers offer a positive role model for other young people going through the journey which can be beneficial for all involved.
When peer researchers are well trained and supported they make an excellent contribution to local knowledge and understanding of the service users experience.
Methodology
Mwb consultancy ltd worked with six local young people with experiences of homelessness and trained and supported them to act as peer researchers. The young people attended two training sessions during which they were trained on confidentiality, keeping themselves safe, and interview techniques. During these sessions they also helped design the interview questions.
The peer researchers undertook face-to-face interviews with young people who were living in supported accommodation and those who have moved onto independent living in Kettering.
Once the research was complete, MWB analysed the findings and provided the Council with a research report. Using this information, Council officers supported the young people to develop a document which summarised the research from their perspective.
Findings
The headline findings from the research are:
- young people reported a mixed experience of their first contact with services, some reporting that they had felt services were not really interested in them or took their needs seriously others reporting that services tried their best but the processes they went through could be confusing
- once in supported accommodation young people reported that the key element of a good service was the quality of the key work support they received
- on the whole young people felt that services were not that well coordinated and they had to tell the same story several times to different agencies
- however some of the young people felt that there were examples where services joined up and worked well together for example Connexions was seen as a very crucial support for young people helping them to make sense of different services
Conclusion
Staff involved in this project were impressed with the commitment and enthusiasm the peer researchers showed towards the project. Two of the peer researchers attended Kettering’s Young Persons Housing Forum to discuss the research with professionals from a variety of organisations including the YMCA, Social Care and Health and Accommodation Concern.
This project would not have been a success without the input and involvement of the young researchers and the support of staff from Connexions and from Kettering Borough Council.
Kettering Borough Council has been selected by Communities and Local Government as an Enhanced Housing Options Trailblazer. As part of the service improvements the Council will be selecting an officer to undertake detailed project work to improve the Housing Options service for young people. The findings from this research will inform the changes the Council will be making to the service.
