Making hostels for men who experience homelessness more welcoming and healing spaces

What is it about?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend our understanding of the issues facing those who experience multiple moves around homelessness projects. It considers these issues and how they relate to best practice, informing the delivery of Psychologically Informed Environments. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative design was employed, with interviews undertaken with men currently residing in hostels for those with additional needs. These men had already experienced multiple moves within the hostel system. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings Main themes consider issues and challenges associated with hope and moving forward; help and the conditional or temporal nature of this; identity and stigma; and intimacy and relationships. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed. Research limitations or implications Implications include best practice for future planning with service users, the relational nature of hope, how best to manage endings and practical guidance for service developments in these settings. Originality These findings further our understanding of the challenges faced by service users with complex needs and how best to address them. They build on PIE guidance, offering tangible advice for practice.

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