Reflecting on Homelessness in the UK: Social Structures & Actions

This report provides a three-stage reflection on homelessness in the UK, drawing on personal experiences and broader social structures. It begins with descriptions of the author's work with Westminster City Council, addressing the complexities of reducing rough sleeping, and highlights the challenges of categorizing individuals for effective support. The report then reflects on the pressures contributing to homelessness, including housing market issues, stagnant earnings, and mental health challenges, referencing the work of Crisis and Invisible People. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of understanding social structures and avoiding stereotypes, advocating for collaborative decision-making and treating homeless individuals as assets. The report concludes by stressing the need for positive perspectives and integrated leadership to support vulnerable populations, ultimately aiming to improve efforts to aid homeless individuals in the UK.

Homeless in UK

3 stage reflection models: The process of reflection is frequently shown using a simple three-
stage model. Reflection, theory, and action become intertwined in this way. If the experience is
to be learned from, it must be combined with prior information, attitudes, and emotions/feelings,
resulting in a new experience.
REFLECTION 1
Description: Guardian Egyptian is a slab-serif font developed by Paul Barnes and Christian
Schwartz for the UK newspaper The Guardian between 2004 and 2005 and available by their
firm Commercial Type. The Guardian is a British news organisation that publishes a daily
newspaper in the United Kingdom. The Manchester Guardian was founded in 1821, but the name
was changed in 1959.The Guardian is part of the Guardian Media Group, which is owned by the
Scott Trust, along with sister journals The Observer and The Guardian Weekly.
Analyse the experience: I worked with Westminster city council for over seven years, trying to
"decrease rough sleeping," a mission that proved to be far more difficult than I had imagined.
With wide-eyed enthusiasm and probably a little naivety, I stated in my first personal
development plan that I planned to alleviate the problem of homeless people by 2017. At the end
of November 2019, the most recent yearly street census revealed 333 parking spaces. The
council required me to be several things at once as the main commissioner, a self-appointed
position and a rod for my own back. In a town like Westminster, there are many prominent
voices, some friendlier than others. Because a large number of MPs live in the area, they would
frequently have a harsh word or two for the council about individuals sleeping on the street.
They collaborate on occasion. In the field of homelessness services, there is a widely held belief
that if we can categorise, compartmentalise, and identify individuals, we can help them. As a
result, a skewed incentive system has developed. One chunk of money would be set aside in my
position for persons with mental health diagnoses who would be eligible for assisted housing but
would need to relocate away from their familiar surroundings.
Take action: The epidemic has shown us that we are a country that despises being controlled.
However, if you don't have a location to call home, we'll set up a system to handle every aspect
of your life, from phone charging to meal preparation. And you had better appreciate it. There is

hope if we can work together to uncover broken power relations and walk alongside individuals
to help them realise what they can do rather than what they can't accomplish. We must make
decisions in collaboration with others, rather than in isolation from them. We must regard them
as assets, not liabilities, and return control of their lives to them.
Sources: < https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/31/solve-homelessness-
westminster-system>
REFLECTION 2
Description: Pressures on the housing market, stagnant earnings, a growing gap between
housing benefits and housing prices, and mental health issues are all contributing to an
increasing number of individuals in the UK becoming homeless. Rough sleepers—those who
sleep in the open air or in locations that aren't meant for habitation; hidden homeless or sofa-
surfers—those who reside with relatives or friends because they don't have a house of their own;
and statutory homeless—those who are deemed inadvertently homeless and fulfil priority need
requirements, making them eligible for local aid. People who are in the "priority need groups"
include those who are:
When there are dependent children or a pregnant lady in the home
16 or 17 years old
Those between the ages of 18 and 20 who have previously been in care
Analyse the experience: Governments overlook homelessness, which is an issue with a solution.
Crisis, the national homeless organisation, has a proposal that would cost £10 billion, a fraction
of the £205 billion Trident replacement will cost. A homeless organisation claims that beggars in
an affluent town voted Britain's nicest place to live are earning up to £200 per day. A five-day
week, according to that calculation, would net rough sleepers in Royal Leamington Spa,
Warwickshire, £52,000 tax-free each year. Before taxes, the average British wage is £27,600.
Take action: The medical team informed me while travelling to a homeless shelter built in
response to the corona virus outbreak that Steven was eager to share his experience. I was
overcome with emotion when editing this today. Steven's cancer is terminal. He's on his
deathbed. Steven wants to leave a legacy by telling his experience and raising money for street
medical initiatives. I'm honoured that we were able to provide Steven a significant platform to
share his storey. Steven has been a homeless person for eleven years. He is a 70-year-old man.
Steven is open about how his drug addiction led to his homelessness. He slept in a trap-covered

tent. To go to the restroom, they utilised buckets. Steven remains a person, regardless of how he
became homeless. Addicts, like everyone else, are human beings. I believe we have a moral duty
to help those in need, but if money is more important to you, remember that as taxpayers, we all
spend a significant amount of money to care for those who are still homeless. Drugs on the street
save lives and money for the government.
Source: 2008-2021, Invisible People, available through < https://invisiblepeople.tv/videos/los-
angeles-homeless-man-cancer/ >
REFLECTION 3
Reflective activities are often regarded as the link between theory and action. This sort of
exercise is particularly effective in situations when students must reflect on previous learning,
evaluate real-world consequences, and utilise that reflection to drive future actions and activities.
When we think about social structure, we think of the underlying principles that govern how
individuals behave and interact with one another. This appeared easy until the intricacies of its
six components were examined in greater depth. Culture, roles, social class, social position,
group, and social institutions all contribute to the social structure of society. As a result, I feel
that before forming a stereotype, particularly one that is unfavourable, we should first have a
fundamental understanding of the entire social system so that we may understand why that group
is acting in that particular manner. The secondary group is made up of persons with whom we
have less interaction than family and with whom we do not have a strong intimate relationship.
Since a result, there is a huge tension between the two groups above, as their expectations of us
are considerably different. When we look at the job environment, we may see that they expect a
particular level of productivity from us, but the family may need our time. As a result, the notion
of work-life balance may come into play, or we may simply put ourselves in a situation where
we can maintain both sides in a well-balanced manner. The fundamental goal of society is to be a
member of a collective movement and progress together. Being a part of society entails bringing
everyone along; it entails making decisions that are consensual in order to attain a shared
objective.
Analyse the experience: It enables a person to understand his or her own skills and weaknesses
and utilise this information to drive future learning. Reflection will help me enhance my self-
directed learning skills, increase my motivation, and improve the level of care the person can

give. Individuals and society have a very tight relationship. In essence, "society" refers to the
antihuman behaviour’s regularities, traditions, and ground norms. These activities are critical for
understanding how humans act and interact with one another. Individuals are necessary for
society to function. A society is made up of people who share a same interest or who live in the
same area. In essence, a society is established by a collection of people who have a shared
interest. A civic society may raise its voice in support of high standards such as amending
legislation or conserving a historic structure.
CONCLUSION
To sum up, stereotypes should be maintained positive in our minds, or at the least, the
rationale should be in our minds that characterises the other person's behaviours, as this will aid
us in properly assessing the individual. The notion of utilising the shame sign is essential, but it
would be better if it could be decreased. When the two primary roles of leadership, expressive
and instrumental, are merged, the results may improve significantly. Along with this it is very
important for us to help the helpless people. This report explain about several things that will
directly linked with helping some homeless people which are living in UK and how to help them
and what are the problems facing by them . Show this report explain about several things that
will support me as well as support everyone to give their efforts towards the homeless people so
that they can feel secure and we can prevent them from covid-19 pandemic and from kind of
hazard.

REFRENCES
Books and Journal
Brousse, C., 2016. Counting the homeless in Europe:‘compare before harmonising’. In The
Social Sciences of Quantification (pp. 97-108). Springer, Cham.
Fransham, M. and Dorling, D., 2018. Homelessness and public health.
Pleace, N., 2016. Housing first guide Europe.
Sparks, E., 2018. Homeless and cash-free: how will transitioning to a cashless economy affect
Britain’s homeless?.
Stevens, S., 2019. An Anti-homeless Public Space.
Trillo, A., Burgos, G. and Schwartz, M., 2016. Institutional Ties and Homeless Family
Trajectories: How Homeless Mothers Engage with Policy to Create Opportunities for
Mobility. Journal of Social Research & Policy, 7(2).