A Qualitative Study on Young People and Rough Sleeping in London

This report presents a qualitative study on the issue of rough sleeping among young people in London. It begins with an introduction to the problem, highlighting the prevalence of youth homelessness in the city and the challenges faced by those affected. The findings section summarizes key insights from an interview with a young person, Luke, detailing his experiences with drug use, perceptions of government actions, and the impact of family issues. The discussion section then analyzes these findings in the context of peer-reviewed literature, examining various perspectives on the causes of rough sleeping, including financial barriers, lack of affordable housing, and government policies. The report also explores the role of the CHAIN database in tracking homelessness and the relationship between poverty, unemployment, and rough sleeping. Finally, the report concludes by emphasizing the need for comprehensive solutions, including education, employment opportunities, and financial support, to address the root causes of youth homelessness in London.

YOUNG PEOPLE AND ROUGH SLEEPING IN LONDON
STUDENT DETAILS
STUDENT DETAILS

QUALITATIVE STUDY 1
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Findings......................................................................................................................................3
Discussion..................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8
References..................................................................................................................................9

QUALITATIVE STUDY 2
Introduction
Sleeping rough is describes to those people who sleep in the open air, such as on the streets,
parks, etc. In other words, this is the British slang which means homeless people. It is
observed in London city that young people (below the age group of 25) are sleeping rough.
This problem is observed in 10% of young people who live in London. The problem of rough
sleeping is rising in the city (Bernstock, 2016). However, it is also observed that many
homeless women are hidden homeless, it means they are sexually exploited in exchange for
the shelter (Authority, 2019). Thus, women who are actually recorded as sleeping rough is
very less than men. In this report, six peer-reviewed literatures will be selected for analysis
the views of different authors on the sleeping rough problem in London. Apart from this, for
the purpose of a qualitative study, an interview will be conducted with a young boy who has
experienced the phenomenon of sleeping rough in London.

QUALITATIVE STUDY 3
Findings
After interviewing with Luke is can be concluded that people who experience rough sleep are
more likely to engage in drugs. Drugs like a weed, marijuana, etc, these kinds of drugs makes
a person dull and decrease their effective thinking ability. Apart from this, after interviewing
Luke it is also concluded from the perspective of the people who sleep rough, they taught that
government authorities play audio sounds at night near the street, empty buildings, churches,
etc so that people cannot sleep properly. Apart from this, it can also be observed that
teenagers or young people are more likely to be experienced rough sleeping because of
family issues. In the case of Luke, he experiences rough sleeping because he was facing
family pressure from his stepfather. Apart from this, when youngsters engage in the problem
of rough sleeping then they are more likely to be drug-addicted. Later on, their drug addiction
slows down their productivity level and slows their thinking process, which put an adverse
effect on their decision-making ability. Youngsters in London, who experience rough
sleeping get their food from by begging or by approaching to the cafés through which they
can get the left-over food at night. Moreover, it can be said that rough sleeping creates
various challenges to the people including starvation to mental health issues. Apart from this,
all these people keep hope to the government that authorities will create bright days from
them.
Discussion
According to Clarke (2016), In United Kingdom, the figure of homeless people is counted by
local authorities but it is observed that many homeless people do not come in contact with
such authorities so it makes it difficult to count the exact number. This research paper aims to
help the agencies to fill the gap of their counted number about the rough sleeping. The author
has mentioned that government agencies should work in collaboration with the private care

QUALITATIVE STUDY 4
centres because they always conduct a timely interview and they always have a detailed
analysis of the homeless people and people who are experiencing rough sleeping in London
(Watts, Fitzpatrick & Johnsen, 2018). The author has included secondary research in this
study, this research study is obtained from the database of the outreach team. From the data,
it is analysed that 8100 people were seen sleeping rough in 2016, this number is increasing by
20% as compared to the data of 2015. Over a period of time, the challenge of rough sleeping
among youth rises, in 2007 1600 young people were sleeping rough but in 2016 this number
increases up-to 8100. Out of 8100 people, 10% of people were lying in the age group of
below 25 years (Clarke, 2016).
According to Mackie, Johnsen & Wood (2017), the government of the United Kingdom has
planned for a long time to completely wipe up the situation of rough sleeping for everyone.
As, the government estimated that it is the piecemeal and scattered experience for our
population, the increasing problem of rough sleeping also decreasing the reputation of the
nation at the global level. Under the Homelessness Reduction Act, the government has issued
the fund of £30 million in the year 2017. This fund will be distributed between two major
parts. First, the part will be held by the government authorities to make an actional plan so
they can accomplish their target to reduce the rough sleeping. The second part will be
distributed to the private agencies who deal with the people who are currently experiencing it.
Apart from this, the author has concluded that the government should distribute this budge
into three parts instead of two. The third part should be allocated to provide basic healthcare
and the daily needs of these people (Heap & Dickinson, 2018). Moreover, the author has also
mentioned that this problem can end in the United Kingdom from the roots if people and the
government focus on educational policies and employment for these poor people. This
process may take 1-2 decades more but this is the appropriate solution to solve this problem
from the roots. It is important to solve this problem from the roots because hostels and

QUALITATIVE STUDY 5
shelters are temporary solutions, such kind of solutions are not capable to solve this problem
from its basic roots. This is also beneficial for the reputation of the nation at the global level
(Mackie, Johnsen & Wood, 2017).
According to Bretherton & Pleace (2018), the government of the UK has defined rough
sleeping as the situation when any person does not have any accommodations and they
become bound to sleep in open air like on roads, etc. In England, the problem of rough
sleeping came on the rise after the began of an initiative by the rough sleepers in 1990-1999.
Later on, in the year 2011, the Homelessness Action Programme and the No One Left Out
initiative get started (Lucas, Archard, Tangen & Murphy, 2018). There are fewer women than
men who experience rough sleep. The reason behind this is that many women accept the
sexual relationship in exchange for the shelter, in the European Typology of Homelessness
this is called the hidden homeless. Apart from this, the author has indicated that the
government operates the CHAIN database. This is the multi-agency database that has been
described as the UK’s most detailed and comprehensive source of data. This CHAIN
database also has included the centralized database of the people who are using the street for
sleeping. Through the study of the CHAIN database, the agencies concluded that there is a
smaller number of women than men who experience rough sleep (Bretherton & Pleace,
2018).
According to Tinson, Ayrton, Barker, Barry Born & Long (2017), it is important to take a
look at the depth of poverty in London. From the information from the CHAIN database, it is
recorded that the portion of people living below the poverty line has reduced from 29% to
27% in the year 2017 as compared to the last six years of data. The reason behind this
reducing the percentage that unemployment is fall in the city. As in 2011, it is recorded that
over 430,000 people were unemployed but this number has fallen to 280,000 in the year
2016. It is also observed that in the UK, wealth inequality is more pronounced than income

QUALITATIVE STUDY 6
equality in London (Pleace, 2018). As per statistics, it can be said that the top 10% of the
people received 30% of the income and they hold 50% of the total wealth. On the other hand,
the bottom 50% of Londoners received 25% of income but they only hold 5% of the wealth.
Apart from this, between the time of six years from 2011 to 2016, government agencies and
other private agencies who deal with public issues worked together for improving the
education and knowledge of the people. Education has been marked as a consistent source of
improvement to reduce the number of employees and to enhance the living standard of the
people (Tinson Ayrton, Barker, Barry Born & Long, 2017).
According to Dobson (2019), the government of the UK should plan for effective measures
so that they can cut down the problem of rough sleeping completely. The government and
assign agency should make the bold and cross-departmental plan for tackling the real cause
behind the rough sleeping. The author has mentioned the financial barrier is the biggest
reason behind the increasing cause of rough sleeping. Financial barriers include the lack of
affordable housing and austerity with instituted reforms by the conservative government.
Various national homelessness charities in London provide their views that reforms are
incompatible with rough sleepers and they need affordable housing and financial support
from the government. However, in this study, it is concluded that agencies and the
government should focus on education in order to completely solve this problem. It is
important that people should be entitled to money management skills so that they can put
effective measurement (Kelly, Kidy, Allen & Sittampalam, 2018). Apart from this, The Care
Act 2014, is not principally related to providing housing to the people, it links with the
recourse provision to offer better advancement to the people who are experiencing rough
sleeping. Social service centres should be allocated with a specific budget and people should
also donate money to these social services so that these centres can carry effective and
efficient operations to provide the shelter to the suffering people. Although the author

QUALITATIVE STUDY 7
indicated that this is the short-term solution, since long time government officials are
planning to overcome this problem from the scratch in order to do this, the government
should focus more on FDI and other employment possibilities so that people with less
education can also afford shelter. However, education and employment opportunities both
fundamental concepts through which the government can completely solve the problem of
rough sleeping (Dobson, 2019).
According to Boland & Cunningham (2019), it is concluded in this literature that government
authorities face problems in maintaining the exact number of data because homeless people
used to change their places from time to time. Thus, it is difficult to exactly calculate the
number of young people who are experiencing rough sleeping. Apart from this, the CHAIN
database shows that there is a considerable number of people who experience sleeping rough
in London are migrants. In 2018, the CHAIN database had shown that 4751 people were
recorded as sleeping rough in the UK, 653 of women were women (Kelly, Kidy, Allen &
Sittampalam, 2018). It is also mention in this study that other European countries do not
record homelessness data. From the views of the author, when the unemployment rate
decreases then it also decreases the ratio of people who are experiencing rough sleeping and
it also enhances the overall ratio of the health indicator (Dobson, 2019).
Rough sleeping in London have hit a record high, with 8,855 individuals recorded as bedding
down on the capital's road a year ago, as indicated by yearly Chain figures distributed by the
Greater London Authority. The ascent in unpleasant dozing the nation over and in London is
a national disgrace and at City Hall we have multiplied our rough resting spending plan and
the size of our effort group, helping record quantities of rough sleepers. UK nationals
represented 49% of rough sleepers in the capital. Rough sleepers from focal European
nations, including Romania, Poland, Lithuania and Bulgaria represented 31% of the
aggregate (Dobson, 2019).

QUALITATIVE STUDY 8
The 18% year-on-year ascend in 2018-19 was known as a "national disgrace" by the city hall
leader of London, Sadiq Khan, who accused the emergency for welfare changes and an
absence of interest in social lodging. The most recent figures were two and half times the
proportionate number recorded in 2009-10, when 3,673 individuals were distinguished as
rough dozing. 5,529 new rough sleepers were spotted on the capital's lanes a year ago –
proportional to 15 individuals daily winding up dozing unpleasant just because. In excess of a
third had lost private leased convenience (Kelly, Kidy, Allen & Sittampalam, 2018).
The figures from Chain (Combined Homelessness and Information Network) are a
continuous record of unpleasant sleepers distinguished by outreach laborers consistently.
They are viewed as a more precise gauge of unpleasant dozing numbers than the official road
tally, which depends on a solitary night preview. Official insights recorded 1,283 unpleasant
sleepers in the capital in 2018. Rough dozing figures in London have hit a record high, with
8,855 individuals recorded as bedding down on the capital's road a year ago, as indicated by
yearly Chain figures distributed by the Greater London Authority (Dobson, 2019).
The arisen problem of rough sleeping in London came in the eyes of the government after the
ear of 1990. It is observed that among the population of the people who are sleeping rough,
10% of people belong to the age group of below 25 years. Apart from this, it is observed the
women are less in comparison to men who experience this challenge. As women experience
hidden sleeping which defines from the perspective of European terminology that instead of
choosing rough sleeping, women come in contact with the option to get a shelter in the
exchange of sexual relations. Apart from this, for a long time, the government of the UK is
planning to remove this problem from scratch. In the year 2017, the government initiates the
funds of £30 million and they distributed the partial funds to the private social care agencies
also. Apart from this, the UK government has a centralized database for monitoring the ratios
of all the activities conducted in the country. The centralized database is managed through the

QUALITATIVE STUDY 9
CHASE. Moreover, the various author has concluded that providing shelter and rising funds
are the short-term solution, in order to completely overcome this problem, the government
should focus on the education program and should search for the methods to increase the rate
of employment through the FDI (Kelly, Kidy, Allen & Sittampalam, 2018).
Conclusion
From the views of various authors, it is concluded that rough sleeping is a critical issue in
London. 10% of the people who are experiencing this problem belongs to the age of below 25
years. Apart from this, it is also concluded women are less involved in rough sleeping as
compare to the men. Through the analysis conducted by the social care agencies, it is found
that a large part of the women population is involved in hidden homeless. It defines that
women get shelter in exchange for maintaining physical relations. From this study, it is
concluded that the government is a concern for the rough sleeping because it is becoming
increasing issues and it is putting the adverse effect on the reputation of the country at the
global level. Rough sleeping is also putting an adverse effect on the mental condition of those
people who are experiencing it. The financial barrier and lack of education are two
fundamental reasons behind this cause. Apart from this, it is concluded that government
agencies should work in coordination with private social care agencies to completely
overcome this problem.

QUALITATIVE STUDY 10
References
Authority, G.L. (2019) Rough sleeping in London (CHAIN reports). London: Olympia
publishers.
Bernstock, P. (2016) Olympic housing: A critical review of London 2012's legacy. Abingdon:
Routledge.
Boland, L., & Cunningham, M. (2019) Homelessness: Critical reflections and observations
from an occupational perspective. Journal of Occupational Science, 26(2), 308-315.
Bretherton, J., & Pleace, N. (2018) Women and Rough Sleeping. A Critical Review of
Current Research and Methodology. [Online]. Retrieved from: https://www. mungos.
org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Women-and-Rough-Sleeping-Report-2018. pdf. Viitattu,
14, 2019. [Accessed on: 18th January, 2020]
Clarke, A. (2016) The prevalence of rough sleeping and sofa surfing amongst young people
in the UK. Social Inclusion, 4(4), 60-72.
Dobson, R. (2019) Policy responses to ‘rough sleepers’: Opportunities and barriers for
homeless adults in England. Critical Social Policy, 39(2), 309-321.
Kelly, R., Kidy, S., Allen, P., & Sittampalam, G. (2018) Paediatric dentistry: Child caries and
antibiotics. British dental journal, 225(12), 10-48.
Mackie, P., Johnsen, S., & Wood, J. (2017) Ending rough sleeping: what works. An
international evidence review. London: Crisis.
Pleace, N. (2018) Rough sleeping in England: Short-term solutions to a long-term
problem. Parity, 31(3), pp.40-45.

QUALITATIVE STUDY 11
Sharman, S., Dreyer, J., Clark, L. and Bowden-Jones, H. (2016) Down and out in London:
addictive behaviors in homelessness. Journal of behavioral addictions, 5(2), pp.318-324.
Tinson, A., & Long, O. (2017) London’s poverty profile. Trust for London: London.
Watts, B., Fitzpatrick, S. and Johnsen, S. (2018) Controlling homeless people? Power,
interventionism and legitimacy. Journal of Social Policy, 47(2), pp.235-252.
Heap, V. and Dickinson, J. (2018) Public Spaces Protection Orders: a critical policy
analysis. Safer Communities, 17(3), pp.182-192.
Lucas, S., Archard, P.J., Tangen, J. and Murphy, D. (2018) Arrangements for adult service
users who are homeless in English mental health trusts. Mental Health Review Journal, 23(1),
pp.64-71.