How hospital practitioners can support sofa surfing adolescents to access community mental health services: An English perspective

Abstract

Informal homelessness or, as Centrepoint describe, ‘the hidden homeless’ includes young people who may sleep on their friends’ or extended family’s couches or floor. They estimate that 103,000 people aged 16–24 in the United Kingdom presented to their Local Authority in 2017–2018 as being or at risk of being homeless. A proportion of young people who experience homelessness rely on their own resources rather than approaching their Local Authority for support. There are a number of barriers that make it harder for any homeless person to access services to enhance their emotional well-being. If a young homeless person presents at a hospital, there is an opportunity for them to be directed to the appropriate support required. This is even more critical when young people have an identified mental health need. The authors will outline ways in which hospital practitioners can support adolescents who are sofa surfing and who have an identified mental health need, to receive community-based support when planning for discharge from hospital.