Ask someone experiencing homelessness what they need, and the first answers will often be the obvious ones: somewhere safe to sleep, enough food, warm clothing. These things matter enormously. But they are not the whole story.
Research, and the voices of people with lived experience, point to something deeper. Beyond the basics of shelter and warmth, people need to feel safe, to be treated with dignity, to have someone who genuinely listens, and to have a real say in decisions about their own lives. Without those things, even good-quality accommodation and services can fall short.
This module looks at what people experiencing homelessness actually need — drawing on the evidence and on what people have said themselves. It considers needs that are practical and immediate, as well as needs that are relational, emotional, and rooted in autonomy.
Understanding what people need shapes everything about how you support them: how you run a conversation, how you think about your role, how you design or deliver a service. This is a Foundation-level module relevant to everyone in homelessness services.