Depaul UK’s Approach

04. Depaul UK’s Approach

In 2020, Depaul provided support to 4,072 clients in accommodation services, in the community and in prisons. They worked with a further 2,709 young people through their schools and education programmes delivered in education establishments. This was a significantly reduced number on the previous year due to the closure of schools and colleges because of the national lockdown. Their Family Mediation teams moved from providing face-to-face mediation, to supporting families with shopping, providing equipment for home schooling and holding online support sessions. Every child in the 328 families supported by a Depaul Family Mediation service in 2020 either secured a school place throughout lockdown or was provided with the equipment they needed to access online schooling. Depaul led a network of 31 active Nightstop services from Glasgow to Guernsey. 987 people volunteered to be involved with Nightstop in a range of roles, from drivers and chaperones to hosts and mentors. During that year, they provided 7,174 safe bed-nights for 531 young people across the UK who had nowhere else to go because 414 homes opened their spare room for someone in need.

Homelessness is caused by a range of reasons. In the young it is most frequently caused by problems at home, the breakdown of support networks and families. Increasingly for single adults it is because employment or private tenancies are terminated. The charity has learned that for some people traumatic challenges from the past cause lasting damage. Non-judgemental and expert care can repair that damage and enable people to rebuild their lives.

Working alongside and working with people affected by the causes and consequences of homelessness Depaul UK works across four areas:

Prevent homelessness. Prevention as part of a holistic approach to ending homelessness is key. They do this through influencing policy and public opinion, educating young people, strengthening family relationships and providing advice, guidance and shelter in times of crisis.

Increase resilience. Strengthening the resilience of people who are experiencing homelessness is essential. They do this through providing accommodation and support that is traumainformed, strengths-based and rooted in promoting mental health and wellbeing.

Energise societal responses. Engaging the wider society in addressing homelessness is crucial. They do this through supporting campaigns, encouraging volunteering and seeking strategic partnering to increase our impact and improve life chances for those we support. Stimulate aspirations. Creating ambition and confidence in our beneficiaries is essential. They do this specifically through the provision of employment, training and education programmes and opportunities that enable the people we work with to confidently take their place in society.

By working across these areas, Depaul UK will evoke change that diverts people from pathways that lead to homelessness towards positive pathways that lead to a stable home, good relationships and financial security.

Depaul UK is an expert in measuring the outcomes and impact of the work they do with their clients so that they can improve the design and the effectiveness of the services and responses they provide and make good strategic choices about where they want Depaul UK to be offering services. Through investing and emphasising this part of their work, they engage with funders, commissioners and decision makers with authority based on evidence and not conjecture or anecdote.

The organisation reviews and evaluates how their approach is working. From their research, evaluation and experience they draw lessons for policy makers and commissioners, and where appropriate advocate for change. Depaul UK also creates a range of ways for their clients’ experiences and voices to be heard by the leaders and trustees of Depaul as well as those who make decisions in local and national government.