About Pathway
Pathway is a UK homeless and inclusion health charity , working with the NHS and other partners to create improved models of care for people experiencing homelessness and other excluded groups . The charity further works to improve the quality of healthcare that excluded groups receive by sharing knowledge and increasing the specialist skills of the inclusion health workforce , influencing policy and reducing stigma in healthcare against people experiencing exclusion . It is also proud to host the Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health , a national , multidisciplinary network for people involved in furthering health equalities .
Above : OTs working in homelessness and inclusion health enjoying their first networking and study day
We will follow up on these discussions at our next online network meeting , where we will discuss assessments that are being used and how we might better evidence our work and expertise in this area .
We also heard from Nicole Searle , Occupational Therapist with West London NHS Trust ’ s Rough Sleeping and Mental Health Programme , who presented on neurodiversity and homelessness from an occupational therapy perspective , with a particular focus on autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ).
Nicole discussed the issues around unclear housing pathways for people without a learning disability . She noted that , although they may not have a diagnosis and are often considered ‘ high functioning ’, they may still have support needs .
She remarked that although 1 % of the general population has autism , according to the ONS , autism in the homeless population is between 12-20 %.
She made an interesting link between the risk factors of autistic people being similar to people experiencing homelessness , for example , higher risk of mental health issues , less likely to be independent , lower levels of education , increased social isolation , higher risk of substance misuse , and more likely to have experienced adverse childhood experiences or trauma .
She discussed assessments , particularly to assess sensory and communication needs , and reflected on the use of occupational therapy with homeless clients who are neurodivergent . There was an interesting point raised about the similar traits between childhood trauma and autism , which is relevant as a consideration for homeless clients .
My take-away from this session was that our focus on the environment is important and that people experiencing homelessness
who have autism often have little control over their environments , so our role as occupational therapists is to explore how we can adapt these as best we can within the challenges of homeless settings .
We closed by thinking about what we wanted from the network , how to keep connecting and sharing ideas and resources and thinking about areas of research we would like to see covered within the homeless sector by occupational therapists .
The day ended with everyone feeling that they are not on their own , being stronger together and that we can make changes .
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GOV . UK ( n . d .) Statutory homelessness in England : financial year 2022-23 . Available at https :// bit . ly / 3xpNbZi [ accessed 5 April 2024 ].
NHS England ( 2023 ) A national framework for NHS – action on inclusion health . Available at https :// bit . ly / 43OSY6J [ accessed 5 April 2024 ].
Words SOPHIE KOEHNE , Occupational Therapy , Mental Health , and Lived Experience Lead at Pathway . For more information about Pathway visit www . pathway . org . uk /. To join the OTs Working in Homelessness and Inclusion Health Network , or for more information , please contact
Sophie . koehne @ pathway . org . uk .
With acknowledgement and thanks to Pathway , for supporting the network and enabling us to hold this study day , Hilary Neal , Rosemary Amran , Nicole Searle , and Thérèse Jenkins , for helping to organise the day .
40 OTnews April 2024