Teach teenagers why people become homeless so they can cope with housing problems
In 2002-3, Hertfordshire County Council housed five young people aged 16 or 17. A year later, this figure had risen to 15.

North Hertfordshire District Council decided we needed to stop teenagers falling into patterns that can lead to homelessness.

Working with Hertfordshire council's educational services, we devised a guide for teachers on educating 14- to 16-year-olds about the reasons that people become homeless.

We are the first council in England to turn a scheme of this sort into a module within the National Curriculum citizenship subject at key stage four.

The pack consists of four 45-minute lesson plans. The first lesson explores the different causes of homelessness – for example, how relationships in the home can deteriorate and force teenagers onto the streets.

The second lesson explores the way the media deals with issues of homelessness. Students are asked to design two newspaper front pages. One takes a positive angle, usually in the style of The Guardian, and the other takes a negative angle, not surprisingly in the guise of The Sun.

The third lesson reviews what human rights teenagers have. We look at the Human Rights Act and the United Nations convention on the rights of the child.

The final lesson focuses on how students can get help and advice if they are worried about their home life.

We gave a first draft of the pack to three schools in Hertfordshire in October and November 2003 in order to gain feedback.

It was suggested by students that we strengthen the storyline in some of the case studies we use in order to make the reasons why people leave home clearer and more believable. We made changes accordingly.

We are now in the process of providing the pack to all secondary schools in Hertfordshire.

They will be able to use the pack during this summer term. We plan to carry out a review in August based on further feedback from teachers and students. We also hope to see a reduction in the number of 16- and 17-year-olds needing to be housed.

The total cost of setting up the scheme, including printing, was £20,000. It was funded with an ODPM grant.

Source

Housing Today

Postscript

Patrick Odling-Smee, head of housing at North Hertfordshire District Council, and Amber Carrol, personal social health education and citizenship adviser for schools at Hertfordshire County Council, spoke to Eleanor Snow