Summary Pack: The Rough Sleeping Questionnaire Findings

Summary Pack: The Rough Sleeping Questionnaire Findings

December 2020

Purpose of Slide Pack

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have been working with a number of local authorities and homelessness services across England to undertake research into people's experiences of rough sleeping. Researchers at MHCLG, with input from survey experts, academics, government analysts, people with lived experience of sleeping rough, and frontline homelessness staff, have designed the 'Rough Sleeping Questionnaire' (RSQ). This is a questionnaire that can be selfadministered or used in a structured interview format. The topics and questions were designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of respondents' backgrounds, histories of homelessness, support needs, and public service use.

This slide pack highlights some of the initial findings, from data collected between February 2019 and early March 2020. A total of 991 respondents took part in the data collection. This report presents descriptive high level findings on the 563 respondents, who were the focus in the Initial Findings report, who had slept rough in the last year, alongside comparable descriptive information from the full set of respondents (the full 991 respondents).

Research Design

The fieldwork was facilitated through the support of local authority rough sleeping leads and local rough sleeping and homelessness services. It was conducted in 25 areas. At an individual level, people were asked to participate if they were currently sleeping rough; had slept rough in the previous six months; or were considered to be at risk of rough sleeping, due to the precarity of their living situation or their support needs.

The majority of questionnaires were completed in day centres or hostels. On average, each wave of the fieldwork took place over a two-week window, with researchers in the field throughout. Respondents had the option to complete the RSQ independently or assisted by a researcher, and some service staff supported participants to complete the questionnaire. The majority of respondents completed the questionnaire with at least some input from interviewers. The sample broadly fit the same demographic profile as those reported in the Rough Sleeping Statistical release but should not be treated as statistically representative of the rough sleeping population1.

1

Demographics

The sample profile is similar to the recent Rough Sleeping Statistics1

Respondents who slept rough within the last year

(563 respondents)

84% Caucasian

87% He te rosexual

82% Men

81% UK Nationals

All Respondents

(991 respondents)

83% Caucasian

79% Men

86% He te rosexual

83% UK Nationals

Age of Respondents

25%

20% 15%

15%

17%

14%

12%

12%

10%

9%

8%

6%

5% 3%

3%

0% 18-21 22-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 46-50 51-55 56-60 Over 60

Ages (years)

Age of Respondents

25%

20%

16%

15%

15%

14% 12% 11%

10%

10%

7% 5% 5%

6% 3%

0% 17-21 22-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 46-50 51-55 56-60 Over 60

Ages (years)

1

Experiences of Homelessness

Most of the sample had experienced a number of different types of homelessness, and a large number had spent several years homeless

Respondents who slept rough within the last year

(563 respondents)

All Respondents

(991 respondents)

84% Homeless Last

Night*

3.5 Average number of types of homelessness or homeless

accommodation e xpe riences

20% Respondents who had been homeless for more than 10 years across their life time

26% reported a financial reason for leaving their last settled

base

Experiences of homelessness

81% Homeless Last

Night*

3.1 Average number of types

of homelessness or homeless accommodation

e xpe riences

16% Respondents who had been homeless for more than 10 years across their life time

27% reported a financial reason for leaving their last settled

base

Reasons for Leaving Last Settled Accommodation

Ever Stayed in a Hostel

Ever Sofa Surfed

Ever Stayed in Emergency Accommodation Every Stayed in Other Types of TA arranged

by the Council Ever Stayed in a Refuge

Asylum Accommodation

9% 9% 22%%

25% 28%

80% 79% 64%71% 59%66%

Any financial reason cited*

Broke up with partner Asked to leave or evicted due to my

behaviour

Spent time in prison and lost my accommodation

Rental contract ended or given notice by landlord for other reason

15% 15%

14% 15%

8% 8%

8% 8%

27% 26%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

All respondents (n=991) Respondents who slept rough within the last year (n=563)

All respondents (n=680) Respondents who slept rough within the last year (n=408)

*This might refer to the following types of accommodation: Hostel, emergency accommodation, refuge, other types of temporary accommodation arranged by the council, tent, caravan, car, squat, temporarily with friends, sofa surfing, rough sleeping, sleeping in transport or in a transport hub.

Experiences of Rough Sleeping

Almost half of the respondents who had slept rough in the last year had slept rough for at least 30 nights out of the last three months

Respondents who slept rough within the last year

(563 respondents)

All Respondents

(991 respondents)

25% Last slept rough as no homeless accommodation available in local area

73% Slept rough in the last three

months

23% Sofa surfed prior to last

sleeping rough

46% Slept rough more than 30

nights in the last three months

78% (n=770) Ev e r Sle pt rough

41% Slept rough in the

last three months

19% Slept rough more than 30

nights in the last three months

Reasons for sleeping rough after leaving prior accommodation

Where respondents stayed before last sleeping rough

Sofa surfing Private Rented Sector housing

Hostel (with no support) Prison

Social rented housing

13% 14%

10% 11%

10% 11%

9% 9%

There was no ho me less accommoda tion availab le to me in the local area

I did n't kn ow ho w to find temporary/homeless

21%

accommod ati on, or didn 't kno w where to g o to get

23%

help

I ha d n o frien ds or fa mil y to call on fo r he lp

I wasn't able to look f or accommodation/ask f or help

There wasn't time to look f or any accommodation

I didn't want to look f or accommodation/ask f or help f rom the local authority or charities

I was o ffered accommo dati on but refused it

22% 25%

21% 23%

16% 17%

10% 11%

10% 10% 5% 6% 2% 2%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

All respondents who had slept rough (n=770) Respondents who slept rough within the last year (n=563)

25%

0%

10%

20%

All respondents who had slept rough (n=770)

Respondents who slept rough within the last year (n=563)

30%

Support Needs and Vulnerabilities:

Respondents of the questionnaire appear to be highly vulnerable. Almost everyone who had slept rough in the last year (96%) reported at least one

vulnerability* in addition to sleeping rough

Respondents who slept rough within the last year

(563 respondents)

All Respondents

(991 respondents)

91% 2+ Vulnerabilities in

addition to home le ssness

47% Mental health v ulnerability & served time in

prison

45% M e ntal Health & drug M isuse Ne e ds

91% 2+ vulnerabilities

in addition to homelessness

43% Mental health v ulnerability & served time in

prison

41% M e ntal Health & drug M isuse Ne e ds

76% Mental & physical

health** needs

26% In social care as

A child

33% Excluded from

school

73% Mental & physical

health** needs

25% In social care as

A child

32% Excluded from

school

Number of needs or vulnerabilities reported by

Vulnerabilities of the cohort Physical health need**

82% 83%

100% 90%

respondents

3%

3%

14%

11%

Mental health vulnerability Negative events in childhood Victim of crime in last six months**

Served time in prison Drug Need

Victim of Domestic Abuse** Alcohol Need

0%

20% 23%

80% 82% 68% 72% 56% 65% 50% 53% 45% 49% 38% 35%

20%

40%

60%

80% 100%

80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%

0%

20%

22%

18% 13% 6% 4%

20%

21%

22% 14% 6% 4%

7 needs 6 needs 5 needs 4 needs 3 needs 2 needs 1 need 0 needs

All Respondents (n=991)

Slept rough in the last year (n=563)

Slept rough in the last year All Respondents (n=480) (n=264)

*Vulnerabilities refer to events in adulthood. This includes: current mental or physical health need, a current drug need or alcohol need, been a recent victim of crime, ever been a victim of domestic

abuse, ever served time in prison.

** For mental and physical health needs, the percentage reported is only of the respondents who had the support need or vulnerability and took part in fieldwork waves where this other need or

vulnerability was also asked.

General and Physical Health

Respondents of the questionnaire have worse physical health than the average population

Respondents who slept rough within the last year

(563 respondents)

All Respondents

(991 respondents)

32% Re ported `Ve ry Good' or `Good' Ge neral He alth, in contrast

the average self-reported health of the English population is 81%

33% Re ported `Ve ry Good' or `Good' Ge neral He alth, in contrast

the av erage self-reported health of the English population is 81%

50% Long-standing physical impairment, illness or

disability

3.6 Average number of reported physical health

conditions*

48% Long-standing physical impairment, illness or

disability

3.2 Average number of reported physical health

conditions*

Most Prevalent Physical Health Conditions* Reported

Joint aches/problems with bones and muscles Dental/teeth problems

Chest pain/breathing problems Difficulty seeing/eye problems

Problems with feet Problems with mobility (such as difficulty walking)

Skin/wound infection or problems Stomach or bowel problems Fainting/blackouts

Circulation problems/blood clots

23%

29%

23% 28%

24%26%

18%

23%

212%2%

1290%%

17%19%

0%

10%

20%

30%

All Respondents (n=633)

Slept rough in the last year (n=350)

47%

39%

46%

40%42%

51%

40%

50%

60%

*Questions about physical health conditions was added partway through fieldwork, and as such asked to a smaller sample of respondents. Respondents who slept rough within the last year (n=350) and All respondents (n=633)

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