Making ESOL learning provision accessible for people experiencing homelessness
By Sarah Halsey
Magda is 45. She has recently moved into a hostel after 5 years of rough sleeping and sofa surfing.
Magda has a lot of health issues and attends many medical appointments. As a child, Magda experienced abuse and sustained a traumatic brain injury while rough sleeping. She often struggles to remember things.
Magda wants to start an ESOL class but doesn’t know where to look and isn’t confident using computers. She asks her keyworker, Ruth, for help finding a course. Ruth looks online and finds one at a local library.
Ruth goes with Magda to enrol and supports her to complete the necessary paperwork. Magda is told she will need to attend at least 80% of the course. She explains this will be difficult due to all her appointments. A more realistic target is agreed.
Magda forgets the date of her first class, but Ruth reminds her and goes with her to the venue as Magda isn’t confident going to new places. Magda really enjoys the lesson.
Magda settles into the class well. She often has difficulty focusing and remembering things and sometimes becomes distressed in her frustration. As Magda’s teacher is aware of the potential impacts of brain injury and trauma, she can support Magda and the class in these moments. Magda’s teacher is also in contact with Ruth, who checks in with Magda about her classes and supports with any difficulties.
Over time Magda’s attendance improves a little and she begins to remember the time of her weekly lesson. She completes the year and receives a certificate, which she is hugely proud of.
Now think about the setting where you work and ask yourself these questions:
How easy would it be for Magda to access the service where you work?
If you’re a teacher, how able do you feel to support a learner like Magda?
Magda is not a real learner. Her story is based on the experiences of learners I have worked with in the15 years I have been providing ESOL and literacy support to people experiencing homelessness. It describes a wholly positive trajectory with all the support a learner may need. Many experiences are not like this. Magda’s story highlights what I feel are some of the most important aspects of supporting people experiencing homelessness to access learning.
I have been unable to find studies focused specifically on the need for accessible ESOL provision for people experiencing homelessness. This in itself is an indicator of the need to highlight the learning needs of this group and gain a better understanding of how these needs can be met.
How can those of us working in adult learning make our services more accessible to learners like Magda? Below are what I believe to be some of the most important considerations.
1. Recognise the need…
People experiencing homelessness want to take part in learning. Research by Thames Reach found that ‘…60% of participants would like the chance to further improve their reading, their writing or both.’ (Olisa et al, 2010). More recently, I worked with colleagues at Housing Associations in London to survey 48 residents living in hostel accommodation. 81% said that they had difficulty with either their reading, writing, speaking or listening skills. Of those who expressed a difficulty with these skills, 87% were interested in accessing support.
In relation to ESOL support, while I have been unable to find data to quantify this need explicitly, research by Homeless Link (2023) has found that there has been an increase in refugees accessing both accommodation (60%) and day centres (67%). Not all of those individuals will need ESOL support, however, it is reasonable to assume that a significant number will.
2. …and the fact your service can help to meet that need.
Many people experiencing homelessness prefer to access learning provision within homelessness settings. While these services do fantastic work to meet this need, they often have limited capacity and resources (Jones, 2018). In light of this, it is vital that adult learning providers recognise the role they can play in meeting this need, including adjustments they may need to make so that their provision is available and accessible to those with experience of homelessness. There should not be an assumption that this need is being met elsewhere.
3. Make information about courses easily accessible.
In the survey completed as part of my work with The Reading, Writing and ESOL Project, of the 87% of individuals interested in support, 63% reported that they did not know where to access it.
Although many people with experience of homelessness can use the internet, many report difficulties with access (Dorney-Smith et al, 2017). If most course information is online, many will not be able to access it. The best way to inform people of what you do is to make contact with day centres and/or housing providers, visit them and provide hard copies of promotional materials for clients/residents and staff.
4. Consider attendance targets.
Many adult learning providers have incredibly high attendance targets, often between 80% and 100%, with learners being withdrawn from courses, or at risk of withdrawal if they fall behind. For many people with a range of support needs and multiple appointments on a regular basis, these targets are simply unobtainable. If enforced without flexibility or personalisation, they effectively make learning inaccessible.
5. Broaden the scope of teacher training.
Learners accessing adult learning provision often have a range of support needs, as do people experiencing homelessness. Training teachers in the following areas, which may be particularly relevant to people experiencing homelessness, will benefit all learners, as well as teachers.
- Trauma informed approaches and their application
Experiences of trauma are common among the general population. They are higher still among people with experience of homelessness, with research finding that up to 92% have had at least one traumatic experience in childhood (Irving & Harding, 2022) and homelessness itself is a traumatic experience. Trauma can decrease cognitive capacity, lead to poor memory and concentration and difficulties creating and sustaining positive relationships (Brunzell, Waters and Stokes, 2015), all key requirements for learning. Working in a trauma informed way better enables us to support learners in building these skills and enjoying the opportunities for healing that exist in a safe, welcoming learning environment.
- Mental health
It is extremely positive that there is growing awareness of the importance of supporting learners in relation to mental health, which is one of the highest support needs among people experiencing homelessness, with accommodation providers reporting 95% of residents needing support in this area (Homeless Link, 2024).
- Working with learners using substances problematically
Addiction is not uncommon in the UK. Research has found that 11% of people have experienced some type of addiction (Taking Action on Addiction, 2024). Among people experiencing homelessness, accommodation providers report the number of residents with support needs related to drug and alcohol use at 81% and 73% respectively (Homeless Link, 2023).
I have seen firsthand that people using substances problematically can and do take part in learning, often with hugely positive results. Recognising this as a support need within learning, reflecting on our attitudes to it and developing our understanding will help us support these learners to access and sustain learning.
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
It is estimated that there are 1.3 million people in the UK living with a TBI-related disability (Parsonage, M, 2017). Instances of TBI are higher among people with experience of homelessness, with one study finding that 48% of homeless participants reported a history of TBI (Oddy et al, 2012). TBI can impact vital skills for learning, including planning and organising, concentration and memory (ibid). Increased awareness of this support need and approaches that can help learners will lead to better outcomes for individuals living with a TBI.
These considerations may seem like a lot to ask of individuals and services that are already stretched, providing fantastic support to so many. If it seems overwhelming, choose one of these steps to take next:
- Share this article with a colleague, to raise awareness.
- Sign up for training in one of the areas mentioned or look up some research quoted to learn more.
- Find out about homelessness provision in your area, perhaps a housing association, charity or day centre and make contact. Offer to send them some of your promotional material.
Remember, a learner like Magda wants to walk through the door of your service. What will you do to help them get there?
If you’d like to tell me what actions you’re taking in this area or talk more about any of the ideas or issue raised in this article, please contact me at shalsey@rweproject.org. More information about my work within the homelessness sector is available on my website at www.readingwritingesol.org
References
Brunzell, T, Waters, L., & Stokes, H. (2015). Teaching with strengths in trauma-affected students: A new approach to healing and growth in the classroom. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 85(1), 3–9
Dorney-Smith, S, Burridge, S, Bell, J, Ellis, J (2017), Digital health inclusion for people who have experienced homelessness – is this a realistic aspiration? [online] available at Digital-Inclusion-Report-Final-for-web.pdf
Homeless Link, Support for Single Homeless People in England Annual Review 2023 (2024) [online] Available at:
Homeless_Link_2023_Annual_Review_of_Single_Homelessness.pdf
Irving, A and Harding, J (2022), The Prevalence of Trauma among People who have Experienced Homelessness in England. Available at: https://www.oasiscommunityhousing.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/The-prevalence-of-trauma-among-people-who-have-experienced-homelessness.pdf
Jones, K (2018), Literacy and numeracy support for homeless adults: An exploration of third sector employment and skills provision [online] Available from: https://hub.salford.ac.uk/care-shusu/wp-content/uploads/sites/125/2020/06/K-Jones-PhD-Briefing-Note-Jul-2018.pdf
Olisa, Paterson, Wright (2010), Turning the Key: Portraits of low literacy amongst people with experience of homelessness
Parsonage, M, Traumatic brain injury and offending: An economic analysis (2016) [online] available at: https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Traumatic_brain_injury_and_offending.pdf
Taking action on addiction, 2024 [online] available at: Taking Action On Addiction | A campaign website to bring more understanding and help reduce the stigma surrounding addiction