2. The Albert Kennedy Trust – No young person should have to
choose between a safe home and
being who they are.

3. Unison presentation –
LGBT Homelessness and the unique challenges the young people face
What AKT does to help the young people?
What is AKT’s impact?
Possible ways we could work together and time for questions.

4. Working to end LGBT youth homelessness
150,000 homeless young people aged (Centrepoint 2016)
LGBT young people are significantly over-represented within the youth homelessness population with up to 24% identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans*
77% of young people we see say parental rejection and/or abuse led to their homelessness due to coming out

5. Additional Challenges
There is a significant lack of targeted service provision for LGBT Homeless youth
Many organisations do not routinely collect LGBT monitoring data
Many LGBT people do not feel safe or able to come out in mainstream services
Homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are in existence
Services staff may not have knowledge or understanding of issues
Many organisations do not have initiatives which address or include the needs of LGBT young people

6. LGBT young people are at significantly higher risk of exposure to a range of experiences associated with becoming homeless, in particular: parental rejection, familial physical / sexual / emotional abuse and familial violence
Other issues include:
Forced Marriage
Low self-esteem
Honour based violence
Bullying in education
Neighbourhood harassment
Hate crime
Self-harm & suicide
Sex for favours, e.g. money, drugs and accommodation

7. LGBT young people
are more likely to experience targeted violence and discrimination
•are significantly more likely to experience mental health, substance misuse and sexual exploitation than their peers
•are less likely to seek support than their non-LGBT peers

8. AKT works to ensure young
LGBT people have the start
in life they deserve.

9. What we do
Provide safe homes for LGBT young people aged
16 – 25 who:
Are homeless
At risk of homelessness
Living in a hostile environment

10. How do we do it Safe Homes: Supported Lodgings Purple Door Project
Emergency Support
Assessment
Advocacy, advice & support
Face to face and digital mentoring
Independent living and life skills training
Peer Support
Training for providers

11. AKT’s Purple Pathway
Wherever possible AKT focuses on interventions which prevent homelessness.
When this is not possible or safe for the young person we provide support from emergency accommodation through to helping young people live independently by supporting them to secure longer term accommodation, training, education and employment
Purple Door LGBT Hostel
Mentoring Programme and Inter-AKT
Supported Lodgings programme

13. AKT 2016 Impact Nearly 8,000 nights off the street
Over 1,000 calls from young people
Intensive level of individualised case work and support services provided to over 700 young people
Over 80% of young people placed in safe homes
Over 90% of those helped felt that their lives and wellbeing had greatly improved through the care they received by AKT

14. Highlights for
Inter-AKT: New Digital programme providing mentoring and online resources to young people facing or at risk of homelessness
Purple Door: Review our provision of supported accommodation and development of a 5 year strategy
Carers Programme: A network of dedicated carers who create safe homes for LGBT young people. Recruitment drive for new carer households
Youth Inclusion Programme: providing a voice to empower young people across the UK to influence the development and delivery of our services and those of other LGBT providers; whilst also influencing policy makers and commissioners.

15. Possibly ways Unison can support AKT’s work: -
Awareness: Follow us on social media and tell your own personal and professional networks. It would be great to have AKT, especially Inter-AKT, being known in schools and colleges.
Action: Getting the message out to young LGBT people who are living in hostile environments that there are safe places to go to get support.
Inter-AKT: is a national offer of support to young people. Perhaps spread the word of Inter-AKT to other Unison regions

16. Any questions?
Help yourself to any literature

17. Senior Practitioner (London)
Facebook: The Albert Kennedy Trust
James Hughes
Senior Practitioner (London)