Pathway: The Faculty for Homeless & Inclusion Health International Conference 2025

Please describe the event you attended.

The International Pathways 2025  Symposium  focused on the theme "From the Margins to the Mainstream: Pathways to Prevent Homelessness." The symposium shared knowledge and strategies to tackle the complex causes and needs of homelessness, improve care, and support people who had experienced profound exclusions.

Key topics included:

• Funding reform and resource allocation to target high-need groups.
• Inclusion of marginalized groups in service design and delivery.
• Collaboration between the NHS, local government, and housing providers to create comprehensive support systems.
• Addressing specific needs of women, children, and asylum seekers.
• Understanding trauma psychology and its role in effective support.

The event highlighted both the challenges and the innovative solutions in the field, offering hope and practical strategies for making a real difference.

What drew you to attend this event? 

I attended the event last year, and I knew it was a great opportunity to gain valuable insights and knowledge from experts in the field of homelessness prevention and support. I looked forward to connecting with professionals from various sectors, including healthcare, local government, and housing providers, again. I was eager to learn about innovative solutions and strategies that had been successful in addressing homelessness.

How was your experience attending the event? What were the highlights and key moments? 

Two Key moments from the event were the keynote speaker, Elizabeth Keat (Homeless Integration Lead, Leeds Community Healthcare), who had a moving talk about ‘A patient we cannot forget’. And an essential stream of discussions on: women and families in inclusion health. This included a series of crucial talks on: ‘Women's experiences of homelessness in high income contexts’, ‘Reducing health inequalities for families experiencing homelessness’ and ‘Exploring Maternity Experiences and Perinatal Mortality in the Gypsy Traveller Community’.

How was this event relevant to your research, interdisciplinarity and the ACRC Academy? 

As an academy student, presenting my poster on digital care landscapes was relevant because an interdisciplinary group of homelessness professionals was present. 

Any lessons learnt / best practices that you’d like to share

Every year, the Pathways Conference highlights listening to Lived Experiences. This has reinforced to me the importance of including the voices of those with lived experiences in the design and delivery of services, which leads to more effective and inclusive solutions