Flinders University researchers are calling for on-site health services in homeless centres, in a bid to improve the health and wellbeing of disadvantaged children.
In a pioneering move, on-site health services could administer vaccinations, prescribe medications and make referrals – reducing the need for hospital visits and encouraging families to seek more timely and targeted medical attention for their children.
A research team led by Dr Yvonne Parry, from the Flinders University School of Nursing and Midwifery in collaboration with UnitingCare Wesley Bowden (UCWB) Inner Southern Homeless Service, found that children attending with their families at homelessness services are often disconnected from healthcare supports.
Dr Parry says their project sought to reduce the rising impact of homelessness on increasing numbers of children in the system within South Australia.
“We think a radical, back-to-basics approach is needed to take health services to children experiencing homelessness, rather than expecting families experiencing the challenges of homelessness to face the added challenge of navigating the health system in a quest for child-specific services,” Dr Parry says.
“Our research found that more than 36 per cent of the UCWB homeless service clients are under the age of five, and that there were important gaps in accessing healthcare particularly in relation to healthy development and protection against disease.
“Young children experiencing homelessness are at serious risk of missing out on vital support and develop insecurity and long-term developmental issues, because existing services are largely adult focused and disconnected from the health sector.”
Dr Parry says specialist knowledge in child development is urgently needed in the homeless services sector to recognise children as individual clients in the system.
“The policy developed in 2009, was a first step to recognising children as clients in their own right, but staff have since experienced increased responsibilities around children’s complex needs,” she says.
“We found that some homeless centre staff working with young children lack the appropriate training at times to accurately assess children in a crisis situation, and as a consequence miss the provision of adequate services or referrals, meaning the children miss out on essential services.
“UnitingCare Wesley Bowden in South Australia has recognised this and is working hard to give their staff further education and training in the areas of assessment and child development to address the poorer health and lower education prospects.
“We also support closer collaboration with other services, such as housing, health and welfare to address these issues.”
Nationally, the Australian Centre for Child Protection has recorded a significant rise in the number of homeless children under the age of 10 (18 per cent in 2008 to 26 per cent in 2010).
“We need to ensure that the developmental needs of children are better recognised and met in homelessness services to reduce the number of cases falling through the cracks,” Dr Parry says.
