Combining research with social enterprise, our psychologists are supporting people who experience homelessness, while also developing a postgraduate certificate programme in psychology that will train the next generation of practitioners to end this societal injustice.
According to Crisis UK, more than 300,000 people are homeless on any given night in the UK. The reasons a person might experience homelessness are complex, ranging from poverty, systemic inequality and discrimination, falling incomes and/or rising rents.
A complex social injustice
“It is very complex, but essentially high levels of wealth inequality increase homelessness,” explains Nick Maguire, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Southampton.
“Particularly in European and North American societies, where the dominant economic model is unfettered capitalism, we see an increase in the gap between the wealthiest and the poorest people.
Higher wealth differentials of countries, correlate directly with higher criminal justice issues, poor health, homelessness and mortality. So, there is no easy fix,” he says.
In the UK, previous and current governments have struggled to develop lasting, long-term strategies to tackle homelessness. But such an entrenched issue is not going to be solved by one generation alone, explains Nick.
Universities should be engaging in complex problems, such as homelessness. We have the resources, and we have the brilliant minds and innovative ways of thinking. We have the tools to properly engage in complexity. And it's one of the things I very much respect and value about Southampton.
Nick Maguire, Professor of Clinical Psychology
Vast clinical psychology experience
With colleagues in the Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, Nick has a vast amount of experience in clinical psychology.
He is undertaking international research with collaborators in the USA on the underlying causes of homelessness, including mental health, alcohol and substance abuse, and consults on interventions that can support individuals who are homeless.
Linking research and social enterprise
“We support other health services to increase their effectiveness through enterprise and evaluation and an understanding of why people don't buy into the services in the first place,” Nick says.
His research informs his work through the social enterprise OutcomeHome. Nick and colleagues Dr Stephanie Barker and Ofelia Zaboloteanu, also from Southampton, direct the company that offers frontline psychological services, both directly and indirectly, to people who are homeless and who have mental health needs and health and social exclusion.
On a practical level, we set up infrastructure systems which serve people and society better and inform national government policy in the area. For example, we are now working to professionalise the whole sector.
Nick Maguire, Professor of Clinical Psychology.
Building professional expertise
The team is developing a postgraduate certificate programme in psychological approaches to homelessness. The programme will be government funded and run every year by the University of Southampton.
We are developing a scalable and sustainable training product that will have a demonstrable impact on people’s behaviours and skills. The course is designed to prepare graduates to become psychologically informed homelessness practitioners. We are currently defining accreditation standards and expect to offer this training from January 2026.
Nick Maguire, Professor of Clinical Psychology.
Southampton research, enterprise and education is building infrastructure to develop the professional expertise so as a society we can effectively reduce the number of people who experience homelessness, improve and save lives.
