‘We had nowhere to go’: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of children’s experiences of homelessness

Aim(s) The aim of this research was to conduct sensitive child voice research, to explore how children make sense of their homeless experiences. The experiences of homeless children have received little attention within academic research, especially in the UK, despite evidence for the immediate and long-lasting impact of homelessness. Method This study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to allow for an in-depth exploration of children’s lived experiences. Data collection took place in 2020 with four participants, aged 12-13, who were living in temporary accommodation with their families at the time. Each child participated in one semi-structured interview, in which they were asked questions about the places they have lived and about school. Data was analysed according to the six stages recommended by Smith et al (2009). Findings Findings indicated that children made sense of their experiences with their families, and through comparison-comparison with their peers’ experiences of ’home’, and to their own lives before they had ‘nowhere to go’. Limitations Recruiting participants was challenging due to the sensitive and ethical approach required and was concluded due to the outbreak of the pandemic. This led to a smaller sample than originally hoped for, but still sufficient for phenomenological research. Conclusions The findings contribute to a scarce literature, in which research from the UK is particularly lacking, and highlights several opportunities for developing Educational Psychology practice to better meet the needs of homeless children.