The role of school staff and education settings in the identification, support and prevention of youth homelessness

More than 44,000 young Australians are without safe and secure accommodation each night, with those under the age of 25 making up 42% of the Australian homeless population (ABS, 2011). It has recently been reported that young Australians are experiencing the first stages of homelessness while they are still attending high school (Thielking, Flatau, La Sala & Sutton, 2015). This finding suggests that school staff and education settings have a unique and pivotal role in identifying and supporting those at risk of, and experiencing, homelessness. This paper presents findings from the current research project, which investigated the experiences of, and perceptions toward, couch surfing secondary students in the Yarra Ranges Shire, Victoria. Both school staff (a range of teachers, pastoral care leaders, school psychologists and social workers) and students who had experienced homelessness during high school were involved in this project and findings from the qualitative aspect of this project are presented