Wall to Wall Support: Joining up public services and housing for vulnerable children, young people and families

Public service reform is finally back on the political agenda, and it’s also clear that the housing crisis demands a long-term solution. However, too often these twin challenges are treated as separate policy issues.

Vulnerable young people and families are likely to need support across multiple areas – such as housing, health, debt or employment. We argue that siloed services stuck in ‘firefighting mode’ are missing the opportunity to take the joined-up and holistic approach which would improve long-term outcomes.

Our new report, supported by Grosvenor Hart Homes, argues that public services need to be more effectively joined up. This isn’t just the logical thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do – our findings show a lack of joined-up public services is costing government up to £4.3 billion every year. These costs are a direct result of additional use of government services by young people and families who did not access adequate support or early help when they needed it.

We recommend introducing a new citizen-centred approach to service delivery, designed to respond to individual needs and circumstances. Only by breaking down silos, joining up data, and addressing the housing crisis can we move towards a preventative state which provides high-quality, personalised support to vulnerable young people and families.