169,050 children in England are growing up in temporary accommodation, often in unstable conditions and largely invisible to the systems meant to protect them. Shared Health Foundation is changing that and WFET's funding is helping them go further, faster.
By combining lived experience, research and advocacy Shared Health Foundation has built a compelling case for reform, working through Parliament, with government departments and alongside local authorities to push for systemic change.
This approach is delivering results. After years of campaigning, a new legal duty will require local authorities to notify schools, health services and other key agencies when a child is placed in temporary accommodation, ensuring they can be identified and supported. This is a fundamental shift, moving children from invisible to recognised within the systems that shape their lives. Alongside this, Shared Health has seen multiple policy recommendations adopted into national child poverty and homelessness strategies, helping to embed a more coordinated and preventative response.
Through partnerships with combined authorities and councils, Shared Health is helping to redesign local approaches to homelessness adopting a child centred lens. Such changes include the rollout of the SAFE Protocol and new approaches to data, safeguarding and service coordination. Initiatives like The Crib are ensuring the voices of families are not only heard but are actively shaping policy and practice.
Explore our approach or meet the team behind our work.
What began as a question—“How can we create better options for young people in mental health crisis?”—became a shared mission between Look Ahead and the Wates Family Enterprise Trust.
Read more about Funding that moves things forward: look ahead’s action‑driven partnership with WFETThis research exposes how housing-related debt traps single mothers and their children in temporary accommodation, and how fairer policies could help families move towards safety, stability and a real home.
Read more about A researcher’s story: what our work means for single mothers and their childrenThe UK's housing challenges need more than awareness – they require sustained policy change. WFET's investment in a dedicated housing research role has helped the Centre for Social Justice bring MPs, industry leaders and experts together to make the case for reform, with real results in Parliament.
Read more about Building a national voice for fair, secure housing
