Liminal (dis)connectedness and the relational needs of people who are homeless

This presentation considers the social (dis)connectedness of people who are homeless and living in hostel accommodation, adopting the concept of ‘relational liminality’ as the theoretical framework.  It draws on four months of research fieldwork at a ‘complex needs’ hostel in England which gathered the perspectives of 21 residents and 25 staff through about their needs.  Most residents were actively using substances, experienced significant mental distress and had experiences of childhood adversity or had been in care, which shaped their social connections.  Against this backdrop, this presentation will focus on the ways that relational needs were understood, negotiated and met (or not).  Liminality refers to ‘in-between’ states where usual rules may not apply.  From a relational standpoint, this theoretical framework supported observations about fractured and thin relationships on a background of traumatic experiences.  Important peer support relationships were developed amongst residents in the hostel, but these connections often shifted between supportive and exploitative modes.  Relationships with staff and external social work support were both embraced and avoided given these experiences of trauma and competing demands related to their complex needs.  These findings point towards flexible, trauma-informed social work approaches that manage a balance between person-centred, slower paced relational work and a sensitivity to risk and harm within relationships.  Social work education needs to support students to develop more nuanced understandings of social connectedness as non-linear and complex for people who have complex needs.  This presentation links to the conference sub-theme of social connectedness as a social, physical and mental health issue.