Homelessness Training That Helps You See the Person Before the Homelessness
Homelessness Inside Out is an interactive online learning experience for professionals and organisations who want to understand trauma, addiction, trust, behaviour and the story before the street.
Created by Kerri Douglas from lived experience of homelessness and rough sleeping, alongside years of advocacy, speaking and work with professionals across the homelessness sector.
Homelessness is rarely only about housing.
We see somebody miss an appointment. Refuse accommodation. Relapse. Become angry. Return to the street.
But behaviour is only the part of the story we can see.
Homelessness Inside Out helps housing, homelessness, outreach, health, social care and voluntary sector professionals explore what may sit underneath that behaviour and how greater understanding can strengthen everyday practice.
The aim is not to make excuses for unsafe or harmful behaviour. It is to understand enough to respond with greater consistency, dignity, curiosity and awareness.
Understand. Reflect. Respond.
The learning is designed to move beyond definitions and statistics and into the situations professionals face in real life.
Understand
Explore the experiences that can sit behind homelessness, including trauma, addiction, exploitation, relationships, mistrust and survival.
Reflect
Work through realistic scenarios, guided reflection and knowledge checks that challenge assumptions and encourage deeper thinking.
Respond
Consider how understanding can influence conversations, engagement, relationships, boundaries and the way support is delivered.
What Homelessness Inside Out explores
A lived experience led journey through some of the realities that can shape homelessness, engagement and recovery.
Learning people can connect to everyday practice.
Homelessness Inside Out is self paced and online, making it suitable for individual professional development, induction, reflective learning and wider team development.
Learners do not simply click through information. They are asked to stop, think and consider how assumptions, language, trust and previous experiences can influence what happens next.
Included with access
- All eight interactive chapters
- Realistic homelessness scenarios
- Guided reflective questions
- Knowledge checks throughout
- Practical learning for frontline work
- Certificate of completion
- Self paced online access
- Individual and team options
Built for people working with or alongside homelessness.
Relevant to frontline teams, volunteers, managers, learning teams and professionals whose work brings them into contact with people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
Housing & Homelessness
Housing associations, homelessness prevention teams, outreach, hostels, supported accommodation and tenancy sustainment.
Health & Social Care
Professionals supporting people where homelessness, trauma, addiction, mental health and complex needs may overlap.
Charities & Public Services
Local authorities, charities, voluntary organisations, community teams, learning and development and wider public services.
What learners should take back into practice
The purpose is practical understanding, not just awareness.
See beyond behaviour
Recognise that missed appointments, anger, relapse, mistrust or returning to the street can have context worth understanding.
Strengthen engagement
Reflect on how trust, consistency, language, choice, safety and relationships can influence whether support feels possible.
Respond more thoughtfully
Connect trauma informed understanding with boundaries, professional judgement and practical human responses.
Choose the right access for you or your team.
One off payment with online access to the complete Homelessness Inside Out learning experience.
Personal Access
One off payment • unlimited personal access
- All eight interactive chapters
- Realistic scenarios
- Guided reflections
- Knowledge checks
- Certificate of completion
- Unlimited personal access
Up to 10 Learners
One off payment • team access
- Access for up to 10 learners
- All eight interactive chapters
- Realistic scenarios
- Guided reflections
- Knowledge checks
- Completion certificates
Up to 25 Learners
One off payment • team access
- Access for up to 25 learners
- All eight interactive chapters
- Realistic scenarios
- Guided reflections
- Knowledge checks
- Completion certificates
Start Homelessness Inside Out
Select your access option below, create your account and complete your secure payment.
Want to take the learning further with your team?
Homelessness Inside Out can sit alongside facilitated team training, keynote speaking and lived experience consultancy for organisations that want to explore the learning more deeply.
Sessions can connect the course themes directly to your team's work, including behaviour, engagement, trust, trauma informed practice and service culture.
Useful for
- Staff induction and onboarding
- Frontline workforce development
- Reflective practice
- Learning and development programmes
- Volunteer development
- Team conversations about trauma and engagement
- Organisation wide homelessness awareness
Homelessness Inside Out FAQs
Is Homelessness Inside Out suitable for frontline staff?
Yes. The learning is designed around realistic situations relevant to professionals and volunteers working with or alongside people experiencing homelessness, including housing, outreach, homelessness services, health, social care and voluntary organisations.
Is the course online and self paced?
Yes. Homelessness Inside Out is an online learning experience that can be completed at the learner's own pace.
Do learners receive a certificate?
Yes. Learners can receive a certificate of completion after completing the learning experience.
Can organisations buy access for a team?
Yes. Team options are available for up to 10 and up to 25 learners. For larger organisational requirements, contact Kerri to discuss the most suitable option.
What makes this homelessness training different?
Homelessness Inside Out was created from lived experience and focuses on understanding the person behind the homelessness. It uses scenarios, reflection and knowledge checks to explore how trauma, addiction, trust, exploitation, relationships and systems can shape behaviour and engagement.
Does the training excuse challenging behaviour?
No. Understanding trauma and lived experience does not mean removing professional boundaries or accepting unsafe behaviour. The aim is to add context so professionals can make more informed, human and trauma aware responses.
There is always a story before the street.
Help yourself or your team understand homelessness from the inside out.