Not Seen, Not Heard

Our report, Not Seen, Not Heard: Children's Experiences of the Hostile Environment, explores the challenges faced by children living in families with no recourse to public funds. We found that the barriers to accessing local authority support, and the failure to meet children's essential needs, has a significant emotional and physical impact on young people. The children we spoke to had been left street homeless, in inadequate or unsafe accommodation, and without enough money to eat. They told us that they were left feeling socially isolated, distressed, ashamed and unsafe. You can read the full report here.

The report was covered by The Independent and was debated in the House of Commons on 19 March 2019 and in the House of Lords on 9 July 2019.

We made an animation with one child who took part in the research about his experience of having 'no recourse to public funds'. You can watch Joel's story below.