Postgraduate Course: Homelessness and Inclusion Health (SHSS11011)
Course Outline
| School | School of Health in Social Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This postgraduate course critically engages with contemporary issues, theories, and evidence within the sphere of extreme health inequalities, homelessness and inclusion health. Particular emphasis is placed on making input from empirical research and theory practically applicable for health and social care professionals and other individuals committed to combatting social injustice. The course is delivered by experts representing a wide range of disciplines from within and outside the University of Edinburgh, including leading academics, NHS clinicians, homelessness sector professionals, and experts by experience. It will be of interest to domestic and international students from a wide range of disciplines, including public health, nursing, medicine, social work, social sciences, and human geography, amongst others. |
| Course description |
People experiencing homelessness are disproportionately susceptible to extremely poor health, including high levels of multimorbidity, frailty, and premature death. The need to better understand and more effectively meet their housing, healthcare, and other needs has catalysed the advent of the ¿inclusion health¿ agenda which is rapidly gaining prominence within and beyond the UK. This clinical, policy, practice, and research agenda focuses on populations that have disproportionately poor health, are poorly served by mainstream healthcare, and often experience stigma (e.g., people facing homelessness, individuals engaged in sex work, migrants in vulnerable circumstances, and those involved with the criminal justice system). It brings together evidence, principles, and practices that serve marginalised populations and considers the commonalities of response that offer greatest potential to meet their needs.
This course provides an overview of the key issues, theories and evidence emerging from leading scholarship and practice in the field of homelessness and inclusion health. Particular emphasis is placed on making input from empirical research and theory practically applicable for health and social care professionals and other individuals committed to combatting social injustice. Students who take the course develop a nuanced understanding of the challenges inclusion health populations face and appreciation of what evidence indicates does (and does not) ¿work¿ in terms of response.
The course is delivered by experts representing a wide range of disciplines from within and outside the University of Edinburgh. They include leading academics, NHS clinicians, homelessness sector professionals, and experts by experience. Students are expected to engage with their learning through lectures, discussion board, and reading relevant scholarly and practice/policy-focused literature. They will be encouraged to reflect on the implications of their learning for their interactions with marginalised populations in professional practice and daily life.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
| Course Start Date |
11/01/2027 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Online Activities 10,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Formative Assessment Hours 2,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
160 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Engagement in online discussion board tasks (10%)
Written assignment, 3000-4500 words (3 blogs) (90%) |
| Feedback |
One blog (1000 - 1500 words) can be submitted as a formative assessment. Feedback will be provided to inform summative submission. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Develop a critical understanding of the intersection of extreme social inequities with health and housing
- Critically engage with a wide range of social, psychological, biomedical and political theories and concepts of homelessness and extreme health inequities
- Understand key concepts in the field of health inequities and Inclusion Health, such as social determinants of health, multiple and complex exclusion and trauma informed care.
- Engage with a range of disciplinary perspectives on homelessness and extreme health inequities, including the perspective of experts by experience
- Develop knowledge and skills in conducting and evaluating research in the field of homelessness and extreme health inequities through theoretical input and practical exercises.
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Reading List
Cuthill, F. (2019) Homelessness, Social Exclusion and Health: Global perspectives, local solutions. Dunedin Press, Edinburgh.
Luchenski S, Maguire N, Aldridge RW, Hayward A, Story A, Perri P, Withers J, Clint S, Fitzpatrick S, and Hewett N. (2018) What works in inclusion health: overview of effective interventions for marginalised and excluded populations. Lancet. 20;391(10117):266-280. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31959-1.
Jackson, T., Nadicksbernd, J.J., OConnell, D. and Page, E. (2024) Always at the bottom of the pile: The Homeless and Inclusion Health Barometer 2024. Pathway and Crisis, London. https://www.pathway.org.uk/resources/barometer2024/.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students will work on, develop and evidence the following:
· Ability to critically analyse complex health inequities, drawing on relevant theory in the field of homelessness, displacement and related issues;
· Develop originality and creativity in addressing problems and issues in health and social care practice;
· Critically review, consolidate and extend knowledge, skills and thinking about social scientific theories of homelessness and health inequities from a range of disciplinary perspectives;
· Present formally and informally, information about specialist topics and the results of individual research tasks;
· Use a range of ICT applications to support assessments and in-class presentations;
· Exercise substantial autonomy and initiative in course activities and assessment, taking responsibility for their own learning and work;
· Work in a peer relationship with others involved in homeless and inclusion health, including Experts by Experience. |
| Keywords | Health inequities,homelessness,displacement,social determinants,housing |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Sarah Johnsen
Tel:
Email: Sarah.Johnsen@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Julia Holderer
Tel:
Email: jholdere@ed.ac.uk |
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