Homeless Research & Implementation Group
A new London-wide engine for research, innovation and system change in homelessness healthcare
Central London Healthcare (CLH) is launching a Homeless Research and Implementation Group: a standing, cross sector partnership designed to transform how research is generated, shared and applied to improve the health and wellbeing of people experiencing homelessness.
Westminster has the highest rate of homelessness in Europe and is home to leading specialist services such as The Doctor Hickey Surgery and Great Chapel Street Medical Centre.
This unique ecosystem of frontline providers, voluntary organisations, academic institutions and system partners creates a unique opportunity: a place where research can be rapidly co‑produced, tested in practice, and scaled across London and nationally.
What the group will do
Meeting quarterly from September 2026, the Group will:
- Share the latest research insights and their implications for frontline homelessness services
- Develop shared research priorities across Westminster and wider London
- Co‑produce funding bids with academic, voluntary sector and NHS partners
- Support implementation of research findings in practice
- Influence London‑wide and national policy through engagement with the GLA, London Councils, ICBs and NHS London
The Group has already enabled a tender submission focused on improving trauma‑informed support for homeless women and girls experiencing violence, a partnership involving CLH, Connections, Brunel University and the Centre for Homelessness Impact.
Why the group is needed
Current research activity in homelessness is fragmented and reactive. Funding calls appear at short notice, partnerships form quickly, and opportunities to embed learning into practice are often missed. Engagement work undertaken between April – June 2026 shows a strong appetite for collaboration across voluntary sector leaders, academic experts, NHS partners and local authorities, but without a formal structure, impact is limited.
The new Group will provide that structure: a coordinated, strategic platform that brings partners together to shape shared priorities, design high‑quality research bids, and translate findings into real‑world improvements.
Our ambition
Within two years, the Group aims to bring £2 million of new research and implementation funding into London, positioning Westminster as a centre of excellence in homelessness and inclusion health research.
Building on proven success
CLH already delivers high‑quality research through collaborations such as the SHE HEALS project with the Helix Centre and the Marylebone Project. This NIHR‑funded work pioneered psychologically informed, trauma‑aware research methods co‑designed with women experiencing homelessness, producing practical guidance and powerful public‑facing outputs such as the SHE HEALS Gallery.
The new Group will scale research like this, embedding co‑production, lived experience and trauma‑informed practice into a sustained research programme.
By partnering with practitioners who work directly with those experiencing homelessness, we can develop innovative research methods like SHE HEALS to help effectively tell the story of those in this community.
Learn more about the SHE HEALS project
Working together to influence change in the system
For updates on our work, follow the group leader on LinkedIn:
Through our work, we will:
- Build trust
- Develop an understanding of shared research priorities
- Co-produce research bids
- Apply research findings in practice.