Transformation Partners in Health and Care > News > Homeless Health clinical leads update – April 2022

Co-Clinical Leads Dr Jasmin Malik and Dr Caroline Shulman joined HLP’s Homeless Health programme in September 2021. Jasmin and Caroline bring valuable skill sets to their joint leadership role having worked with inclusion health groups in primary care across London for a number of years.

Working within the homeless health network, their combined knowledge, experience and understanding of the homeless population, frontline practitioners and the commissioning landscape, enables Caroline and Jasmin to bring their joint clinical voice into the development of pan-London homeless services.

Jasmin’s background includes being a clinical lead for homelessness and mental health in Camden/NCL since 2017. This role has involved working with commissioners at a local level supporting the development of local homeless services, bringing together local networks of clinicians and frontline staff, and providing training and support to local hostels prior to and during the pandemic.

Caroline is a clinician, researcher and trainer and has led a number of projects in homeless and inclusion health. She was also a clinical lead for a multidisciplinary hospital Pathway team for a number of years. Her projects include highlighting unmet palliative care needs and high levels of frailty within the homeless population, and development of interventions to advocate for – and improve access of – high-quality services. She is also developing training resources for inter-professional learning to support localised communities of practice to better address the needs of people with multiple and complex needs.

Through their joint role for the HLP Homeless Health programme, they are supporting a number of areas and contribute to the Homeless Health Leadership Group and ICS meetings. Their work includes building upon and chairing the Homeless Health Clinical Leads Group which is an open forum for clinicians and other frontline practitioners working in homeless services, ensuring the clinical voice is heard. Members can share experiences, discuss problems and potential solutions – where necessary escalating to commissioners and other appropriate bodies, and learn from regular speakers sharing their expertise.

Jasmin has been working with ICSs to conduct a mapping of homelessness provisions across boroughs, and has convened a new steering group to take forward the Primary Care workstream. Caroline is supporting the out of hospital programme and led rapid surveys capturing a snapshot of COVID cases across London between December 2021-January 2022. She also led a subsequent winter snapshot audit to capture a more in-depth picture of hospital inpatients’ needs, helping to identify difficulties in facilitating timely and safe discharges and any gaps in step-down accommodations. Caroline is currently working on developing a survey with St Mungo’s to explore the unmet needs of people with care and support needs living within homeless hostels.

Caroline and Jasmin are also involved in work addressing the health needs of the most vulnerable rough sleepers in London as part of the T1000 project. They are also bringing their clinical voice into the mental health and substance misuse workstreams, as well as highlighting the needs raised by experts and frontline practitioners regarding other areas of need such as women rough sleepers, homeless children and families, and the transitional years between the ages of 16-25.

 

Click here to read related content from the London Homeless Health Partner April 2022 newsletter.