A fifth of families in the UK with children under six were living in cold, damp homes last winter that would have impacted their educational attainment and health, according to new research.
The report, published today by the Social Workers Union and the Association of Educational Psychologists, says greater numbers of pupils are being placed in poor quality housing as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, and this is impacting school work and mental health problems, as well as leading to more pupils being placed in care.
The report warns that the prime minister’s new maths to 18 drive risks being undermined by rising numbers of pupils living in cold, unfit housing. It points to research showing that living in such conditions saps mental capacity to deal with complex tasks.
The report also highlights research that shows pupils living in the poorest fifth of households are more than four times as likely to experience severe mental health problems as children compared with the wealthiest fifth.
Monica Lakhanpaul, professor of integrated community child health at UCL Great Ormond Street institute of Child Health, said poor home environment impacts on physical and mental health, educational attainment and social development.
“Cold and damp environments allow asthma and other respiratory ailments to flourish as well as skin infections, if there are rats or other vermin around. In these conditions, children’s ability to fight infections drops and that means they miss school or, if they are at school, they can’t concentrate, so work is hit.
“Socially, they may face bullying or other stigma if they can’t wash or wear clean clothes,” she added.
Professor Lakhanpaul said there was limited information on the impact of poor environment on attainment, owing in part to the fact that “children don’t vote - they are not high on the agenda”.
Unions are calling on the government to address the situation in a motion to the General Federation of Trade Unions’ biennial general council meeting this weekend (14-16 May).
It comes as a senior leader and staff at a south London primary school sounded the alarm over the damaging effects that cold and insanitary housing are having on their pupils’ health and education.
The school’s catchment area contains Sadler Close, in Mitcham, known locally as the Red Estate, which has been plagued by years of maintenance problems, such as crumbling plasterwork, mouldy walls, blocked pipes, and gas supplies that have been disconnected for weeks.
The estate is managed by Clarion, one of the UK’s largest social landlords. Some families told the school they’d had no gas for five months, although a spokesperson for Clarion said the gas supply “went off seven weeks ago today.”
Rachel Tye, deputy head of Bond Primary School, said: “We have many families in crisis in social housing owned and managed by Clarion, and they tell us they have had their gas and electric supply cut.
“Our families are vulnerable and are having to get takeaways for food, are without power, showering at the local leisure centre and not able to wash clothes without it costing them.”
She added that she was speaking out as she believed the situation was “appalling” and she wanted to get help for the affected families.
The school’s family support worker described the case of Child A, aged four, who lives in Sadler Close with his mum and teenage sister, in a one-bedroom flat.
“For two months, mum has been in a property with no access to electric or gas. Clarion Housing provided the family with electric fan heaters, which triggered Child A’s bronchitis and he ended up in A&E prior to the Easter holiday.
“Child A’s attendance and punctuality, which is currently 68.5 per cent, has been heavily affected by the poor living conditions at Sadler Close. Mum has stayed with family as far as East London in order for the children to have hot food and access to warm water without the need to boil a kettle every morning.”
Ms Tye added that the school was working with Merton’s Family Wellbeing Service “in the hope that appropriate support will be provided to the family as a whole. Child A and his family, like many at our school, are hopeful that their voices will be heard, and Clarion Housing will take immediate action and provide solutions to the ongoing housing crisis.”
Clarion said electricity supply to the estate was temporarily lost lasting a total of six hours and affected part of the area.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said schools witness the impact of poor housing on a daily basis, and the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis have further compounded the issue. “If children are living in inadequate housing, where they lack basic amenities, then they are far less likely to be in a good condition to learn when they come to school. In response, schools are having to providing an ever-increasing range of support for pupils and families. In many cases, they are using their own limited resources to provide food and uniform for children living in poverty.”
Mr Barton said the government should extend the eligibility of free school meals to all families in receipt of universal credit, but he said poor housing was not problem that schools could solve on their own. “There remains a clear link between poverty and attainment, and the only solution is to provide the sustained investment required to address the deep-rooted inequalities in our society.”
A spokesperson for Clarion Housing Group said: “We sincerely apologise to Sadler Close residents for the challenges they have faced as a result of recent power supply and heating issues on the estate.
“From the outset we have done all we can to mitigate the impact on our residents’ lives, including immediately offering to relocate everyone from the estate on a temporary basis. We have ensured a daily Clarion site presence to provide updates, financial support, cooking equipment and answer questions.
“Throughout this incident, we have also engaged fully with the council to work collaboratively and support everyone affected.
“We are acutely aware of the impact of these issues, especially on children and those most vulnerable. All homes have been given food vouchers, and temporary heating and hot water systems - the running costs for which are being compensated in advance of their use.
“To support children, our charitable foundation, Clarion Futures, is providing dedicated breakfast clubs and other services at local schools. This is alongside our work with the council, which is kindly providing enhanced access to its holiday activities and food clubs programme for children on the estate.
“Work was already planned to replace all gas pipework at the estate this summer. This work has been brought forward in light of these issues and has already begun.
“Most homes in four of the six blocks at the estate now have gas restored. We are now prioritising those still without gas, and no resident at the estate will be without gas for five months.
“We recognise the challenges our residents face at Sadler Close. We are firmly committed to continually investing in our properties and the future of our estates so residents have safe, warm and suitable places to call home.”
