This research aims to explore the factors that hinder professionals in delivering integrated care for children under 5 in temporary accommodation (TA) and understand their experiences of collaboration during the pandemic to inform recommendations.

Semistructured qualitative interviews.

England, UK.

45 professionals working across health, housing, education and non-profit sectors in England. Purposive and snowball sampling was employed to recruit a representation of key professionals across England. Those not eligible to take part in the study included people who did not work with families and/or children in TA settings.

To explore cross-sector learnings that are applicable to improving integrated care and to tailor recommendations to the needs of families and children under 5 experiencing homelessness in the UK today.

This study highlights the complex, multilevel barriers that professionals face when delivering integrated care to children under 5 in TA. Findings are organised using a framework that distinguishes between practice-level, organisational and systemic challenges. From siloed working practices and limited training to staffing shortages and restrictive data-sharing policies, these challenges collectively hinder service continuity and collaboration.

Although this project was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges identified reflect deeper, long-standing issues in service delivery. As services continue to recover and prepare for future crises, these insights remain highly relevant and can inform more resilient, integrated recovery plans to support children in TA beyond the pandemic context. Addressing these barriers, through improved collaboration, training and data-sharing, is key to strengthening care for this vulnerable population.

In middle-income to high-income countries, temporary accommodation (TA), regardless of type, is considered a form of homelessness. Families with young children living in these countries, in these circumstances, often become disconnected from friends, family and services (such as health and welfare support). The additional impact of pandemic restrictions on parents with children under 5 already living in TA had the potential to be considerable. However, this remains an area of limited research. To address this, this study explored the experiences of parents with children under 5, who lived in TA during the pandemic.

The research adopted a qualitative descriptive approach, using semi-structured telephone interviews with 41 families, to explore parents’ experiences of living in TA during the pandemic, with a child under 5. Interviews considered a broad range of factors such as housing quality, access to healthcare and education and the environment. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and then analysed using a thematic analysis approach.

Parent interviews identified that living in TA with a child under 5 during the pandemic impacted their access to services such as healthcare and ability to gather resources, while also affecting their mental health and general well-being. These parent experiences were detailed in three themes, including: (1) effect of restrictions on access, which included healthcare, environment and basic necessities; (2) impact on parents, which included mental health, physical and social impacts and (3) supports, including support services and networks.

The challenges conveyed by COVID-19 restrictions, on those already parenting a young child while living in TA, caused concerning health impacts for those affected, while also having potential developmental side effects on their children. This indicates the urgent need for targeted interventions and policies to support vulnerable families in TA, ensuring their well-being during crises and beyond.