Young people often become homeless when relationships with family break down, leading them to leave home. Beth, a member of Depaul UK’s team of trained mediators, Reconnect, shares how the team is tackling a root cause of homelessness by supporting families to repair relationships.
“When people ask what Reconnect is, I think of Caitlin. She was the first young person I supported— and she’ll always stay with me. “When we met, her home life had broken down. Arguments. Silence. Distance. Caitlin and her dad barely spoke. ‘I didn’t know how to fix things,’ she told me. ‘When I tried to talk to my dad, he just wouldn’t listen.’ After an argument she would often run away from home. “That’s often where Reconnect begins—not in a crisis, but in the quiet hurt. Everyone’s stuck. No one knows what to say. No one wants to be the first to speak.
That silent, stuck moment is often the tipping point if nothing changes, it’s where a young person may walk out the door or be told to go, setting them on a path toward homelessness.” Space to try again “Caitlin chose to give Reconnect a go. That takes courage.
Reconnect isn’t therapy or social services. It’s a space to be honest and to try again. Sometimes it starts with a cuppa and a chat, no pressure, no judgement.
“But connection doesn’t happen by accident. As trained mediators, we listen without taking sides. We guide small, manageable conversations, help people feel heard, and support them to rebuild trust at their own pace.
I would meet with Caitlin and her dad separately to share each’s viewpoints with the other. “For Caitlin and her dad, it started with phone calls. Slowly, they began listening again. ’We were just shouting, trying to be heard,’ Caitlin said. ‘But through Reconnect, we finally understood each other’s points of view.’ That shift might seem small, but it changes everything. “Her dad’s perspective changed too. He realised he wasn’t just angry he was overwhelmed.
Reconnect helped him reflect, he realised he needed to listen to his daughter and show up differently. When families feel heard, they don’t just stay under one roof they strengthen relationships. And that’s where change begins, families get on better and can move forward with their lives.” A key prevention service “Reconnect is about prevention. Family relationship breakdown is the leading cause of youth homelessness in the UK, but with the right support, crisis can be avoided.
Helping families reconnect means young people are more likely to stay in school, access healthcare, and build healthy relationships.
“Often, conflict is just the surface – mental health issues, financial stress, or housing problems lie underneath. Reconnect addresses these pressures early, signposting to services like debt advice or mental wellbeing support, as well as giving families space to talk, understand each other, and move forward with resilience and dignity.
“Caitlin said something that shows exactly this; ‘We’ve finally got that dad-daughter relationship I always wanted.’
A lifeline for young people “Reconnect helps repair relationships, yes – but more than that, it gives young people and their families lifelong tools for navigating future challenges.
Tools that build confidence, resilience, and hope. “As Caitlin said: ‘It’s not a place where you feel judged… it honestly changed everything for me.’ That’s what Reconnect does quietly, powerfully, one family at a time.”
Published in Safe and Sound 2025.