the life course of people experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage – whether in their childhood home, at school, in the local community, on the city centre streets, in hostels, in intimate relationships, or other settings in adulthood”. The authors argue that the psychological effects of this “ever- present threat” mustn’t be under-estimated.
Also striking is the extent to which some disadvantages appear to be growing out of failures to deal with others. Attempts to ration increasingly scarce resources, for example, are pushing demand elsewhere, creating further harm in the process. We hear from people whose housing situation or mental health has become so desperate that they offend to access help through the criminal justice system. This whole system effect cannot necessarily be attributed to the shortcomings of any one service and
