In January 2015 the report Hard Edges: Mapping Severe and Multiple Disadvantage (England) was published by Lankelly Chase. This report attracted considerable notice and has continued to generate interest from Government and a wide range of organisations. It sought to provide a statistical profile of one key manifestation of ‘severe and multiple disadvantage’ (SMD) in England, using this as a shorthand to signify the problems faced by adults involved in the homelessness, substance dependency and criminal justice systems while underlining the strong links with poverty and mental ill-health.