Ms Nicola Sheridan:

The first time that people meet clinicians is when they attend our intake unit. In the past month, five children who have been in a homeless situation over the past three or four years have attended our unit. Even though their parents were working, the family could not access cooking facilities and the children developed the habit of hoarding and hiding food because they felt insecure and stressed. Another issue is that sometimes, due to the educational attainment of people who come from a deprived background, they do not understand the necessity for good quality food and leaning how to cook and so on. Many cheaper food options are heavily marketed and are widely available to the extent that eating healthily is difficult to do.

Having safe places for children to play is another factor. In many areas children do not feel that is safe to play outside of where they live. When we asked them whether they play outside of their homes they told us they were scared to do so due to shootings on their road or because of a real fear of being shouted at and bullied. It is no surprise then that children are afraid to play outside and their parents are afraid to let them do so. When I was growing up I played outside in my area all of the time with my family, neighbours and friends. When I asked some of the children who attend the unit whether they have played hopscotch, I was surprised to learn that they did not know what it was, which is sad. While parents may know the value of play, there is fear. In addition, people have busy lifestyles.