Think of the homeless and you're likely to think of a man covered in a blanket crouching in a shop doorway, hand outstretched, asking for spare change.

But the biggest single category of homeless people in Bradford, according to an organisation working with the homeless, is actually women and children.

Many mothers with children end up homeless because they have fled a violent partner. Families are placed in hostels until new accommodation is found, but this can take several months - especially for families with several children.

For children, life in a hostel is transient and often unstable, with little or no educational provision.

Now a group of homeless children have created a striking mural expressing their views about life in a hostel. The mural was the result of a series of workshops carried out by former drugs counsellor, artist and teacher Yvonne Slater who is highlighting the plight of homeless families, with a view to drawing up a charter of rights for homeless children. Just because they're not visibly homeless - sleeping on streets or begging in shop doorways - doesn't make children any less homeless than adults, says Yvonne.

Yvonne, a project development worker with Bradford Speakout, has been working with five homeless children, aged three to 13, and their mothers on a three-month mental health and art project called In the Pink/Feeling Blue.

The project has been developed by Bradford Speakout, made up of people with experience of homelessness and workers from housing and community projects. The group, which believes that homeless, poor and excluded people are not the "problem", they must be part of the solution, has produced a charter of rights for homeless adults, taken up regionally by Housing Action Yorkshire and Humberside. But there is no charter representing homeless children.

According to homeless charity Shelter, homeless children miss on average one quarter of their schooling. Nearly half the respondents to Shelter survey Living in Limbo described their children as "often unhappy or depressed."

The Bradford District Homeless Strategy claimed the groups most affected by homelessness in Bradford were women with children and single people, with relationship breakdowns and violence to women prominent factors.

"Often women and children end up in hostels and refuges after escaping a violent partner," says Yvonne. "Drug and alcohol addiction can also be a problem among homeless mothers. Some of them have come out of care or from abusive backgrounds and have led chaotic lives. Their children unfortunately have to share this chaotic lifestyle.

"Currently homeless children don't have any rights. Hostel accommodation is temporary, but some families are in them for several months. During that time children have a disruptive family life."

Consultation carried out by Speakout with homeless people has highlighted the need to address the "invisibility" of homeless women and children.

Although women with children are seen as priority cases for rehousing, it can take months for the right housing to become available.

And, says Yvonne, families forced to leave their homes don't always have social workers fighting their case. "They're not always problem families'," she says. "Homelessness is only a few steps away - it can happen all too easily with the loss of a partner, job or because of debt."

Yvonne visited one of the Bradford hostels forming part of the Fairweather Project's Direct Access Scheme to consult with residents and workers. The hostels are funded by Supporting People, a government programme helping vulnerable people improve their quality of life.

From the consultation came the mural, which Yvonne says represents the transition from despair to a more positive outlook. The children, with the support of Yvonne and fellow artist Sarah Haworth, did the bulk of the artwork.

"Initially we held workshops looking at issues relating to depression and what makes them feel more positive," says Yvonne. "We all sat down together and came up with a design. The children produced the collage, and painted it, and the mums did some too. The mural uses colour and nature as metaphors for moods. We used weather-related images like lightning, clouds and sunshine. The design is loosely based on the work of Matisse.

"The role of art is immeasurable in terms of expression, teamwork and learning new skills. The feedback has been very positive - from mums, kids and hostel workers."

The project was funded by one of the CNet (Community Network Bradford and District) small grants. Grants of up to £2,000 are available to voluntary and community groups.

"The immediate aims were to promote positive steps we can take to strengthen our emotional resilience as well as involve the children and women in creating a worthwhile product for where they temporarily live," says Yvonne. "The longer-term aim was to consult with children about their experience of homelessness and how services could better meet their needs.

"My view on how children are dealt with in hostels, in terms of inadequate services, refers to the wider homeless sector and isn't a reflection of the service offered by Fairweather," adds Yvonne.

Shelley Black, director of Fairweather, says that while there is "exceptionally good child support work at Fairweather and in the sector generally for children in temporary accommodation", the funding for child support services in hostels is limited.

"This means that in Fairweather's case we are only able to appoint one worker specifically for children's services," she says. "Mothers and children consistently identify the need for additional workers when consultation has taken place. They have argued that this is important so the mothers can sort out their lives, for example to see solicitors, attend court, gain housing and undertake counselling and support services in relation to their complex needs.

Ms Black says that, while there is no transport available to keep children at their existing schools, there are school placements in temporary accommodation but some mothers prefer to move their children to a school they hope to live in, not the hostel area.

"Mothers often don't have the choice of school they would like, sometimes preferring that their children's education is not disrupted by two or three school moves," she says.

"It is important that children have a voice, and projects such as the art project enhance the good work already carried out by homeless schemes in Bradford," she adds.

The aim of In the Pink/Feeling Blue is to feed children's views into a project called Seen But Not Heard, aimed at developing a Homeless Children's Charter of rights. Yvonne hopes this will lead to improved homeless services for children.

  • For more information about Cnet grants ring (01274) 714144. For more on Bradford Speakout ring (01274) 666667 or visit www.bradfordspeakout.org.

Provision for children in temporary accommodation and the effect of domestic violence on children and young people will be among the issues raised at the Bradford District Violence Against Women Forum on Tuesday at the Thornbury Centre, Thornbury, at 10.30am.

Lesley's Story

Lesley (not her real name) was forced to leave her home of eight years following physical, psychological and racially-motivated harrassment.

She arrived at the Fairweather supported housing project with her five children and moved into a family room.

A full support plan was completed by her keyworker to help with emotional and practical needs. The child support worker helped the children with their educational needs and the re-settlement worker worked with all involved to secure a new home for the family.

Since moving out of the hostel Lesley has settled in well and receives a weekly visit of support from the resettlement worker. The children are happy in their new schools.

"I felt traumatised by being forced out and uprooted from what was a happy home on the inside," says Lesley. "But due to what was happening on the outside I could no longer live in those conditions. All the family, including the children, were traumatised.

I knew we were safe at Fairweather and people were there to help us."