Women experiencing three or more co-occurring issues (homelessness, substance misuse, mental health) are a highly vulnerable population associated with multimorbidity. Taking women’s life stories of trajectories into social exclusion in the north of England as its focus, this paper aims to explore the complexity of social contexts in which women navigate extreme health inequalities. Of the few studies that have examined women’s experiences of homelessness through the lens of social capital, most have focused on network size, rather than the quality and influence of the relationships which precipitate or contextualise experiences of social exclusion. We utilise case studies to offer a theoretically-grounded analysis which illustrates the relationship between social capital and homelessness within this population. Our results illustrate how structural contexts, and specifically social capital accrual and social bonding processes particularly pertinent to women can act to both ameliorate and perpetuate social exclusion. We conclude by arguing that health inequalities cannot be tackled as single-issue processes but instead are multi-layered and complex.

Child removals are increasing in England and Wales. Family court involvement is particularly common among women with multiple disadvantages, and the rates are higher in economically marginalised areas. This article aims to explore women’s narratives of child removal within life stories of homelessness and examines how stigma, power and State surveillance manifest in their experiences. Data drawn from qualitative interviews with 14 mothers in the north-east of England who had experienced the removal of their children through the family courts are explored within the wider context of a neoliberal political agenda of “troubled families”, and in particular, “deviant mothers”. The participants describe how stigma structured their interactions with social services. Despite the known poor outcomes associated with child removal for both mothers and children, professional involvement often tapers off afterwards, with little support for mothers. Drawing on women’s accounts, we seek to illuminate their experiences of child removal and enhance our understanding of how stigma plays out in statutory settings, further entrenching social exclusion and ultimately increasing health inequalities.

Equitable research practices with marginalised populations aim to centre participants voices and address inherent power imbalances. Timelines are one example of a visual method which can be used to support qualitative research, though its potential to enhance the quality of data collection has rarely been fully explored. Women with experiences of multiple exclusion homelessness are often missing from research and policy, and their experiences framed through the lens of services. A selection of narratives from 20 women are presented with critical reflections on using timelines. We describe how timelines were used to create a space where power dynamics were minimised, and researcher and participant jointly “made sense” of hidden and less often heard life stories. Six themes emerged: 1. Challenging stories; 2. Chaotic stories; 3. Untellable stories, 4. Producing acceptable stories; 5. Invisible stories; 6. Unheard stories. Repositioning marginalised women as valid storytellers in their own lives has implications for how services might best offer support. We outline how timelines can be utilised as a dynamic reflective space in real time, supporting elicitation of rich and detailed narratives and shared understanding of complex life stories.