Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to describe the attempts by one youth homeiessness service to impiement the conceptuai ideas of the psychoiogicaiiy informed environment (PiE) into a practicai and beneticial service for very challenging young peopie who have been homeiess, are leaving care or have left custody Design/methodology/approach -The approach of the paper is descriptive, outiining the thinking behind a PiE with young people and the operationaiising of this understanding in the day-to-day practice of the service. Findings -Aithough homelessness and housing support staff are not therapists, the nature of the work entails a need for understanding and sensitivity, and the activities ot the service are designed to create positive opportunities and relationships. Retiective practice, supervision and evaiuation are then essentiai tools in deveioping a "learning organisation", where the collective dynamics at an organisationai level support the psychologicai work of the PiE. Research limitations/implications -The impiications for homeiessness work that can be drawn trom the outcome of this project is to better understand how the PIE linked to the concept ot a learning organisation can provide a truly robust framework tor providing a service that can evoive harmoniousiy tying in disparate funding streams to otter very chailenging young peopie an outstanding service that addresses their homeiessness and its underlying causes. Practical impiications -The practicai impiications shown are the psychological skiiis that can be deveioped in housing workers; the iimits ot those skiiis and how they are complemented by partnership work with other voiuntary sector organisations and mainstream heaith providers; how the ideas of the iearning organisation can naturaiiy underpin the work of the PIE. Originality/value -The combination ot the concept ot the iearning organisation, refiective practice and the PiE provides a highiy original and truly robust framework tor providing housing workers with the psychoiogicai toois to make a transformative difference in the iives of especially vulnerable young homeless people.