Guidance fails to clarify responsibilities to house homeless teens

The Communities and Local Government department published new guidance on the issue last week. It follows two high profile High Court rulings over the past two years, which have effectively told social services to stop ‘passing the buck’ for housing these young people to housing departments.

The guidance says children’s services must assess every 16 to 17-year-old ‘without exception’ who is likely to become homeless within 28 days to work out their needs.

But it is much more vague about the precise responsibilities of housing and social service departments. It states housing departments should work with social services to ensure an ‘integrated’ response.

Charities campaigning on the issue have repeatedly called for 16 and 17-year-olds to be treated as children with support needs, not young adults.
The guidance says these youngsters must be housed in ‘suitable accommodation’, which include foster care, foyers and properties with visiting support. Bed and breakfasts are not deemed suitable.

Laura Janes, solicitor at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said it was concerned that the guidance ‘does not explicitly require front-line professionals to refer children in need of a home to children’s services first’.

She added: ‘This is a missed opportunity to make sure children’s rights are properly protected. It could lead to local authorities continuing to act unlawfully - especially where they fail to accommodate children with children’s services pending an assessment under the 1989 Children Act.’
A housing manager from one local authority was sceptical practices would change.

‘Children’s services are not set up to deal with what may be a large increase in young people requiring immediate interventions including that of providing immediate and suitable housing,’ he said.

Have your say

You must sign in to make a comment