Issue - meetings

The committee to consider requested information on children placed in care in Haringey as a result of the Southwark Judgement.

The Committee considered the above report outlining the impact of legal changes to the way 16/17 year olds who are in need of housing and support are managed. Duties under the Children Act 1989 now take priority over homelessness duties under housing legislation for this vulnerable group of young people.

The Council has developed a joint protocol between Children’s and Strategic Housing services in order to clarify the roles and responsibilities for the provision of accommodation for 16/17 year olds presenting as homeless. Housing services undertake the first assessment to establish homelessness and then refer to Children’s Services for initial assessment as necessary. A Homesafe Team was established a year ago to work with and assess homeless 16/17 year olds where the Southwark Judgement applied. To date, 162 young people have been referred to the service and the rate is increasing.

In response to a question as to whether young people received starter packs once accommodation had been found, it was confirmed that this depended on which legislation was applied – under the current tendered accommodation used by Children’s Services, providers offered starter packs although it was acknowledged quality varied. For young people where homelessness legislation applied thereby meaning the young person entered temporary accommodation, starter packs were not generally provided although they would be eligible for the floating support and Connexions services provided for mainstream temporary accommodation. The tendering exercise underway for Children’s Services supported accommodation would assist in ensuring greater consistency in service offer from providers.

The Committee considered that work in relation to this vulnerable group of young people be included as an objective under the Corporate Parenting Strategy and a working group established to provide focussed work including development of early warning arrangements. It was proposed that this area of work would be more fitting for the Safeguarding Policy and Practice Committee and that it be considered at a future joint meeting of the Committees.