By Ben Kerrigan-
The Ministry Of Housing has set up new guidance for councils to help ensure care leavers have the stable homes they need, and prevent them from becoming homeless.
Published by Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing Kelly Tolhurst, the aim is to help care leavers who face the risk of being homeless get the support they need. The initiative is based on the Homelessness Reduction Act, which is the most ambitious reform to homelessness legislation in decades.
It places new duties on local housing authorities to take reasonable steps to try to prevent and relieve a person’s homelessness. The Act also increases the eligibility for support for many more young people who may not previously have been eligible for support, are now being helped to prevent homelessness before it even occurs.
Council housing departments can collaborate with children’s services in working effectively to support care leavers into settled accommodation, and prevent them from becoming homeless.
The good practice guidance recommends effective methods for council housing departments and children’s services to produce a joint protocol that sets out a joint partnership to ensure each care leaver has a tailored support plan as they transition to independent living.
Risk Identification
It also seeks to ensure those at risk of homelessness are identified early and action is taken to prevent it. The British government is to write to councils to remind them that they can offer council tax discounts to care leavers. This is on top of £3.2 million government funding per year announced as part of the Rough Sleeping Strategy to increase the support provided to care leavers at risk of homelessness or rough sleeping.
The funding has been allocated to the 47 councils with the highest number of care leavers at risk of rough sleeping.
Kelly Tolhurst, Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing said:
”Young adults leaving care need firm foundations on which to build a stable home for themselves, and to help support them start their adult lives confidently so they can fulfil their potential.
The guidance I’ve published today will help key services ensure care leavers get the housing support they need is another mark of the government’s resolute commitment of helping vulnerable people”.
Children’s Minister Vicky Ford said:
”Young people leaving care too often face daunting transitions to adulthood, without the support system many of us take for granted. That’s why this government is working together to tackle the challenges they have told us they face, like housing, health care and employment, to make sure the right help is available.
This new guidance will directly support care leavers to live independently and prevent them becoming homeless – building on the excellent work many councils are already doing for young people in care. Everyone has a responsibility – government, businesses, universities and local authorities alike – to support care leavers at this critical time in their life.
The good practice advice document published today has been produced by the Homelessness Advice and Support Team within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), and with the Department for Education”.
The Department for Education has provided over £100 million to support children to learn at home, including providing laptops and tablets for care leavers. The D&E has also called on universities to extend the support they offer to care leavers as they progress into higher education.
All care leavers who go to university are entitled to a £2,000 bursary from their local council, £1,200 from the college if they go into further education and £1,000 for the first year of an apprenticeship.