Improving outcomes for children and young people in housing need. A benchmarking guide for joint working between services

Transcription

1 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed A bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

2 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed A bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services Published by Shelter, 88 Old Street, Lodo EC1V 9HU Shelter Revised Editio 2011 Cover photograph by Kate Staworth. Photos throughout by Nick David, Dave Keightley, Kate Staworth, Aita Steistad ad Adrea Testoi. To protect the idetity of Shelter cliets, models have bee used i photographs. Special thaks to all who provided ivaluable feedback i earlier drafts ad all exteral fuders to Shelter s Childre s Service. We would also like to thak the followig authorities ad orgaisatios for sharig their case studies: Lodo Borough of Camde Lodo Borough of Hackey Lodo Coucils Newcastle City Coucil North East Regioal Youth Homelessess Network Shelter Bristol Housig Support Service Shelter Keys to the Future, Kowsley Shelter s Ricochet service Stockto Borough Coucil Tees Valley Housig Group. All statutory guidace ad legislatio i this documet cotiues to reflect the curret legal positio uless idicated otherwise, but may ot reflect the ew Coalitio Govermet policy. RH4096

3 Foreword This revised versio of our bechmarkig guide reflects the chages i policy, guidace ad law sice the earlier editio was produced i November It comes at a time whe chages brought about by the Welfare Reform Bill ad the Localism Bill threate the affordability ad security of may families homes. Shelter s Childre s Service has clearly demostrated the impact that homelessess ad bad housig have o childre s life chaces. The welfare chages proposed udermie the housig safety et that has existed ad may codem vulerable families to frequet moves betwee poor quality ad possibly overcrowded homes, disruptig the developmet, educatio ad future achievemets of their childre. There has ever bee a greater eed for Housig Services, Childre s Services ad the third sector to work together to idetify vulerable families, prevet homelessess where possible, ad mitigate its worst effects. This guide outlies the ways i which partership workig at all levels ca help to achieve this ad give childre withi those families hope for the future. Campbell Robb Chief Executive, Shelter

4 Cotets Glossary of acroyms 5 Summary ad recommedatios 6 Itroductio 7 Framework for achievig better outcomes 10 Welfare reform ad policy chages 14 Joit workig 17 Effective goverace 22 Useful for: LA Chief Executives Directors of Childre s Services Directors of Housig Services Lead Members for Housig ad Childre s Services RSL Directors or Board members. Effective strategy 30 Useful for: Strategic Maagers Commissioers (i Housig, Health, Supportig People or Childre s Services). Effective processes 35 Useful for: LA Housig ad Childre s Services, RSL ad volutary sector Professioals Maagers Operatioal staff. Effective frotlie delivery 38 Useful for: Frotlie practitioers i Housig Services Frotlie practitioers i Childre s Services Frotlie practitioers from a volutary sector orgaisatio or RSL. Coclusio 46 Appedices Opportuities for joit workig betwee Housig ad Childre s Services checklist 2. Cotact details for case studies featured 3. Resources ad recommeded readig.

5 Glossary of acroyms ALMO Arm s-legth maagemet orgaisatio CAF Commo Assessmet Framework CTB Childre s Trust Board CYPP Childre ad Youg People s Pla DCLG Departmet for Commuities ad Local Govermet DfE Departmet for Educatio ECM Every Child Matters HMO House(s) i Multiple Occupatio JSNA Joit Strategic Needs Assessmet LA Local authority LHA Local Housig Allowace LPSA Local Public Service Agreemet LSCB Local Safeguardig Childre s Board LSP Local Strategic Partership NCAS Natioal Care Advisory Service RSL Registered social ladlord TYS Targeted youth support YOT Youth Offedig Team

6 Summary ad recommedatios Govermet legislatio eshried withi the Childre Act 2004, the Homelessess Act 2002, ad the Child Poverty Act 2010, have brought about a step chage i the way services respod to ad address the issue of child, family ad youth homelessess. This legislatio ad its duties provide opportuities for services to work together more effectively. I May 2008, the the Departmet for Childre, Schools ad Families (DCSF) ad the Govermet s Departmet for Commuities ad Local Govermet (DCLG) published Joit workig betwee Housig ad Childre s Services: Prevetig homelessess ad tacklig its effects o childre ad youg people which set out their commitmet to work together to achieve key strategic objectives. Shelter s model of workig together i this guide demostrates how you ca achieve some of these objectives at goverace, strategic ad frotlie delivery level withi your local authority. We also explore processes that ca be used to improve joit workig. Below are our key recommedatios for effective joit workig betwee Housig ad Childre s Services. Through goverace Directors ad lead members of local authority (LA) Housig ad Childre s Services demostrate a commitmet to meetig the eeds of homeless childre ad youg people. All related agecies Childre s Trust Boards (CTBs), Local Safeguardig Childre s Boards (LSCBs), Local Strategic Parterships (LSPs) etc iclude appropriate ad active represetatio from both Housig ad Childre s Services. Housig ad Childre s Services uderstad each other s roles ad the legal framework ad govermet directives for each of the services. Childre s Trusts iclude a represetative from the local housig authority o their boards, with clearly defied roles ad resposibilities. Housig Services are represeted ad actively ivolved i the LSCBs. Through strategy Plas or strategies iclude targets cocerig the welfare of homeless childre ad youg people. Fudig is aliged, ad services for homeless childre ad youg people (ad those at risk of homelessess) are joitly plaed ad commissioed. Joit policies ad protocols are i place for assessig the eeds of homeless childre ad youg people, ad joit resposibility for meetig these eeds is accepted ad agreed. Childre ad Youg People s Plas (CYPPs), or similar, esure that housig is give due importace across all of the LAs plas ad strategies aimed at helpig childre to achieve more. LAs use iformatio o homelessess ad its effects o childre ad youg people to iform their CYPPs ad Homelessess Strategies. Through processes LAs itroduce joit-workig strategies, policies, ad processes to act as a effective safety et 1 for childre, youg people ad families foud to be homeless or at risk of becomig homeless. Through frotlie delivery Housig ad Childre s Services are located together, share traiig ad work joitly o prevetio ad support for homeless childre ad youg people or those at risk of homelessess. Partership workig exteds beyod the services traditioally cosidered as Childre s Services, such as Educatio ad Youth Services, to iclude Housig ad Homelessess Services. Frotlie housig staff are traied ad supported to use the recogised Commo Assessmet Framework (CAF). Housig staff share all relevat iformatio about childre i housig eed with Childre s Services. 1 Safety et, prevetig them from becomig homeless or meetig their homelessess eeds. 6 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

7 Itroductio Shelter believes that every child has the right to a secure, safe ad decet home ad we believe that the guidace ad recommedatios set out i this publicatio ca help to achieve that. We kow those of you workig i Housig ad Childre s Services do t wat to see a child s right to a happy ad fulfilled life udermied by the effects of bad housig ad homelessess. We propose a cotiuous partership whereby we ca share forwardthikig practices ad develop iovative ways of joit workig betwee Housig ad Childre s Services to secure sigificat chages i how we protect, support, ad ecourage the developmet ad wellbeig of childre ad youg people. The Need The umber of childre i Eglad who suffer due to a atioal shortage of decet ad affordable homes is shockig. Childre who live i housig that is overcrowded, temporary, ru-dow, damp or dagerous umber 1.6. millio. Childre livig i overcrowded housig are up to 10 times more likely to cotract meigitis. Childre i deprived areas are three times more likely to be hit by a car. Childre i ufit ad overcrowded homes miss school more frequetly due to illesses ad ifectios. Homeless childre are more likely to show sigs of behavioural problems such as aggressio, hyperactivity ad impulsivity. The high costs of temporary accommodatio ca make it difficult to make workig worthwhile fiacially, trappig homeless families i uemploymet, which is strogly associated with poverty ad reduced life chaces. These are all research fidigs i the Chace of a lifetime report, commissioed by Shelter (2006). The research by child poverty expert Lisa Harker highlighted how bad housig ad homelessess ca seriously udermie the Every Child Matters outcomes for childre. 2 Shelter ad the charitable Trust Eaga Partership also commissioed research 3 by the Natioal Cetre for Social Research (NatCe) a logitudial study lookig at the impact of livig persistetly i bad housig. It foud that: a icreased duratio of livig i overcrowded accommodatio is sigificatly associated with childre feelig uhappy about their ow health a icreased duratio of livig i accommodatio i poor coditio is sigificatly associated with beig bullied i or out of school, gettig i trouble with the police ad havig a logstadig illess, disability or ifirmity. Shelter believes that a stable home ad surroudigs are fudametal to the wellbeig of childre ad youg people. Our research shows that outcomes are seriously udermied if we fail to recogise ad put a child s eed for a stable ad decet home at the heart of ay legislatio, policy or practice. 2 The Every Child Matters: Chage for Childre ageda is a shared programme of chage to improve outcomes for all childre ad youg people through the joiig up of services. More iformatio ca be foud at uk/ / 3 Bares, M., Butt, S. ad Tomaszewski, W. What happes to childre i persistetly bad housig?, NatCe, September 2008 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 7

8 Actio There s growig recogitio that Housig ad Childre s Services eed to work together to support ad address issues associated with child ad youth homelessess. Two high profile House of Lords judgmets (R (M) v Hammersmith & Fulham LBC [2008] 4 UKHL 14 ad R (G) v LB Southwark [2009] 5 UKHL 26) have clarified the iterpretatio of the priority eed category for homeless 16- ad 17-year-olds ad highlighted the primacy of the Childre Act 1989 i respodig to youg sigle homelessess, meaig that most 16- ad 17-yearolds presetig as homeless should be deemed childre i eed. 6 More recetly, a further Court of Appeal judgmet R (TG) v LB Lambeth [2011] 7 agai called o coucils to take urget steps to meet their obligatios to homeless 16- ad 17-year-olds. The judgmet cocluded that Lambeth Coucil had failed to meet its obligatios to provide the youg perso with ogoig care ad support whe he preseted to the coucil as a homeless teeager. This highlights that there is still a lack of clarity amog services about the support ad duties owed to homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people ispite of the previous Govermet s Every Child Matters ageda ad the Childre Act 2004 havig both bee istrumetal i creatig opportuities for joit workig betwee Childre s ad Youg People s Services ad Housig departmets. There are a umber of local authorities (LAs) atioally that are respodig to the eeds of homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people through the developmet of joit-workig iitiatives. However, much more eeds to be doe ad, while progress has bee made, recet Govermet policy chages i welfare reform threate to put some of the most vulerable families at risk of fiacial ad housig hardship. Shelter believes that, by workig together, we ca go some way i prevetig this, to esure that all childre ca achieve more. We have produced this revised guide to share, with you (our parters), some of the forward-thikig practices adopted by LAs i their efforts to alleviate the egative impact bad housig ad homelessess have o childre. Practical case studies throughout will show you how effective joit-workig practices are i sigificatly improvig the outcomes for homeless childre, youg people ad their families. Joit-workig practices ca be carried out at every level of maagig ad deliverig service provisio through four essetial layers that evelop a childcetred, outcome-led visio at the heart of the oio model (created to service a set reforms, supported by the Childre s Act 2004, as part of the last Govermet s Every Child Matters iitiative): people workig together i frotlie delivery people workig together with joit processes people workig together i strategy people workig together i goverace. Our guide is aimed at those of you who are professioals workig i LA Childre s Services ad Housig departmets, ad is useful referece for your parters icludig registered social ladlords (RSLs) ad volutary sector orgaisatios workig withi the homelessess field. This guide with its bechmark idicators will support you to shape ad develop first class services for homeless childre ad youg people, ad we hope you will share the progress you make with parter colleagues ad with us here at Shelter. 4 The M case ivolved a applicatio by a girl of 16 to the Housig departmet for assistace as homeless sice she had bee asked by her mother to leave their accommodatio. The House of Lords challege was that the Housig departmet, i processig the homelessess applicatio, should have referred her to Childre s Services for a child i eed assessmet, ad Childre s Services should have accepted her as a child i eed ad accommodated her uder s.20. The Housig departmet ever made this referral to Childre s Services. See 5 The G case ivolved a 17-year-old who preseted to the local Childre s Services departmet as homeless oce he d bee excluded from the family home by his mother. Childre s Services cocluded that his primary eed was for accommodatio ad that G did ot have ay other additioal eeds (oly eedig help with accommodatio). Childre s Services recommeded that he be housed by the coucil s Housig departmet uder homelessess legislatio, with referrals beig made to support agecies. See briefig by NCAS o the Law Lords Judgmet G v LB Southwark [May 2009] at: data/assets/pdf_file/0005/231269/g-v-southwark--childrelegalservice_briefig-nov09.pdf 6 See Shelter Childre s Legal Service briefig: Respodig to youth homelessess followig the G v LB Southwark judgmet, November 2009, available as a prited copy or a dowload pdf from Shelter. Also see aspx?i=ed Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

9 Photo: Nick David Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 9

10 Framework for achievig better outcomes The oio model The oio model 8 is a popular tool used by some local authority Childre s Services to highlight the strategic overview of Childre s Trusts. We use it to idetify the levels of itegratio eeded to improve joit workig across Housig ad Childre s Services. We also illustrate, via examples, the joit-workig opportuities available that will lead to positive results for childre, youg people ad families you work with. Through the model s four layers, what iflueces joit workig betwee Housig ad Childre s Services? People workig together i goverace: People workig together i goverace arragemets, i which shared owership is coupled with clear accoutability. Decisio-makig at director ad seior maagemet level across departmets iflueces the level of priority that Childre s Services give to housig matters, ad vice versa. Director-level agreemet ad ivolvemet esure that top-level decisios to work together are made; that resources (both fiacial ad i terms of idividuals that eed to be ivolved) are allocated to achievig better outcomes for homeless childre, eg as would happe withi a Childre s Trust model. People workig together i strategy: A plaig ad commissioig framework which brigs together agecies plaig, supported as appropriate by the poolig or aligmet of resources, ad esures key priorities are idetified ad addressed. Policies ad plas, targets ad measures, all idetify the eeds of homeless childre ad work to esure their eeds are met, eg as withi local authority CYPPs or similar strategies. People workig together with joit processes: Commo processes that are desiged to create ad uderpi joit workig. Approaches, systems, ad protocols embedded i practice esure that Housig authorities or departmets are ivolved i ad joitly workig with professioals from Childre s Services across Educatio, Youth, Early Years ad Social Work. People workig together i frotlie delivery: Professioals eabled ad ecouraged to work together i more itegrated frotlie services, built aroud the eeds of childre ad youg people. Housig ad Childre s Services frotlie professioals deliver services to childre, youg people ad families that meet their eeds, crossig boudaries previously existig betwee the two departmets ad workig together istead. These measures we suggest for Housig ad Childre s Services derive from geeral priciples which were outlied i Every Child Matters: Chage for Childre, DfES 2004 (ref 3.3, page 12), aimed at leadig to better outcomes for childre ad youg people, parets, families ad commuity. 8 More iformatio about the oio model ca be foud at everychildmatters/about/aims/strategicoverview/strategicoverview/ 10 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

11 Oio model Childre s Services Political ad strategic leadership of Childre s Services Childre ad Youg People s Pla (CYPS) CAF, iformatio sharig Outcomes for childre ad youg people CYPS, Health, Educatio Homelessess Assessmets, Housig Optios Assessmets Housig-related support services (Supportig People) Political ad strategic leadership of Housig Services Homelessess Strategies, Housig Strategies Housig Services Oio model key Goverace Strategy Processes Delivery Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 11

12 Key drivers of life chaces throughout childhood 9 Drivers of outcomes i childhood ad youg adulthood Desired outcomes at family formatio Mother s physical ad metal health Parets educatio Mother s age Birth weight Paretal warmth ad attachmet Breastfeedig Paretal metal health Paretig ad home learig eviromet Parets educatio High quality childcare Child s previous attaimet Parets aspiratios ad egagemet Teachers Child s previous attaimet Child s ad parets aspiratios Teachers Risky behaviours Educatioal achievemet Qualificatios Social ad emotioal skills Employmet I work Decet home Livig wage Good health Good wellbeig Pregacy Birth 5 years Primary years Secodary years Trasitio to adulthood years Source: Review team sythesis of research fidigs. Eablig childre to achieve more is at the heart of ay professioal workig withi Childre Services. The above diagram is draw from the Frak Field review which looks at poverty ad life chaces. Esurig the key drivers of life chaces throughout childhood are positive, ultimately determies the success of adulthood. Shelter s research o the followig pages details how bad housig ad homelessess ca egatively impact upo this trasitio stage. 9 Field, F. The Foudatio Years: prevetig poor childre becomig poor adults, the Report of the Idepedet Review o Poverty ad Life Chaces (2010), Figure 3.1, page Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

13 Impact of homelessess o childre ad youg people s life chaces the facts Shelter s research 10 shows how bad housig ad homelessess ca egatively impact upo childre ad youg people, affectig their trasitio through to adulthood. health safety educatio cotributio to society workig life Poor housig coditios icrease the risk of severe ill-health or disability by up to 25% durig childhood ad early adulthood. Nearly 310,000 childre i bad housig i Britai are sufferig a log-term illess or disability. Childre livig i bad housig are sigificatly more likely to suffer respiratory problems (eg chest problems, breathig difficulties, asthma ad brochitis) tha other childre 8% of childre i bad housig, icludig 10% of those livig i acutely bad housig, compared with 6% of other childre. Childre aged 11 to 15 who live i bad housig are more likely to be the victims of bullyig tha childre who do t live i bad housig (40% of those livig i bad housig ad 43% i acutely bad housig, compared with 33% of other childre). Families livig i a property that is i poor physical coditio are more likely to experiece a domestic fire ad less likely to ow a smoke alarm. Childre livig i acutely bad housig are more likely to atted the hospital s Accidet ad Emergecy departmet (A&E) tha other childre (i a year, 24% i acutely bad housig ad 21% i bad housig compared with 20% of other childre). Childre livig i bad housig are more likely to ru away from home at least oce durig their childhood tha other childre (9% compared with 6% amog other 11- to 15-year-olds).. Homeless childre are two or three times more likely to be abset from school. Higher levels of abseteeism, ad icreased mobility betwee schools, seem to accout for lower levels of academic achievemet. Oe i four childre livig i bad housig gais o GCSEs, compared with aroud 1 i 10 childre ot livig i bad housig. Oly half of the childre livig i bad housig (53%) attai five or more A to C grades at GCSE, compared with 71% of other childre. Childre ad teeagers aged 11 to 15 who live i bad housig are twice as likely as other childre to have bee excluded from school that is, to be told ot to atted school for a fixed period, or permaetly over the period of a year (5% of those i bad housig, compared with 2% of other childre).. Nearly half of youg male offeders o remad ad 42% of youg female offeders seteced have experieced homelessess. Parets of childre livig i acutely bad housig are three times more likely to be cotacted by the police tha the parets of other childre. Livig i bad housig as a child results i a higher risk of low educatioal achievemet. This, i tur, has log-term implicatios for ecoomic wellbeig i adulthood due to a icreased likelihood of uemploymet or workig i low-paid ad isecure jobs. The high costs of temporary accommodatio ca make it difficult to make workig worthwhile fiacially, trappig homeless families i uemploymet, which is strogly associated with poverty ad reduced life chaces. 10 Harker, L. (2006) Chace of a lifetime: the impact of bad housig o childre s lives, Shelter, Lodo, ad Rice, B. (2006) Agaist the odds: a ivestigatio comparig the lives of childre o either side of Britai s housig divide, Shelter, Lodo 13

14 Welfare reform ad policy chages Policy chages a overview A rage of policy chages withi Housig ad Childre s Services may brig may ew opportuities for joit workig ad iovatio. However, Shelter believes some of the proposed chages will threate the icome ad homes of may families. Both the risk ad opportuities posed require that effective joit-workig strategies are implemeted across local authorities, to esure that childre at risk of homelessess are idetified ad supported early i order that the egative impact bad housig ad homelessess has o their outcomes ca be avoided. The table below timelies the chages that are beig implemeted ad outlies the potetial risk to a family s fiacial ad accommodatio status. Welfare reform Date Reform Potetial risk From April 2011 For ew claimats the separate Local Housig Allowace (LHA) rate for 5-bedroom homes will be abolished so that the maximum rate that ca be claimed will be for 4 bedrooms. Fiacial strai o those existig large families who have previously bee etitled to the 5-bed rate, with the strog possibility of forcig large families out of their curret homes ito smaller or substadard accommodatio. Additioal risk of icreasig prevalece of overcrowdig. From April 2011 For ew claimats claimats will o loger be able to beefit from a 15 weekly excess if their ret is lower tha the amout of LHA they receive. Fiacial pressure o low-icome families who were usig the 15 excess to fud other ecessities. From April 2011 From April 2011 For ew claimats the percetile of market rets used to calculate LHA rates will be reduced, from the media to the 30th percetile of local rates. For ew claimats the maximum LHA payable for each property size will be capped so that LHA weekly rates caot exceed: 250 for a 1-bedroom property 290 for a 2-bedroom property 340 for a 3-bedroom property 400 for a 4-bedroom property. The move to the 30th percetile will result i 774,970 households losig some elemet of ret atioally, resultig i fiacial hardship for may. Fiacial strai o those existig large families who have previously bee etitled to a 5-bed rate, with the possibility of forcig large families out of their curret homes ito smaller or substadard accommodatio. Additioal risk of icreasig prevalece of overcrowdig. From April 2011 For existig claimats existig claimats will be affected by the above chages up to ie moths after the date of the aiversary of their claim Existig claimats will be affected earlier if they move or their household size chages. 14 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

15 Date Reform Potetial risk From April 2011 No-depedat deductios (NDD) will be icreased i stages over three years: miimum deductio icreases from 7.40 to 9.40 maximum deductio icreases from to The icrease i NDD is likely to have a major impact o families with older childre livig at home. Experiece tells us that ofte the teat, or paret, pays the NDD themselves. They will be less able to do so ow, give the reductios i LHA ad loss of the 15 excess. From Jauary 2012 The age threshold for claimig the Sigle Room Rate (ow Shared Room Rate) will be icreased from 25 to 35. More tha 62,500 sigle, 25- to 34-year-olds will be affected by this chage as they curretly live i self-cotaied accommodatio. There is a lack of shared accommodatio available, which creates a further risk that ladlords will covert family-sized homes ito HMOs (Houses of Multiple Occupatio) with further impacts for low-icome families. 67% of youg people uder 25 who are curretly o the Shared Room Rate will have a average shortfall to pay of 29 per week. The Govermet has oted that it may be iappropriate for some youg people to share accommodatio ad has itroduced cocessios for care leavers up to the age of 22 ad those i receipt of DLA (disability livig allowace). Some ex-offeders are also exempt. There are also cocers about youg people who are parets but have experieced relatioship breakdow. The extesio of the Shared Room Rate for those maitaiig cotact with their childre, or havig shared custody, may result i childre ot beig able to visit the mother or father. A youg paret s shared accommodatio is a usuitable eviromet for their youg childre. From April 2013 Housig Beefit will be restricted for workig-age claimats i the social reted sector who are occupyig a larger property tha their household size warrats. This is likely to apply to claimats with at least oe spare bedroom. We expect that this will affect about 32% of all Housig Beefit claimats i the social reted sector, the majority of whom are ot uderoccupyig accordig to the covetioal defiitio used by local authorities ad the Departmet for Commuities ad Local Govermet (DCLG). For example, a family with a 9-year-old so ad 8-year-old daughter would be classed as uderoccupyig if they each had their ow bedroom, ad thus be deied adequate Housig Beefit. Most uder occupyig occurs where there is a low supply of smaller properties, so there will ot be the properties for the household to be rehoused ito. Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 15

16 Date Reform Potetial risk From April 2013 The maximum amout of beefits a out-of-work household ca claim will be capped at approximately 500 per week for couples ad loe parets, ad 350 per week for sigle people. Caps o the total amout of beefit payable to households are goig to have a impact o families, particularly larger families, ad it is expected that aroud 50,000 households will be affected by this household beefit cap. The caps will also affect families who eed to access either temporary accommodatio or accommodatio with specialist support, where costs are expesive ad will therefore leave families with little residual icome. From April 2013 Itroductio of the Uiversal Credit, which will icorporate Housig Beefit for claimats i both the private ad social reted sector. Uiversal Credit will be a itegrated beefit i place of Icome Support, icome-based Jobseeker s Allowace, icome-related Employmet ad Support Allowace, Housig Beefit, Child Tax Credit ad Workig Tax Credit. The amout of Uiversal Credit will deped o the level of icome ad other family circumstaces. It will mea that all beefits will be paid i oe lump sum, rather tha by differet agecies at differet times. It could mea that, if there is a problem with oe aspect of the beefits received, all paymets could stop ad this will cause potetial difficulties with their housig situatio. From 2013/14 LHA rates will be up-rated by the Cosumer Price Idex (CPI), rather tha i referece to local rets. Although the cost of ret is icluded i the CPI, it accouts for oly 5.4% of the basket of goods used to measure iflatio. Historically, this meas that CPI has ot icreased at the same rate as average rets. Betwee 1997/98 ad 2007/08, average rets icreased by 70%, while over the same period CPI icreased by oly 20%. Localism Bill (to be eacted 2012) This will allow local authorities to: discharge their homelessess duty to the private reted sector remove the teacy for life i social reted accommodatio, providig a ew form of flexible teure for social housig teats. To keep up to date with this, please visit the policy sectio of Shelter s website. 12 This will result i households havig to accept a property that is more expesive to ret, less secure i teure, ad may be of a poor quality. Fixed-term teacies could act as a disicetive to work. All of the above poits mea a challegig time ahead for low-icome families. Ay reductio i icome is difficult to adjust to for ay perso; but for vulerable, low-icome families, ofte with multiple ad complex eeds, Shelter believes that such reforms are likely to jeopardise positive outcomes for childre Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

17 Joit workig Achievig Housig Services targets through joit workig with Childre s Services makig the lik The Govermet s homelessess strategy Sustaiable Homes: settled homes; chagig lives (ODPM, Lodo, 2005) set out plas for local authorities to cotiue to reduce homelessess, focusig specifically o prevetig homelessess. It idetified 10 key outcomes that housig authorities must work towards as a priority to achieve their overall reductio i homelessess. Here s how these outcomes fall withi the three strategic themes your authority (LA) must cosider i its local area: Theme Prevet ad reduce homelessess Target outcomes Prevet homelessess. Prevet repeat homelessess. Reduce rough sleepig by two-thirds. Reduce homelessess. Provide support Provide support for vulerable people. Tackle the wider symptoms ad causes of homelessess. Provide accommodatio Provide more settled homes. Halve the umber of households placed i temporary accommodatio by local authorities (a 2010 target). No use of B&Bs for families with childre uless i a emergecy ad for o more tha six weeks. No 16- ad 17-year-olds accommodated i B&Bs except i a emergecy (by 2010, ad ogoig). You ca deliver these outcomes by implemetig each of Shelter s good practice measures. See our recommedatios o how to o the followig pages. Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 17

18 Ways you ca improve the life chaces of homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people, through: People workig together i goverace People workig together i strategy Director of Childre s Services demostrates clear commitmet to meetig the eeds of homeless childre ad youg people. Childre s Services develop their Childre ad Youg People s Pla (CYPP) with appropriate targets relatig to homeless childre ad youg people. Director of Housig Services demostrates clear commitmet to meetig the eeds of homeless childre ad youg people. Homeless childre, youg people ad families are cosulted ad ivolved i the developmet of Homelessess Strategies ad CYPPs. Lead Members for housig ad childre ad youg people portfolios demostrate a clear commitmet to homeless childre ad youg people. Housig ad Childre s Services work together to collate data that will idetify the scale ad impact of homelessess ad bad housig o childre ad youg people s outcomes i the local authority area. Childre s Trust Boards make clear goals ad objectives relatig to housig ad homelessess. Housig Services develop their Homelessess Reviews ad Strategies with appropriate targets that relate to homeless childre ad youg people. Housig Services are ivolved with, ad have clear roles ad resposibilities o, Local Safeguardig Childre s Boards (LSCBs). Housig ad Childre s Services pool or alig fudig to commissio support services ad prevetio services for homeless childre ad youg people. Strategy Maagers withi Housig ad Childre s Services have a soud kowledge of each other s legislatio ad guidace frameworks. 18 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

19 People workig together with joit processes People workig together i frotlie delivery Joit protocols are put i place for assessig ad addressig the eeds of childre withi itetioally homeless families. Childre s Services esure families ca access specialist housig advice i Childre s Cetres. Whe pursuig evictio proceedigs, LAs take ito accout the childre s eed for a secure home ad establish effective joit-workig practices to esure their support eeds are met. LAs develop ad implemet prevetio protocols to esure families threateed with evictio are supported to maitai their teacies. Additioal support for homeless childre is available i schools, exteded schools ad Childre s Cetres. Peer educatio methods are used i schools ad other youg people s settigs, so all childre lear of homelessess from peers with direct experiece. Staff from Housig ad Childre s Services are co-located 13 to support makig joit assessmets. LAs have joit protocols betwee Housig ad Childre s Services for 16- ad 17-year-olds, to esure adequate housig ad support for them. Childre i families who preset to Housig departmets with housig eeds are cosidered for a Commo Assessmet Framework (CAF) if additioal eeds are suspected. Housig ad Childre s Services idetify shared traiig opportuities i their work to gai isight ad clear uderstadig of each other s roles. Through Supportig People, Housig ad Childre s Services joitly provide greater support for a itetioally homeless family to sustai a teacy. Housig ad Childre s Services have joit policies ad practices i place to esure that the disruptio to schoolig for childre from homeless families is miimised. Needs of childre from homeless families, ad those foud itetioally homeless, are assessed ad met. Housig ad Childre s Services develop outreach support services delivered to homeless childre i homeless settigs, eg family hostels ad B&Bs. 13 Situated together. I this cotext, it is about makig frotlie services easily accessible for childre, youg people ad families, so co-locatio will be both services havig a presece at exteded schools, libraries, Coexios, youth cetres etc. Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 19

20 20 Shelter s bechmark model at a glace If your orgaisatio implemets this best practice framework as stadard, you ca expect to see improved results for, ad impact o, homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people, ad you ca clearly evidece your commitmet to joit workig while providig additioal iovative frotlie practices. Goverace Director of Childre s Services demostrates clear commitmet to meetig the housig eeds of homeless childre ad youg people. Director of Housig Services demostrates clear commitmet to meetig the eeds of homeless childre ad housig youg people. Childre s Trust Boards have clear goals ad objectives relatig to housig ad homelessess. Lead Members for housig ad childre ad youg people portfolios demostrate a clear commitmet to homeless childre ad youg people. Housig Services are ivolved with, ad have clear roles ad resposibilities o, the LSCB. Strategy Childre s Services develop their CYPP with appropriate targets that relate to homeless childre ad youg people. Housig ad Childre s Services work together to collate data to idetify the scale ad impact of homelessess ad bad housig o childre ad youg people s outcomes i the local authority area. Housig Services develop their Homelessess Reviews ad Strategies with appropriate targets that relate to homeless childre ad youg people. Housig ad Childre s Services alig fudig to commissio support ad prevetio services for childre ad youg people cocerig housig ad homelessess, eg through Supportig People. Housig ad Childre s Services strategic maagemet have, or work towards havig, a soud kowledge base of each other s legislatio ad guidace frameworks. Homeless childre, youg people ad families are cosulted ad ivolved i the developmet of Homelessess Strategies ad CYPPs. Joit processes Housig ad Childre s Services have joit policies ad practices i place to esure that the disruptio to schoolig for childre from homeless families is miimised. LAs have joit protocols betwee Housig ad Childre s Services for 16- ad 17-year -olds to esure they have adequate housig ad support. LAs develop ad implemet prevetio protocols to esure families threateed with evictio are supported to maitai teacies. Whe pursuig evictio proceedigs, LAs take ito accout the childre s eed for a secure home ad establish effective joit-workig practices to esure the support eeds of childre are met. Childre i families who preset to Housig departmets with housig eeds are cosidered for a CAF if additioal eeds are suspected. There are joit protocols i place for itetioally homeless families. Frotlie delivery The eeds of childre from homeless families, icludig those deemed itetioally homeless, are assessed ad met. Childre s Services practitioers are co-located withi Housig ad Homelessess Services to support joit assessmets. Childre s Cetres provide access to specialist housig advice for families. Greater provisio of support ad teacy sustaimet for families deemed itetioally homeless. Shared traiig opportuities are idetified across Housig ad Childre s Services to esure that professioals have isight ad uderstadig of each other s roles. Housig ad Childre s Services develop outreach services to support homeless childre, targetig these services i homeless settigs, eg family hostels ad B&Bs. Additioal support targeted at homeless childre is orgaised through schools, exteded schools ad Childre s Cetres. Adopt peer educatio methods i schools ad other youg people s settigs, to prevet homelessess.

21 Photo: Adrea Improvig Testoi outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 21

22 Effective goverace You will fid this sectio useful if you are: LA Chief Executives Directors of Childre s Services Directors of Housig Services Lead Members for Housig ad Childre s Services RSL Directors or Board members. Goverace comprises procedures associated with the decisio-makig, performace ad cotrol of orgaisatios. It provides structures to give overall directio to the orgaisatio ad to be accoutable i satisfyig the expectatios of people outside it. Effective goverace ad strategic leadership at Local Authority level are fudametal to drivig forward a joit workig ageda. 14 Joit goverace arragemets ad improvig outcomes it s everybody s busiess We believe arragemets to improve joit workig betwee Housig ad Childre s Services ca take place at every level, ad ca be implemeted by ay professioal who has the time, resources, commitmet ad passio to make it happe. However, for practices to be fully embedded, fuded, resourced ad ackowledged as critical to the wellbeig ad log-term positive outcomes for childre, it is ecessary for people workig together i goverace to take the lead i developig the overall directio the authority must take towards meetig the eeds of homeless childre. There are a umber of clear structural ad legislative arragemets already i place that provide Housig ad Childre s Services with opportuities to work more effectively together. Here we outlie what they are, ad exactly why they are istrumetal to the joit-workig ageda. 14 Hodges R., Wright M. ad Keasey K (1996) Corporate goverace i the public services: cocepts ad issues, Public Moey & Maagemet 16(2), Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

23 Legislatio 15 Legislatio Reaso for joit workig Recommedatios for further actio / opportuities Childre Act 1989 The Childre Act 1989 created a duty o local authorities to assess the eeds of childre ad youg people ad provide appropriate services based o that assessmet, icludig a care placemet. The Childre Act 1989 promotes the cocept of plaig ad deliverig services for childre ad youg people i a corporate maer. These priciples of partership also exted to workig with childre, parets, carers ad exteded families. Authorities must adhere to these priciples whe plaig how to joitly deliver services for homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people. Childre Act 2004 The Childre Act 2004 created a iteragecy duty to co-operate to improve the wellbeig of childre ad youg people. The aim of emphasis o partership workig withi the legislatio is to esure that most vulerable childre ad youg people are idetified early ad do ot slip through the et, which ca happe whe agecies work i silo (do t share iformatio). The creatio of Childre s Trusts, iformatiosharig systems ad joit assessmets are curretly reiforced throughout this legislatio. However, ew Govermet policy seeks to remove the statutory requiremet for LAs to have Childre s Trusts. Partership workig eeds to exted beyod the traditioal services cosidered as Childre s Services. I additio to Health, Social Services ad Educatio workig together, Housig ad Homelessess Services should be icluded i strategic plaig ad service developmet. Shelter believes the Childre s Trust model allows best practice for iformatio sharig ad priority settig. The Childre (Leavig Care) Act 2000 The Act has two mai aims: to esure that youg people do ot leave care util they are ready, ad to esure they receive more effective support oce they have left. Childre (Leavig Care) Act 2000 guidace states:...because of the diverse eeds of care leavers ad the way i which these will chage over time, local authorities are likely to require a rage of accommodatio optios. These optios iclude traiig flats, supported lodgigs, supported housig, foyers, idepedet accommodatio, ad floatig support. Accommodatio is oe of the areas covered by the Pathway Pla that should be prepared by Social Services for each youg perso o how their eeds ca be met util the age of 21. Care leavers are especially vulerable to homelessess. I Eglad, 16- ad 17-year-olds ad care leavers aged 18 to 20 make up 8% of the total homelessess acceptaces. However, they are oly 3% of the total populatio. 16 Better joit workig uderpied by this legislative framework ca begi to address the severe disadvatages care leavers face with respect to homelessess. (Full list of recommedatios i NCAS publicatio see footote below.) 15 For further iformatio about the policy ad legislatio preseted, please follow up refereces at the back of this guide. 16 Statistics from Natioal Care Advisory Service, Joureys to home care leavers successful trasitio to idepedet accommodatio, 2009 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 23

24 Legislatio Reaso for joit workig Recommedatios for further actio / opportuities Child Poverty Act 2010 This provides a statutory basis to the commitmet made by the Govermet i 1999 to ed child poverty by Part of this will defie success i eradicatig child poverty ad provide a framework to measure progress at a atioal ad local level. Each LA ca access o-statutory guidace issued by the Govermet to develop a strategy to tackle child poverty withi its area. LAs will be able to address areas of child poverty that are most prevalet withi the locality. Withi the strategy, housig ad eighbourhoods should feature heavily as cosideratios for LAs. Homelessess Act 2002 All LAs are required to udertake a review of homelessess i their districts ad publish a Homelessess Strategy that must be reviewed every five years. The Act itroduced the priority eed category for all 16- ad 17-year-old youg people presetig as homeless. This requires that all authorities Housig ad Childre s Services have a framework for joit assessmet of this age group. I light of the G v LB Southwark case, most 16- ad 17-year-olds should be housed by Social Services. Ivolvemet from Childre s Services would esure the eeds of childre, youg people ad families who are homeless, or at risk of homelessess, are cosidered withi the review ad effective plaig ca follow to esure these eeds are met. Partership workig betwee Childre s Services, youg people s advice services, volutary sector orgaisatios ad Housig departmets esures a joit protocol ca be established to guaratee that vulerable 16- ad 17-year-olds receive the support they eed whe facig homelessess. 24 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

25 Guidace Guidace Reaso for joit workig Actio to be take Homelessess Code of Guidace 2006 The Homelessess Code of Guidace provides advice to LAs o dischargig their statutory homelessess fuctios. It provides detailed guidace o iterpretig the homelessess legislatio set out i part 7 of the Housig Act Chapter 5 Workig with others provides the guidace o joit workig, to esure homeless people or those at risk of homelessess ca access a itegrated ad seamless service. LAs itroduce effective joit-workig strategies, policies ad processes (protocols) to esure that childre, youg people ad families are provided with a effective safety et if they are foud homeless, or are at risk of becomig homeless or itetioally homeless. Care Leavers (Eglad) Regulatios 2010 ad Guidace Revised regulatios ad guidace, replacig the Care Leavers (Eglad) regulatios of This streamlies processes to icrease the emphasis o more effective care plaig, with a focus o the child. The revisios are desiged to improve the quality ad cosistecy of care plaig, placemet ad case review for looked-after childre. They also aim to improve the care ad support provided to care leavers. Guidace accompayig these regulatios provides clarificatio o the sufficiecy duty placed o LAs uder 22(G) of the Childre Act 1989, to secure sufficiet accommodatio to meet the eeds of their looked-after childre. Although this duty lies with each idividual LA, it ca be implemeted most effectively through a partership betwee the authority ad its Childre s Trust parters. Each LA has a duty, uder sectio 10 of the Childre Act 2004, to make arragemets to promote cooperatio with its relevat parters, with a view to improvig the wellbeig of childre. 17 Provisio of accommodatio for 16- ad 17-year-old youg people who may be homeless ad/or require accommodatio (2010) Guidace Revised guidace for local authority Housig ad Childre s Services cocerig their respective duties uder Part 3 of the Childre Act 1989 ad Part 7 of the Housig Act 1996, to secure or provide accommodatio for homeless 16- ad 17-year-olds followig the judgmet by the House of Lords i the case of R (G) v Lodo Borough of Southwark [2009]. Housig ad Childre s Services eed to adopt the recommedatios outlied maily the eed for effective joit workig, prevetative work ad rapid, fluid assessmet procedures beig i place, supported by a joitworkig protocol i order to mitigate the egative effects of homelessess o youg people s life chaces. Joit workig betwee Housig ad Childre s Services: Prevetig homelessess ad tacklig its effects o childre ad youg people, DCLG/DCSF Guidace 2008 This guidace focuses o four groups of childre ad youg people 18 who have bee idetified as beig at particular risk of poor outcomes i the absece of effective joit workig betwee Housig Services, Childre s Services ad their parters. Housig ad Childre s Services are recommeded to address the eeds of the most vulerable groups at risk of homelessess. LA services eed to adopt this guidace ad use it to meet local eed. The targets ad recommedatios i the guidace should be adopted i all levels of the local authority s services, from delivery through to strategy ad goverace. 17 To fid out more about Care Leavers Regulatios ad Guidace, ad Sufficiecy duty ad guidace, go to: gov.uk/childreadyougpeople/families/childreicare/a /care-plaig-for-looked-after-childre-ad-care-leavers 18 The four groups are: 16- ad 17-year-olds who are homeless or at risk of homelessess, care leavers aged 18 to 21, childre of families livig i temporary accommodatio, ad childre of families who have bee or are at risk of beig foud itetioally homeless by a Housig authority. Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 25

26 The future Review Reaso for joit workig Actio to be take Frak Field, The Foudatio Years: prevetig poor childre becomig poor adults (2010) The review explores how a child s home eviromet affects their chaces of beig ready to take full advatage of their schoolig ad recommeds potetial actio by govermet ad other istitutios to reduce poverty ad ehace life chaces for the least advataged. It also suggests a reform of poverty measures, i particular the iclusio of o-fiacial elemets. Access to a secure, stable home has to be the first buildig block i esurig childre have positive life chaces. Housig ad Childre s Services have a key role to play, workig together ad sharig iformatio to esure ope lies of commuicatio that will cotribute to the success of tacklig ad eradicatig poverty. Graham Alle, Early Itervetio: The Next Steps (2011) The review s core message of a early itervetio approach is desiged to build the essetial social ad emotioal bedrock for childre from birth, to esure that childre from a early age up to 18 ca become the excellet parets of tomorrow. It raises awareess that ifluecig social ad emotioal capability is harder ad more expesive the later it is attempted. A late reactio to social problems is more likely to fail. The early itervetio culture is a essetial shift to primary prevetio, with the aim of achievig sigificat potetial social ad fiacial beefits. Graham Alle s secod report Early Itervetio, Smart Ivestmet, Massive Savigs (2011) highlights how ivestig i early itervetio brigs huge savigs o crisis itervetio. Housig has to be a key idicator i ay early-itervetio strategy. Childre eed supportive, attetive ad ecouragig parets to thrive. However, material circumstaces are equally importat. There s much evidece to suggest that without a stable, decet ad secure home, free from disrepair, parets ofte struggle to provide a stable ad urturig eviromet i which their childre ca develop ad thrive. The Muro Review of Child Protectio: Fial Report A child-cetred system (2011) This sets out recommedatios that will help to reform the child protectio system. With respect to serious case reviews (SCRs), it idetifies that there should be a stroger focus o uderstadig the uderlyig issues that made professioals behave the way they did ad what preveted them from beig able to help ad protect the childre properly. It recommeds the child protectio system moves away from a compliace to the learig culture, givig practitioers more scope to exercise professioal judgemet i decisios o how best to help childre ad their families. Housig has a key role i child protectio. There eeds to be represetatio, with housig professioals actively participatig o Local Safeguardig Childre s Boards. 19 SCRs ofte highlight housig circumstace as a cotributory factor i the child protectio issues beig examied. 19 See Shelter s Good practice briefig: The role of housig services i safeguardig childre Shortly available from 26 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

27 Goverace structures that lead to more joit workig Structures Reaso for joit workig Actio to be take Childre s Trusts The Childre Act 2004 eshried i legislatio the eed for all LAs to establish a itegrated Childre s Trust framework as the meas of embeddig itegrated systems of workig across Educatio, Social Services, Health ad all other agecies ivolved with childre. Though the Govermet has removed the statutory requiremet for LAs to have a Childre s Trust Board, may authorities will maitai the framework i recogitio of the importace of joit workig ad clear lies of commuicatio. Childre s Trust Boards iclude a represetative from the local Housig authority, with a clearly defied role ad resposibilities to esure better outcomes for childre, youg people ad families who are homeless or at risk of homelessess. Local Safeguardig Childre s Board (LSCB) Safeguardig ad promotig the welfare of childre requires effective co-ordiatio. The LSCB is the key statutory mechaism for agreeig how the relevat orgaisatios i each local area co-operate to safeguard ad promote the welfare of childre i that locality, ad for esurig the effectiveess of what they do. Housig authorities have a vital role to play i their effectiveess. Housig Services represeted ad actively ivolved i LSCBs have better lies of commuicatio ad opportuities to address safeguardig issues for homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people. Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 27

28 Shelter s bechmark idicators for opportuities Shelter foud may idividual examples of Housig ad Childre s Services workig effectively together at goverace level. From this kowledge we have developed a set of bechmark idicators complete with practices (umbered ad grouped below), which will aid successful implemetatio ad help you moitor ad map your progress. 1. Childre s Trust Boards have clear objectives relatig to homelessess. Housig ad Homelessess Services are represeted o Childre s Trust Boards (CTBs), or similar strategic forums, at executive ad strategic level. Remit of the Housig represetative is to improve outcomes for homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people. The CTB ad its Executive demostrate a commitmet to improvig outcomes for homeless ad badly housed childre. The CTB esures the Childre ad Youg People s Pla (CYPP), where it exists, cotais sufficiet priorities ad measures for improvig outcomes for homeless ad badly housed childre. The CTB esures that homelessess prevetio is a key priority for Housig ad Childre s Services. The CTB has ultimate resposibility for esurig Housig ad Childre s Services work together effectively to improve outcomes ad develop a shared ethos, actively removig barriers to joit workig. The CTB esures effective mechaisms are i place to lik the Local Safeguardig Childre s Board (LSCB) ad coucil leadership, to deliver better outcomes for homeless ad badly housed childre. I two-tier authorities, Housig ad Childre s Services have partership arragemets i the locality to esure effective egagemet of district Housig authorities with couty Childre s Services. 2. Housig Services are ivolved with ad have clear roles ad resposibilities o Local Safeguardig Childre s Boards (LSCBs) No-statutory agecies that udertake advocacy o behalf of homeless ad badly housed families are represeted o the LSCB to provide a idepedet housig perspective ad legal cotext. Strategic Housig Services from the local authority are represeted o the LSCB. LSCBs carry out authority-wide reviews of the impact homelessess has o the wellbeig of homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people. As part of their serious case review (SCR) fuctio, LSCBs measure ad report o the extet to which homelessess ad bad housig impacts o safeguardig issues withi their authority ad how this ca be improved. SCRs udertake by LSCBs are shared with Childre s Trusts, Housig departmets ad Childre s ad Youg People s Services to eable effective priority plaig. 3. Lead Members for housig ad childre ad youg people portfolios demostrate a clear commitmet to homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people. Lead Members for Housig ad Childre s Services are iformed about the scale ad impact of homelessess ad bad housig o childre ad youg people i their local authority area. Lead Members esure there are appropriate priorities ad measures i place to address problems ad improve outcomes. All members of the Scrutiy Committee for housig ad childre ad youg people work together to measure the extet to which eeds of homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people are beig met across the local authority area ad how this ca be improved. 28 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

29 4. Director of Childre s Services demostrates clear commitmet to meetig the eeds of homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people. Director is iformed of the extet of homelessess ad bad housig of childre ad youg people i the local authority area, ad what impact this has o their outcomes. Director uderstads the legislative ad policy framework i which housig ad homelessess operate. Director works with their couterpart i Housig Services to prioritise services i the Childre ad Youg People s Pla (CYPP), where it exists, that meet the eeds of homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people. Director is resposible for esurig there is a ethos of joit workig with Housig Services to meet the eeds of homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people esurig there are appropriate resources ad plas i place to achieve this as well as remove barriers. Director esures clear lies of accoutability to eable joit workig betwee Housig ad Childre s Services. 5. Director of Housig Services demostrates clear commitmet to meetig the eeds of homeless childre ad youg people. Director is iformed about what impacts o the wellbeig ad outcomes of childre ad youg people i the local authority area who are homeless or livig i bad housig. Director uderstads the legislative ad policy framework i which Childre s ad Youg People s Services operate. Director works with their couterpart i Childre s Services to idetify service priorities i Homelessess ad Housig Strategies, to meet the eeds of homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people. Director is resposible for esurig a ethos of joit workig with Childre s Services to meet the eeds of homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people makig sure resources ad plas are i place to esure this as well as to remove ay barriers. Director esures clear lies of accoutability to eable joit workig betwee Housig ad Childre s Services. CASE STUDY Ivolvemet of Housig Services i Local Safeguardig Childre s Board (LSCB), Stockto-o-Tees BC Stockto Borough Coucil was kee to work across agecies to create a etwork of support for childre ad youg people. This was reflected i their approach to youth homelessess ad drive by their commitmet to safeguardig. The coucil s Procedures for Workig Together to Safeguard ad Promote the Welfare of Childre i Stockto-o-Tees cotais a sectio o the roles ad resposibilities of Housig Services, Housig authorities ad RSLs (registered social ladlords, such as housig associatios). Housig has bee represeted o the LSCB for may years. The Busiess Maager of Stockto s LSCB was a member of the group that led o a review of Stockto s youth homelessess policies ad services, which i tur led to improved joit workig betwee the Housig ad Childre, Educatio ad Social Care services, i recogitio that homelessess was a safeguardig issue for childre ad youg people. Through comig together o the LSCB, the Housig Service ad the Childre, Educatio ad Social Care Services have fostered a ope ad effective joitworkig relatioship. They are better able to idetify how ad where they ca work together, ad what traiig ad awareess opportuities are useful. Raisig awareess o child protectio with Housig Officers has esured quick referrals to Childre s Services whe ecessary, ad Housig Officers have bee istrumetal i providig advice through their expertise i housig legislatio, to practitioers from Stockto s Childre, Educatio ad Social Care Service. Resources across the authority are shared betwee services to meet the eeds of childre ad youg people. For example, Housig Optios ad RSLs allocate ad provide suitable accommodatio to the Childre, Educatio ad Social Care Service, specifically eablig them to carry out their duties to homeless 16- ad 17-year-old youg people as idetified i the Childre Act Joit assessmets are carried out by practitioers from Housig ad the Childre, Educatio ad Social Care Services to determie the specific eeds of the youg perso. Support ad accommodatio offered is tailored to the idividual s ow eeds. Stockto Borough Coucil s commitmet to improvig joit-workig practices has had may beefits. The presece of the Housig Service o the LSCB has led to practices that have reduced the umber of youg people presetig as homeless, reduced the umber of youg people experiecig repeat homelessess, ad reduced the umber of families with depedat childre at risk of evictio becomig homeless. Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 29

30 Effective strategy You will fid this sectio useful if you are: Strategic Maagers Commissioers (Housig, Health, Supportig People, Childre s Services). Strategic arragemets ad plaig i LA Housig ad Childre Services are govered by a umber of key plas ad policies, ad these provide opportuities for both services to alig accoutability ad pla strategically to serve the iterests of homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people. A commissioig framework which brigs together agecies plaig, supported as appropriate by the poolig of resources, ad esures key priorities are idetified ad addressed. 20 By idetifyig a umber of opportuities at LA level through which both Housig ad Childre s Services ca iteract, we highlight the ways i which they ca develop joit strategies, policies ad plas, targets, ad measures that will address the specific eeds of homeless or badly housed childre, youg people ad their families. The opportuities to work effectively together at strategic level are outlied below. Strategic arragemets Childre ad Youg People s Pla (CYPP), or similar actio plas Reaso for joit workig Recommedatios for further actio / opportuities The Govermet has withdraw the requiremet for LAs to produce a CYPP. However, some LAs will maitai this framework or will produce similar actio ad priority plas, which will eable them to idetify the eeds of childre i their authority area, idetifyig a meas of meetig those eeds, ad mappig these agaist a actio pla. Homeless childre are idetified at this poit, ad strategies for workig with the Housig departmet are idetified. Sigificat scope i CYPPs, or similar actio plas, to iclude details about how Childre s Services support homeless childre ad how they work with their Housig parters to improve the wellbeig ad life chaces of these childre. Homelessess Strategy Itroduced by the Housig Act 2002, Homelessess Strategies are a statutory obligatio o Housig departmets to set out the ature of homelessess i the local area, the causes, the extet of it, ad the approaches for tacklig it. Authorities therefore have a strog icetive to work with Childre s Services to idetify ways to tackle the problem together ad draw o shared opportuities to prevet or mitigate the impact o childre. Childre s Services ca cotribute itelligece o the extet of homelessess ad its effects o childre, youg people ad families. A opportuity to fid solutios to address the problems together. Youth Homelessess Strategy Youth Homelessess Strategies are see as good practice, seekig to address the specific eeds of a vulerable group. The Housig authority works with Childre s Services ad other local parters to meet their eeds. Housig ad Childre s Services eed to work together to develop the strategy ad pla effectively for the prevetio of youth homelessess. 20 Every Child Matters: Chage for Childre 2004 at everychildmatters/about/backgroud/backgroud/ 30 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

31 Shelter s joit-workig idicators The followig set of idicators ad actio poits ca help bechmark progress you make towards developig ad implemetig joit strategies. 1. Housig ad Childre s Services work together to collate data that idetifies the scale ad impact of homelessess ad bad housig o childre ad youg people s outcomes i the local authority area. Record iformatio o the umber of youg people who preset as homeless ad the umber of childre i families who preset as homeless. Kow how may childre live i families who are o the housig register, ad how may youg people preset as homeless who are o the housig register. Fid out about youg people ad childre i families whose teacies or homes might be at risk, ad those who have accessed teacy relatios services. Kow about childre i families who have bee preveted from becomig homeless by the Housig Optios service, ad have bee supported to access accommodatio i the private reted sector. Iclude the umber of youg people ad families with childre who preset to volutary agecies because of bad housig, homelessess or a risk of homelessess (collate through multi-agecy moitorig). This iformatio should feed ito the Joit Strategic Needs Assessmet (JSNA). Liaise with Health Services to idetify the umber of childre attedig primary or secodary health-care services due to accidets or illesses resultig from their housig situatio or circumstaces. Feed ito the JSNA. Gather iformatio o the provisio ad support for these groups of youg people ad idetify gaps i provisio. Use Supportig People data ad feed ito the JSNA. 2. Childre s Services develop Childre ad Youg People s Plas (CYPPs) or similar actio plas, with appropriate targets relatig to homeless childre ad youg people. Take ito accout existig data o homeless childre ad youg people i the developmet of actio plas. Give due recogitio i the plas ad priorities to the impact housig ad homelessess has o childre s life chaces. Work joitly with Housig Services to moitor ad review the impact o childre ad youg people s outcomes. Idetify cross-cuttig targets (particularly those that lik i with homelessess strategies) to esure joit delivery processes are developed. Have locality plas i two-tier authorities, eg to esure effective egagemet of district Housig authorities with couty Childre s Services. Iclude refereces i CYPP or similar actio plas to four priority groups: 16- ad 17-year-olds, care leavers, childre of families i temporary accommodatio, ad those withi itetioally homeless families. Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 31

32 3. Housig Services develop Homelessess Reviews ad Strategies with appropriate targets relatig to homeless childre ad youg people. Take accout of existig data o homeless childre ad youg people whe developig the Homelessess Review ad Strategy. Co-operate with Childre s Services, icludig iput from a represetative to develop the Homelessess Review ad Strategy. Recogise the impact that housig ad homelessess has o childre s life chaces. Work joitly with Childre s Services to moitor ad review impact o childre ad youg people s outcomes. Idetify cross-cuttig targets ad esure joit delivery processes are developed. Have locality plas i two-tier authorities to esure effective egagemet of district Housig authorities with couty Childre s Services. Share owership of the Homelessess Reviews ad Strategies with Childre s Services. Chief Executive i uitary authorities takes resposibility to esure Homelessess Review ad Strategy is a cross-departmetal priority. Iclude refereces i Homelessess Strategy ad Housig Strategies to four priority groups: 16- ad 17-year-olds, care leavers, childre of families i temporary accommodatio, ad those withi itetioally homeless families. 4. Housig ad Childre s Services pool fudig to commissio prevetio ad support services cocerig the housig ad homelessess of childre ad youg people. 5. Housig ad Childre s Services strategic maagemet have, or work towards havig, a soud kowledge base of each other s legislatio ad guidace frameworks. Uderstad ad recogise the impact of childre s housig ad its importace to their wellbeig ad outcomes. Develop learig ad developmet strategies for key staff to gai cotextual kowledge of housig policy ad service delivery. Actively share iformatio about each other s plas ad priorities. Itroduce cross-departmetal systems ad allow strategic-level staff to udertake work shadowig, staff exchages, secodmets, joit traiig or semiars. 6. Homeless childre, youg people ad families are cosulted ad ivolved i the developmet of Homelessess Strategies ad CYPPs. Develop ad work with joit models of cosultatio to ivolve service users i strategic plaig. Work with the volutary ad commuity sectors to facilitate cosultatio. Develop ad exted service-user forums for homeless ad badly housig childre, youg people ad families. Ivolve homeless ad badly housed childre, youg people ad families at every level of reviewig ad moitorig Homelessess Strategies, CYPPs (or similar plas) ad Housig Strategies. Idetify where services ca be delivered more effectively ad efficietly by joit commissioig to address the prevetio of homelessess ageda. Develop targets that meet both departmets priorities. Esure Supportig People budgets cosider childre of homeless families ad homeless youg people, ad alig fudig with Childre s Services to provide holistic services. Supportig People should be joitly commissioig with Childre s Services for these groups. Homelessess prevetio fuds are egotiated with Childre s Services to develop iovative services joitly addressig eeds of homeless ad badly housed childre ad youg people. 32 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

33 CASE STUDY North East Regioal Youth Homelessess Network, 2011 The Regioal Youth Homeless Network (RYHN) is a collective of housig advice ad support providers, local authorities, youg homeless people ad other orgaisatios committed to workig together to fid solutios to youth homelessess i the regio. I 2009, the RYHN secured fudig to appoit a Regioal Developmet Co-ordiator to support the etwork i its developmet of a regioal strategy aimed at prevetig youth homelessess. The key objectives of the strategy are: to eable the voice of homeless youg people to be heard ad take ito accout i relevat policy ad service developmets across the regio to idetify, promote ad dissemiate good practice across the regio through the developmet of quality stadards to idetify gaps i service provisio ad suggest solutios to these gaps, based o feedback from youg people to promote youg-perso-led research of key issues across the regio to improve the quality of temporary ad supported accommodatio i lie with Places of Chage stadards to icrease early itervetio work i schools, plus with families, learig from best practice already existig withi the regio prevetio beig a priority to stregthe partership workig at a regioal level, through strategy ad policy that sets targets ad draws together capital ad reveue fudig streams, because a regioal approach is ecessary to explore local ad regioal solutios to obstacles posed by the trasitio to adulthood (eg discrepacies i Housig Beefit rates), thereby tacklig age iequality to improve ad make trasparet the accoutability of all providers (statutory, volutary ad commuity sector, ad social ladlords) for meetig the eeds of youg people. I 2011, the RYHN is lauchig its Regioal Youth Homeless Strategy alogside a two-year actio research project that will see local authorities across the North East pilotig actios ad recommedatios from the strategy i a bid to improve services ad provisio for youg people who are homeless or at risk of homelessess. The strategy aims to map ad draw together curret stregths i provisio, examples of excellet ad pioeerig practice i workig with youg homeless people across commissioig, statutory service provisio ad the work doe by service providers, where learig ad expertise could be shared across the regio o strategic ad operatioal levels. It provides a framework for turig priority solutios from priciples ito actual practice, ad resposibility for implemetig this strategy falls o all of those whose work impacts o youg people commissioers, policy ad strategy makers ad ivestors, operatioal service maagers ad providers, ad youg homeless people themselves. Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 33

34 34 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

35 Effective processes You will fid this sectio useful if you are: Professioals Operatioal members of staff Maagers workig withi LA Housig Services LA Childre s Services RSLs (registered social ladlords) Volutary sector orgaisatios i the homelessess field. Housig ad Childre Services each have their ow procedural framework ad stadard tools for carryig out day-to-day tasks, eg processes to determie if idividuals or families are eligible for assistace or the ature ad level of assistace required. Idetifyig ad meetig the eeds of idividuals ad families ca be achieved more effectively by usig commo processes ad tools, ad by sharig iformatio betwee each other. Itegrated processes: the procedural framework ad stadard tools used by Housig ad Childre s Services to work effectively together. 21 The importace of shared processes All Govermet guidace ad legislatio promotes joit processes that eable the delivery of more effective, itegrated frotlie services. We are iterested to promote a framework that ecourages joit workig betwee Housig ad Childre s Services, ad you ca use the idicators we provide (below) to bechmark your procedures. Processes Reaso for joit workig Recommedatios for further actio / opportuities Commo Assessmet Framework (CAF) The CAF is a geeric assessmet for childre with additioal eeds, which ca be used by practitioers across all Childre s Services i all local areas i Eglad. It aims to help early idetificatio of eed, promote coordiated service provisio ad reduce the umber of assessmets that some childre ad youg people go through. Frotlie Housig staff that come ito cotact with vulerable childre are traied ad supported to use the CAF. Take a Family CAF approach to arrive at a holistic, whole family eeds assessmet. 22 Iformatiosharig processes Iformatio sharig helps agecies to collect ad commuicate relevat details about childre ad youg people to eable early itervetio ad prevetio work, for safeguardig ad promotig welfare ad for wider public protectio. Housig staff esure that relevat iformatio about childre i housig eed is shared with Childre s Services. Joit protocols A joit protocol will outlie how all agecies work together to address the eeds of service users who are homeless or threateed with homelessess. Develop clear protocols that outlie resposibilities of Housig ad Childre s Services i meetig the eeds of homeless families ad youg people. These protocols will esure homeless people do ot go through multiple assessmets ad there is a more holistic approach i services meetig all their support eeds. 21 Every Child Matters: Chage for Childre 2004 at everychildmatters/about/backgroud/backgroud/ 22 The Family CAF is a tool beig used by may LAs to address families eeds holistically. For examples, see Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 35

36 Shelter s bechmark idicators for joit workig 1. Housig ad Childre s Services have joit policies ad practices i place to esure that disruptio to schoolig is miimised for childre from homeless families. Housig Services to share iformatio with Childre s Services, icludig Educatio, cocerig families with childre who move ad eed a ew school place or measures take to eable a child or youg perso to cotiue at their existig school. Where a family atteds the Homelessess Service, but the childre are ot i school, a CAF is used to idetify their additioal eeds to support them gettig back ito school. Educatio Services staff check weekly with Housig Services to esure they are aware of families movig ito their area ad the families that are cosidered to be itetioally homeless, makig sure that additioal support is provided for them to access schoolig locally. 3. LAs develop ad implemet prevetio protocols to esure families threateed with evictio are supported to maitai teacies. Families with childre livig i social housig or the private reted sector, whe evictio is a risk, are offered teacy-sustaimet support to help them maitai their teacy. Where atisocial behaviour by a youg perso i the household is a factor threateig the family teacy, Housig ad Childre s Services collaborate to prevet evictio, eg usig family itervetios or Targeted Youth Support. Through Homelessess Strategies ad CYPPs or similar plas, LAs agree a protocol with all major ladlords i their area that esures families are ot evicted without beig give adequate support from housig-related support services to help prevet the evictio. 2. Housig ad Childre s Services have joit protocols to esure adequate housig ad support for 16- ad 17-year-olds. Esure that 16- ad 17-year-olds presetig as homeless receive a assessmet of their eeds uder the Childre Act, as outlied i G v LB Southwark. Develop a protocol to idetify how both services work together to meet the eeds of this age group ad clearly defie the role of the CAF, Child i Need assessmet, ad Targeted Youth Support services. Come together to agree defiitios ad uderstad threshold of eed with regards to Child i Need assessmet. Housig represetatives atted ad cotribute to Multi-Agecy Pael meetigs regardig homeless ad/or badly housed childre ad youg people. I two-tier authorities, arragemets are made locally for Housig ad Childre Services practitioers to work together. 4. Whe pursuig evictio proceedigs, take ito accout the childre s eed for a secure home ad establish effective joit-workig practices to esure their support eeds are met. Housig Services otify Childre s Services whe families are threateed with evictio, to esure support is provided. This measure is writte ito joit protocols. All ladlords iform Housig ad Childre s Services whe evictio is beig cosidered. Where a family is beig rehoused, due cosideratio is give to the suitability ad quality of accommodatio offered ad accommodatio is of a stadard that meets the family s eeds. 36 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

37 5. Childre i families who preset to Housig departmets with housig eeds are cosidered for a Commo Assessmet Framework (CAF) if additioal eeds are suspected. Where a family with childre presets to the Housig Optios or Homelessess departmets, LAs arrage a housig eeds assessmet to determie additioal eeds. A CAF is used where additioal eeds are idetified. LAs develop a Housig Lead Professioal role (either iterally or commissioed exterally), to co-ordiate actio with other professioals, where additioal support eeds have bee idetified for childre of homeless families. Nomiated frotlie practitioers from Housig ad Homelessess departmets are traied i how to be the Lead Professioal ad i the use of CAF. Housig authorities get ivolved ad participate, withi CAF structures, to address the housig eeds of childre i families who preset to ay other service icludig Childre s Cetres. 6. Esure there are joit protocols i place for itetioally homeless families. CAF is used whe additioal eeds are idetified. Esure both accommodatio ad support eeds are met. Where a family is beig rehoused or placed i temporary accommodatio, due cosideratio is give to the suitability ad quality of accommodatio offered ad accommodatio is of a stadard that meets the whole family s eeds. Commissio a Housig Lead Professioal role, to co-ordiate delivery of services to childre withi itetioally homeless families. Housig departmets refer all families deemed itetioally homeless to Childre s Services for a assessmet. Childre s Services to respod withi a agreed time frame. Families are ot split up or threateed with beig split up, whe there is o child protectio issue. Childre s Services report regularly to the Chief Executive of the coucil, Housig departmets ad Childre s Trusts, iformig o the umber of referrals of itetioally homeless families ad the actio take to support them. CASE STUDY Web-based iformatio sharig, trackig temporary accommodatio movemets, NOTIFY Lodo NOTIFY is a web-based iformatio ad otificatio system for Lodo s coucils. It is a register of homeless, sigle people ad households allocated accommodatio (uder the Homelessess Acts) whe movig ito aother borough, ad it supports cotiuity of Social Services, Educatio ad NHS care. The system aims to improve households access to services by otifyig relevat services of the placemet or movemet of statutorily homeless households livig i temporary accommodatio i Lodo. This is particularly importat i relatio to movemet of families with childre ad it eables, for example, the Childre s Services access to iformatio. Lodo Coucils supports the exchage of iformatio, with the coset of the idividuals directly ivolved, ad ecourages staff i Housig, Educatio ad Childre s Services to discuss how they will esure the iformatio is used effectively. Lodo Coucils is offerig a course that sets out the duty of iformatio sharig ad how protocols ca assist statutory ad volutary agecies to exchage iformatio properly. See otify/default.htm Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 37

38 Effective frotlie delivery You will fid this sectio useful if you are: Frotlie practitioers i Housig Services Frotlie practitioers i Childre s Services Frotlie practitioers from a volutary sector orgaisatio or RSL. While effective goverace, strategy ad processes are all importat factors i the joit-workig ageda, people workig together i frotlie delivery is paramout. Frotlie practitioers foster the relatioships with families, childre ad youg people ad are ofte the oes who make those judgemets ad fudametal decisios about the advice ad support eeds of homeless ad badly housed childre, youg people ad families. Multi-agecy workig could ivolve ayoe whose job or volutary work puts them i cotact with childre, youg people ad their families. It is likely to iclude people from professioal backgrouds icludig social work, health, educatio, Early Years, youth work, police ad youth justice. Because childre, youg people ad family s eeds ca be very differet, the compositio of a multi-agecy team will differ from case to case. It is importat each practitioer brigs with them their ow specialist skills, expertise ad isight so that the child, youg perso ad family gets the best support possible. 23 Clear lies of accoutability, iformatio sharig ad commuicatio betwee Housig ad Childre s Services will help you better address the eeds of homeless childre i your area ad lead to improved outcomes. The short case studies ad practice idicators that follow provide examples of how joit workig betwee the services at a frotlie level proves successful, ad you ca use this iformatio to bechmark what you do. Shelter s idicators for joit workig 1. The eeds of childre from homeless families, icludig those deemed itetioally homeless, are assessed ad met. Whe a CAF is carried out, Housig Services are ivolved i the process ad due weight is give to cosider: overcrowdig issues with the ladlord ret arrears, ad evictio risk. Housig Officers from Housig Optios teams are give basic awareess traiig of the impact of bad housig o childre s outcomes durig their iductio traiig. The team ivolved i meetigs ivites Housig professioals to atted for the assessmets where a housig issue is idetified. I assessmets made, cosideratio is give to the distace travelled to school. 2. Staff from Housig ad Childre s Services are co-located or workig closely together to support joit assessmets. LA Housig teams or idepedet housig advice services deliver regular outreach advice sessios i Childre s Services areas, such as exteded schools ad Childre s Cetres. Family Support Workers at Childre s Cetres kow where families recetly placed i temporary accommodatio live, ad they make cotact with them through Housig Officers. Housig Optios teams ad Childre s Services are co-located ad joitly deliver commissioed services liked to Supportig People (SP) to address the eeds of childre i homeless households. Housig Services ad the Youth Offedig Service or Coexios, plus other targeted youth support, all work together to create solutios to prevet homeless youg people, or those at risk of homelessess, from offedig. 23 See 38 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

39 3. Childre s Cetres will provide access to specialist housig advice for families. Childre s Cetres have a omiated member of staff who is traied i housig matters ad able to give substative support ad advice to families i housig eed. Iductio processes for ewly hired family support professioals icludes basic housig ad homelessess traiig. Families movig home are give support to register with a ew GP ad detal health services. 4. Housig ad Childre s Services work together to provide greater provisio of support ad teacy sustaimet for families deemed itetioally homeless. Both Childre s Services ad Housig departmets omiate a member of staff to esure early idetificatio ad prevetio of families at risk of beig foud itetioally homeless, due to atisocial behaviour or ret arrears i particular. 5. Idetify opportuities for shared traiig across Housig ad Childre s Services to esure professioals have clear isight ad uderstadig of each other s roles. Represetatives of housig providers locally (ALMO, coucil or RSL) are icluded i Childre s Cetre steerig groups or area-based steerig groups. Staff from Housig departmets deliver basic housig iformatio workshops to family support professioals to improve their kowledge o local housig procedures ad homelessess issues. Maagers of Childre s Cetres brief Housig staff about how their cetres work, ad Housig Optios ad Homelessess staff are give traiig o the LA s plas ad frameworks for helpig childre achieve more. 6. Additioal support for homeless childre is arraged through schools, exteded schools ad Childre s Cetres. Childre s Cetres work with families livig i temporary accommodatio (hostels, B&Bs ad hotels). Primary ad secodary schools esure ay child kow to be livig i temporary accommodatio, overcrowded coditios or bad housig ca receive free or subsidised access to Breakfast Clubs, Homework Clubs ad after-school activities. Housig staff have a good kowledge of local Childre s Services ad activities, ad ca promote these to families livig i bad housig ad/or temporary accommodatio. 7. Peer educatio methods are employed i schools ad other youg people s settigs, to prevet homelessess. Arragemets are made to orgaise homelessess prevetio workshops i schools. Housig Services work with schools ad i other youth settigs to provide homelessess awareess ad prevetio iformatio. 8. Housig ad Childre s Services go out to provide support for childre i their homeless settigs, eg family hostels ad B&Bs. A omiated perso i Housig Services is resposible for developig ad maitaiig liks with Childre s Services. Free Early Years provisio for all two-year-olds livig i temporary accommodatio is available through Childre s Cetres. Childre s Cetres work with families livig i hostels or B&Bs ad temporary accommodatio hotels. Housig departmets update Family Support Workers mothly about where families with pre-school childre recetly placed ito temporary accommodatio live. Housig ad Childre s Services work together to esure childre are erolled i school. Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 39

40 CASE STUDY Peer Educatio, Shelter s Ricochet service Peer educatio is a effective meas of iformatio sharig betwee youg people, recogisig the importace youg people themselves put o learig from ad beig iflueced by their peer group. I Rotherham, the Ricochet service has ow become well-established ad has developed solid liks with local schools, colleges ad a umber of employers i the area. It has strog ties with Coexios ad the coucil s Youth Service, allowig youg people access to additioal advice ad presetig opportuities to deliver Peer Educatio sessios to other youg people. The story of oe Peer Educator Sally, origially from North Yorkshire ad the eldest of three girls, moved with her family to Rotherham whe she was 10 to be earer her elderly gradmother. Shortly after this, Sally s dad lost his job due to time off work sick ad uexplaied absece, whe i fact he was lookig after her mother who was ill with depressio ad axiety. Illess ad a lack of moey had a profoud effect o the family. Her mother could o loger cope with three childre, so the dad spet all his time tryig to help while Sally, herself oly a child, tried takig o the role of mother to keep some sese of ormality itact for her sibligs. Sally had to witess her mother s drikig ad self-harmig while she also refused to seek medical help, take her medicatio or keep appoitmets. The girls became very isular, the situatio worseig as they bega to miss school, ad this evetually resulted i Social Services gettig ivolved to remedy thigs. All of them were placed i the care of their gradmother where argumets esued ad overcrowdig was a issue with three youg adolescets sharig oe bedroom. Their school work suffered, ad the gradmother the told them they all had to leave oce they reached 16. Sally left home o her sixteeth birthday ad felt lost ad cofused, ot really kowig where to go, what to do or who to ask for help. Her parets did t wat to help, as they were livig uder medical supervisio themselves at the time, so she foud herself homeless without moey. She walked roud Sheffield s city cetre for two days, sleepig i the park ad livig o a loaf of bread ad some crisps. She came across the Coexios office ad, ot kowig what alterative she had, asked for their help. They referred her to the Roudabout Cetre, a hostel for youg people. It was t perfect, but it was better tha sleepig rough ad they made her welcome o arrival, providig her with a hot meal ad a bed. Immediately after this, she was referred to the Actio Housig Hostel i Rotherham where she was give a bedsit, helped to access beefits, ad a actio pla was draw up to help her get back o her feet. A major part of the pla was for her to egage with Shelter s Ricochet service, where she met other youg people who had experieced similar problems, ad she was able to share her fears or cocers ad make frieds to feel relatively ormal oce agai. I the year that followed, Sally completed her Peer Educatio qualificatios, attedig schools ad deliverig Homelessess Awareess sessios. Her cofidece i class was secod to oe, ad her sessios were fu ad excitig. Her self-esteem soared ad her future aspiratios bega takig shape. Sally started her NVQ3 i Childcare at Rotherham College i 2009, successfully completed her first year ad is ow livig i her ow coucil flat ad well o the way to completig her further educatio. Ricochet gave her the cofidece to have a go at further educatio, allowig her to work towards a qualificatio i a supportive atmosphere. She realised she had to stop thikig of herself as a victim ad see her situatio i a positive light. She is ow actively seekig employmet, which will allow her to complete the fial year of her course ad move o with her life. Sally still pops ito the office to say hello ad cotiues to be a ispiratio to ew Peer Educators i the service. She s made a big differece i her ow life as well as to the youg people to whom she s delivered awareess sessios. 40 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

41 CASE STUDY Itetioal homelessess: sharig iformatio to improve outcomes, Shelter Keys to the Future, Kowsley Mr Abbott ad his 11-year-old so Bradley were referred to the service provided by Shelter Keys to the Future, Kowsley from the LA s Homelessess Prevetio team. The service works with families who are deemed to be itetioally homeless, or are at risk of becomig so. Bradley was put ito volutary care by his mother. Whe Mr Abbott discovered this, he applied for ad obtaied paretal resposibility, ad bega tryig to establish a safe family home for them. Ufortuately, the oly place they had to stay was with his ow parets who were alcoholics. He took this optio as a short-term measure ad applied to the LA as homeless. The LA accepted that Mr Abbott was homeless ad i priority eed, but declied to rehouse him because of substatial ret arrears accrued may years before whe he lived with Bradley s mother. Bradley was the subject of a Child Protectio Pla for emotioal abuse suffered i the past, but there had bee frequet chages of Social Worker ad Mr Abbott felt let dow ad reluctat to egage with Childre s Services. These factors jeopardised Bradley s chace of a settled family life. The Shelter worker assiged to support Bradley atteded multi-agecy meetigs at the school ad with Social Services, liaisig with represetatives from Educatio, Childre s Services ad Health. This eabled her to iform Childre s Services about the family s housig situatio, givig them a fuller picture of Bradley s circumstaces ad eeds. After itervetio from Shelter, the ret arrears were writte off, ad the worker represeted Mr Abbott at Kowsley MBC s High Priority Resettlemet Pael. She was able to submit the feedback she d had ad a supportig letter from Childre s Services, as well as makig it clear that Bradley eeded to be rehoused withi walkig distace of the school ad i the commuity where he was curretly receivig support. The family was accepted as high priority ad subsequetly rehoused i their preferred area. Without the worker actig as the lik betwee services, there would have bee a risk of the family remaiig i usuitable accommodatio ad Bradley returig to the care system. CASE STUDY Supported Accommodatio for Care Leavers, the Fairway Project Tees Valley Housig Group s Fairway Project aims to provide youg care leavers with supported accommodatio that prepares them for idepedet livig. The Fairway Project has six flats with commual livig areas at its disposal. Referrals to the project come from the local authority s Youth Leavig Care Team, to a multiagecy allocatios pael. All providers at the pael discuss each referral ad decide which youg people would most beefit from the services at Fairway. Oce a youg perso secures accommodatio at Fairway, project workers carry out a iitial iterview with them, a key worker from the Youth Leavig Care Team ad a support worker from Fairway, to develop a support pla ad idetify goals for the future that will prepare the youg perso to live idepedetly. Joit workig betwee frotlie Social Workers ad staff at Fairway is extremely positive. Regular commuicatios betwee the two services ad a mutual uderstadig of professioal roles ad boudaries eables the Youth Leavig Care Team ad Housig Team from Fairway to provide the most effective support for the youg perso. The key positive outcomes from the project have bee idetified as: improved workig relatioships betwee Housig ad Social Care teams a reductio i failed teacies amog care leavers improved cofidece ad motivatio amog youg people at Fairway. Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 41

42 CASE STUDY Childre s Cetre 0 5 Services ad the Overview ad Scrutiy Committee fuctio, LB Hackey. I late 2008 to early 2009, Hackey s Overview ad Scrutiy team regardig childre ad youg people reviewed the borough s services for ifats aged from 0 to 5. Durig the course of iterviews with parets i Childre s Cetre settigs, members of the Scrutiy Commissio heard frequet requests for more iput ad advice o housig-related matters. Although the commissio idetified some examples of iteractio betwee Early Years providers ad Housig Services, its fial report icluded a recommedatio that housig advice services should deliver surgeries i Childre s Cetres i the areas of highest eed i the borough. The Overview ad Scrutiy Committee also ecoutered cosistet messages about the importace of practical ad frequet iteractio betwee the services at the Childre s Cetre ad the local housig provider, Hackey Homes. It recommeded that a represetative from the local ALMO be ivited o to each of the six area steerig groups for Early Years services i order to foster mutually beeficial workig relatioships. With support from Shelter, these recommedatios were discussed at further meetigs betwee the Childre s Cetre s Exteded Services team i Hackey ad its Housig Services, ad a actio pla was developed to realise the recommedatios by the commissio s review date. Followig the Geeral Electio i 2010, MPs visited a umber of services i the borough where previous overview ad scrutiy work had made a real differece. This icluded a local Childre s Cetre, where staff talked about the success of workig more closely with a variety of housig parters followig the recommedatios of the scrutiy review. CASE STUDY Prevetig Evictios Protocol, Newcastle City Coucil Newcastle City Coucil (NCC) has a multi-agecy partership agreemet that brigs support agecies together whe a evictio is threateed. The protocol lays dow actios to be take at pre-teacy stage, durig the teacy, ad at the threat of evictio. Vulerable households are idetified as part of the housig applicatio ad allocatios process, ad the agreemet esures support is provided i the right place at the right time. Youg people from the followig groups are icluded i the agreemet: Care leavers. People already receivig support. People leavig supported housig. People with drug or alcohol issues. People with disabilities. Households that are ot assessed but cotai childre are idetified at the first sig of a problem. At this poit, a Advice ad Support Worker (ASW) is assiged to the family for assistace ad support. The ASW ivolvemet is laid dow i the ret arrears protocol, ad support is available from a early stage. If evictio caot be avoided, the ASW will make a referral to Social Care ad assist i fidig alterative accommodatio. Support ca iclude referrals to specialist agecies ad i-house support plaig by staff qualified i social work. I cases where a youg perso looks likely to fail i a teacy, eve with support, a move to a supported housig project ca be offered. It is agreed that the youg perso will ot be deemed itetioally homeless or puished for this failure i later years. Over the years, this protocol to prevet evictios has successfully brought about a declie i umbers: 197 evictios i evictio i evictios i the first half of With challegig fiacial times ahead, NCC ad Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) are committed to cotiuig the support to prevet evictios. 42 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

43 CASE STUDY Temporary Accommodatio Play Service, LB Camde Camde s Temporary Accommodatio Play Service has bee ruig for more tha 20 years. It is fuded etirely by Camde s Play Service ad serves the most margialised childre ad families experiecig social exclusio. There are five part-time workers who ru the mobile service. They visit temporary accommodatio hotels ad family hostels, i ad outside the borough, to esure childre are accessig local services for childre ad have the opportuity to play. Oe family hostel i Camde hosts the Play Service team from 3.30pm to 6pm, Moday to Thursday durig term time (10.30am to 5.30pm i holiday times) whe the whole dowstairs commual area is coverted ito a after-school club for the childre, providig opportuities to play games ad do activities such as paitig ad drawig. Some of Camde s Play Service team pick up other childre from various schools ad visit outside play areas, arragig out-of-doors activities such as themed walks o Hampstead Heath or i local parks. Supportig aroud 40 school-age childre per day, this service provides them with the opportuity to be amog other school-age childre livig i the same circumstaces as themselves. Families with youger childre are referred to a dedicated Temporary Accommodatio Support Worker who liaises closely with all Childre s Cetres i the borough. Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 43

44 CASE STUDY Itesive Family Support, Shelter Bristol Housig Support Service Shelter s Itesive Family Support Service i Bristol adopts a holistic approach whe workig with families who access their services. I oe case, a family cosistig of a sigle mother with six childre, aged betwee three ad 14 years, approached the housig support service whe the mum was usure about the security of her private reted teacy. After iitial assessmets ad relatioships were built betwee the mother ad Shelter staff, it traspired that she had experieced domestic abuse from several parters over the years ad the childre had witessed this abuse ad also bee hurt themselves. The family had moved 37 times. These moves were to escape the domestic abuse that was occurig. The family had complex ad multiple eeds. The eldest child was ot attedig school ad foud it hard to socialise with peers. Other childre i the family displayed below-average literacy ad umeracy skills. The 11-year-old boy had severe ager-maagemet issues ad was ofte violet ad aggressive, both at school ad at home with his mum ad sibligs. Relatioships betwee the sibligs i the household were straied ad physical fights occurred o a regular basis. Mum was ot workig, but was kee to get back to work. She was iterested i voluteerig, although did t kow where to start. Shelter s Itesive Family Support Service were able to offer support to the whole family by facilitatig multi-agecy meetigs ad offerig oe-to-oe support to the childre as well as the mother. The selectio of support offered, icluded: emotioal support cofidece buildig ad positive reiforcemet of paretig skills support from advice services with teacyrelated issues support with the childre s behaviour ad educatioal issues ecouragig the mum to atted Shelter s adult service-user cosultatio Have Your Say group support to atted meetigs with professioals offerig family outigs ad trips educatioal support ad additioal tutorig for the childre ager maagemet for two of the childre. Sice workig with the Itesive Family Support service, the family have bee i stable accommodatio ad have bee maagig the teacy well (ad progressively more idepedetly from Shelter). The mother has erolled ad is attedig a support group for wome who have experieced domestic abuse (the Freedom Programme), ad she has also erolled i a Paret Support Programme through her childre s school that she is regularly attedig. The childre are more settled i school ad relatioships betwee the sibligs have vastly improved. The family are maagig very well at the momet ad are makig improvemets i the way they deal with situatios that crop up i their lives. 44 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

45 Photo: Adrea Improvig Testoi outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 45

46 Coclusio Cross departmetal workig, ad the ivolvemet of the volutary ad commuity sector at a local ad atioal level, is imperative to developig strategies ad practice that will successfully tackle the issue of homelessess ad its effect o childre s life chaces. This guide demostrates the importace of joit workig betwee Housig ad Childre s Services ad its effectiveess i mitigatig the egative impact of bad housig ad homelessess. The emphasis placed o people workig together to eable childre to achieve more is rightly embedded withi much of the Govermet policy ad legislative framework. However, at a time of ecoomic austerity, the challege to reduce atioal expediture, while esurig the most vulerable are supported ad protected, has created some cause for cocer. As highlighted earlier i the guide, welfare reform risks pushig vulerable families ito fiacial ad housig hardship. With may services facig sigificat cuts or maybe closig altogether so that access to advice ad support provisio for families is greatly reduced, it is evermore importat to make a early idetificatio of families at risk. The joit-workig idicators we focus o throughout this guide will eable services to idetify ad support families before crisis poit is reached. They allow for services that work with families at risk of homelessess to evolve their practices, towards a ew culture of early itervetio. There is a growig cosesus that this will brig fiacial beefits but, more importatly, improve childre s opportuities ad life chaces. 46 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

47 Appedix 1 Opportuities for joit workig betwee Housig ad Childre s Services checklist Cosideratios ad questioig i the followig headed sectios offer guidace to Childre s Services ad Housig professioals o the opportuities for improvig joit workig, ad this ca help you to bechmark your practices. Sure Start Childre s Cetres With strog emphasis o early itervetio ad prevetio, outreach services ad family support, Childre s Cetres ca be key to idetifyig ad addressig the housig eeds of families with very youg childre. Shelter provides a free advice lie for Childre s Services professioals to access our specialist housig advice. Does your Childre s Cetre have a member of staff with a particular iterest i housig issues? Could s/he be traied i housig matters, to be able to give substative support ad advice directly to families i housig eed? Ca your Housig team or a local idepedet housig advice service deliver regular housig advice sessios i Childre s Cetres (or i exteded schools )? Exteded schools Provisio of activities ad services to childre ad parets i the school buildig provides a opportuity to access iformatio, advice ad assistace o a wide rage of issues from the school directly. Breakfast Clubs, Homework Clubs ad after-school clubs/activities ca provide a safe eviromet for childre livig i bad housig, temporary or overcrowded accommodatio. Ca primary or secodary schools esure that ay child kow by staff to be livig i temporary accommodatio (TA), overcrowded coditios or bad housig is particularly welcomed/targeted (with free or subsidised access) to Breakfast Clubs, Homework Clubs, after-school activities or weeked clubs? Ca Housig staff highlight these services to families movig ito ew TA? Family/Paret Support Workers Huge ivestmet has bee allocated to the employmet ad developmet of Family Support Workers (FSWs), professioals who deal face-to-face with families every day ad are i the best positio to idetify the housig eeds of families with childre. Ca staff i the Housig departmet deliver basic housig iformatio workshops to FSWs to improve their kowledge ad uderstadig of local housig rules ad homelessess issues? Ca Childre s Cetre maagers give briefigs to Housig staff about Childre s Cetres ad how they work? Ca your Childre s Cetre allocate free Early Years places to two-year-olds livig i temporary accommodatio? Does your Childre s Cetre work with families who live i hostels/b&bs ad temporary accommodatio hotels i the borough? What more ca be doe to esure that families i these places are reached? Are local housig providers (ALMOs, coucil or RSL represetatives) icluded i your Childre s Cetre or area-based steerig groups? What liks has your Childre s Cetre to Housig Services, the local Housig departmet or office? Whe hirig ew FSWs, cosider the beefits of someoe with a backgroud i housig advice. Ca you justify hirig a FSW with a specialism i housig, to work across Childre s Cetres ad co-ordiate work with the Housig departmet? What about a outreach worker with a specific temporary accommodatio remit? Do Childre s Cetre FSWs kow where families recetly give temporary accommodatio live? Ca the Housig departmet provide regular, fortightly or mothly, updates about where families with pre-school childre have bee placed, to eable FSWs to do home visits ad check the family is settlig i ad has iformatio about local services, icludig the Childre s Cetre? Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 47

48 Commo Assessmet Framework (CAF) The CAF is a ideal way of idetifyig how a child s housig situatio may be a issue amog his/her wider family support eeds. Solutios ca oly be achieved if the right questios are always asked i the first place. Is the family livig i temporary accommodatio? Is the family overcrowded (statutorily or geerally)? Does the family have issues with their ladlord? Is the family up to date with ret, or is there a risk or fear of evictio? Are Housig Officers i the Housig Optios team traied i ad expected to use a CAF to idetify families with additioal eeds to housig? Are policies, procedures ad practices i place for this to happe? Are relatioships betwee Childre s Services ad Housig departmets, i uitary or two-tier authorities, established for cotacts to be made to take forward issues idetified i a CAF? Are policies, procedures ad practices i place for this to happe? Iformatio sharig Iformatio sharig is key to deliverig co-ordiated services aroud the eeds of the idividual family or child. It is vital i eablig early itervetio ad prevetio work to safeguard ad promote their welfare, improvig outcomes for all childre icludig those i temporary accommodatio who move ofte. I supportig families with a move ito temporary accommodatio, ca Housig Officers sigpost those with pre-school childre to their ew local Childre s Cetre? Ca Welcome Packs be give to families movig ito temporary accommodatio, ad a home visit from a FSW arraged oce the family completes a referral form that is retured to the relevat Childre s Cetre (or cetral liaiso perso)? Is exteded school provisio also highlighted? Team Aroud the Child/Every Child Matters/MAT Meetigs Team Aroud the Child (TAC) or Multi-Agecy Team (MAT) meetigs brig together multi-agecy professioals to discuss issues relatig to a child withi a family, with a view to idetifyig a Lead Professioal ad to establish a rage of support services to overcome ay particular problems that child faces. Where a housig issue is idetified, is a Housig professioal ivited to atted the meetig? Does the Housig professioal always atted the meetig? It is useful for a perso from Housig to provide the housig perspective a isight ito the coucil s duties uder housig law. Are Housig professioals traied i Lead Professioal status? Eve if ot takig o that role, do they kow how to idetify which childre have a Lead Professioal ad how to cotact them? 48 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

49 NOTIFY (Lodo oly) NOTIFY is a web-based iformatio ad otificatio system for Lodo s coucils that aims to esure all movemets ito temporary accommodatio, i/out of the borough, are recorded ad commuicated to relevat people i each borough. Notifyig relevat services of the placemet or movemet of statutorily homeless households i Lodo should help to improve these households access to services. Have your Housig ad Childre s Services discussed how to use this iformatio effectively? Who i Early Years or exteded services is resposible for retrievig data from NOTIFY ad actig upo it with relevat professioals i Childre s Cetres, schools ad Health teams? Do you regularly, at least weekly, upload up-to-date data to it cocerig households moved ito temporary accommodatio? Itetioally homeless families Families the coucil deems itetioally homeless ca be amog the most vulerable, sice they are ot owed a housig duty or beefit from additioal support families i temporary accommodatio get ad must fid housig i the private reted sector. Youth homelessess 16- ad 17-year-olds i priority eed Sice 2002, all 16- ad 17-year-olds are classified as i priority eed whe homeless if they do ot meet the criteria to become a child i eed. As a result, youth homelessess has rise sigificatly. The DCLG is committed to workig with local authorities to help tackle youth homelessess ad address its causes, while Housig ad Childre s Services work together. Does your authority operate up-to-date protocols, to esure seamless joit-workig betwee Housig Officers ad Social Workers ad prevet youg people beig passed betwee them? Are arragemets i place to provide workshops i schools to do with homelessess prevetio? Are high-risk schools ad higher-risk groups of youg people targeted? We have ot covered every situatio regardig childre here, just some of the ways Housig ad Childre s Services ca work more effectively together to hopefully help you improve outcomes for childre ad families i housig difficulty. How do you esure early idetificatio of families at risk, ad prevet them beig foud itetioally homeless, particularly due to atisocial behaviour or ret arrears? Ca you provide itesive support, eg a Family Itervetio Project or debt/welfare services? Are there established protocols betwee Housig ad Childre s Services to idetify these families ad provide support? Are you i touch with Childre s Services well before a family is foud itetioally homeless (eg threateed with evictio due to ret arrears)? Do you (Housig ad Childre s Services) covee a case coferece icludig the family, to promote positive actio to prevet evictio? Is support i place to esure ay disruptio to a child s schoolig is miimised? Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 49

50 Appedix 2 Cotact details for case studies featured Case study Area Cotact Goverace Ivolvemet of Housig Services i Local Safeguardig Childre s Board Strategy North East Regioal Youth Homelessess Network Stockto-o-Tees North East regio regia.harrigto@stockto.gov.uk becky.elto@homelesslik.org.uk Joit processes NOTIFY: web-based iformatio sharig, trackig temporary accommodatio movemets Frotlie delivery Itetioal homelessess: sharig iformatio to improve outcomes, Shelter Keys to the Future Supported Accommodatio for Care Leavers, Fairway Project Childre s Cetre 0 5 Services ad the Overview ad Scrutiy Committee fuctio Lodo Kowsley Tees Valley Hackey, Lodo mark.bragwy@lodocoucils.gov.uk claire_white@shelter.org.uk ala.carlig@teesvalley.org gareth.wall@hackey.gov.uk Prevetig Evictios Protocol Temporary Accommodatio Play Service Itesive Family Support, Shelter Bristol Housig Support Service Peer Educatio, Shelter s Ricochet service Newcastle City Coucil Camde, Lodo Bristol Rotherham yh@yh.org.uk amada.oba@camde.gov.uk kare_macvea@shelter.org.uk adrew_utley@shelter.org.uk 50 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

51 Appedix 3 Resources ad recommeded readig Govermet reports, strategies ad guidace Childre Act Childre Act Childre (Leavig Care) Act Child Poverty Act Early Itervetio: The Next Steps, Graham Alle (2011) Early Itervetio, Smart Ivestmet, Massive Savigs, Graham Alle (2011) Homelessess Act Homelessess Code of Guidace for Local Authorities (July 2006) Joit workig betwee Housig ad Childre s Services: Prevetig homelessess ad tacklig its effects o childre ad youg people, Muro Review of Child Protectio: Fial Report. A child-cetred system, Provisio of accommodatio for 16- ad 17-year-old youg people who may be homeless ad/or require accommodatio, The Foudatio Years: Prevetig Poor Childre Becomig Poor Adults (report of the idepedet review o poverty ad life chaces, Frak Field), media/20254/poverty-report.pdf Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 51

52 No-govermet reports ad guidace Culle, S. Back o track: A good practice guide to addressig atisocial behaviour, Shelter, Lodo, data/assets/pdf_file/0007/38680/22305.pdf Culle, S. Youth housig strategies: A good practice guide, Shelter, Lodo, strategies/youth_housig_strategies.pdf Harker, L. Chace of a lifetime: The impact of bad housig o childre s lives, Shelter, Lodo, lifetime_-_the_impact_of_bad_housig_o_childres_lives NCAS (Natioal Care Advisory Service) Joureys to Home: care leaver s successful trasitio to idepedet accommodatio, Rice, B. Agaist the odds: A ivestigatio comparig the lives of childre o either side of Britai s housig divide, Shelter, Lodo, Shelter Childre s Legal Service briefig: Respodig to youth homelessess followig the G v LB Southwark judgmet, November data/assets/pdf_file/0005/231269/g-v-southwark--childrelegalservice_ briefig-nov09.pdf (available as a dowload or cotact Shelter Childre s Legal Service o for a prited copy) Shelter, Good practice briefig: Egagig with homeless childre: guidace for childre s cetres, data/assets/pdf_file/0005/70529/1420_gpu_egagig_briefv7.pdf Shelter, Good practice briefig: Egagig with homeless childre: guidace for educatio professioals, data/assets/pdf_file/0010/81010/egagig_with_homeless_childre_-_ Guidace_for_educatio_professioals.pdf Shelter, Good practice briefig: Evictio, assessig ad meetig the eeds of childre, data/assets/pdf_file/0005/357998/good_practice_briefig_evictio_assessig_ ad_meetig_the_eeds_of_childre.pdf Shelter, Good practice briefig: The role of housig services i safeguardig childre, 2011 Shortly available from: Shelter, Good practice briefig: Workig with families with complex eeds, 2011 Shortly available from: Shelter, I their ow words: Shelter s Peer Educatio Services for Youg People, data/assets/pdf_file/0003/301278/i_their_ow_words_peer_educatio_ services_for_youg_people.pdf Shelter stadards: Peer educatio i housig ad homelessess, 2007 You ca dowload a copy of this from 52 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services

53 Improvig outcomes for childre ad youg people i housig eed: a bechmarkig guide for joit workig betwee services 53