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Children and Young People’s Executive – 5th September 2008
Meeting the Housing and Accommodation Needs for Young People
aged 16-25
Introduction
The briefing paper outlines the need for a single multi-agency strategic group to lead on the
issues in relation to young people’s accommodation needs.
It has been agreed by DMT that
 a strategic, multi-agency group be established. This group will consist of senior
managers, providing the steer for operational groups and provide the direct link via the
13+ group to the Children and Young People’s Board.

The group will be chaired by a senior representative from one of the District Councils.
Background
Government is committed to reducing and preventing homelessness. The negative impact
that homelessness can have on peoples’ lives is well documented and Government has
recognised the poor start to children’s lives that results from homelessness and periods in
poor quality, temporary accommodation, through the following publications and White Papers:

More than a Roof (2002)

Sustainable Communities: settled homes; changing lives

Care Matters; Time for Change (2007)

Joint working between housing and children's services - preventing homelessness and
tackling its effects on children – (2008).
Since the introduction of the Homelessness Act (2002), local authorities have been required
to adopt strategies to prevent homelessness in their areas, an approach that has significantly
reduced new cases of homelessness across England. This makes local authorities well
placed to meet Government’s target to halve the use of temporary accommodation by 2010.
Whilst new cases of homelessness have been reducing, the number of young people
becoming homeless has remained disproportionately high. In 2006, Government introduced
a series of measures including the commitment to end the use of bed & breakfast
accommodation by housing authorities, except in emergencies.
There are five groups of children and young people who have been identified as being at
particular risk of poor outcomes in the absence of effective joint working between Housing
Services, Children’s Services, the Voluntary Sector and their partners:

16 and 17 year olds who are homeless or who are at risk of becoming homeless

care leavers aged 18 to 21

children of families living in temporary accommodation

Young offenders

children of families who have been, or are at risk of being, found intentionally homeless
by a housing authority.
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Some of these children and young people will feature in more than one of these groups, so
services must be flexible enough to address the different ways in which homelessness affects
children and families.
It is clear that where services work best, there are good joint working arrangements at a
strategic level within local authorities and with their partners in the Children’s Trust. Within
the framework of improving local authority services, provided within the White Paper Strong
and Prosperous Communities, Government has recognised the importance of a strategic
approach to service delivery which is emphasised in its own measures and indicators within
cross-Government Public Service Agreements (PSAs), Departmental Strategic Objectives
(DSOs) and partnership arrangements to deliver on indicators, included in the Local Area
Agreement (see Appendix 3).
Local Action
Concerns have been raised that there are a number of different meetings taking place around
the County that are dealing with the issues around young homelessness. The principle
meetings are:

those connected with the LAA (led by the District Councils)

those connected with Supported People

the work being undertaken for both the Youth Offending Service (YOS)
Accommodation Strategy and the 16+ Service Accommodation Strategy

the District Council’s Multi-agency Homelessness Strategy Group.
Other ad hoc groups have also been established from time to time. There is a danger that this
approach overstretches those people who are expected to attend as well as diluting the effort
to provide services and resources for this group of vulnerable people. Therefore a distinction
made between strategic and operational groups would help to identify the most appropriate
attendees.
There is an acknowledgement that young people not only need mediation services to help
prevent them becoming homeless but also require support and services to help them to
maintain the accommodation identified to meet their needs. A range of accommodation
options and support mechanisms need to be in place. There are additional issues
surrounding the transition of young people from young people’s services to adult services.
The nature of the homelessness agenda needs a multi-agency, single, joined-up approach
between the County Council, District Councils and the voluntary sector to ensure that these
very vulnerable young people have access to all the services that are required to help provide
them with the support and guidance to ensure stability of placements.
Equalities issues/implications
Equality of access to services within the Districts is an issue that should be addressed by the
implementation of the recommendations within the report.
Safeguarding issues/implications
The establishing of a multi-agency group should resolve any safeguarding issues.
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Appendix 1
Terms of Reference
Membership:
District Councils (Chair)
Children’s Social Care
Connexions
Voluntary Sector
Supporting People
Youth Offending Service
Teenage Pregnancy Service
Drugs and Alcohol Team (DAAT)
The key elements underpinning effective joint work to prevent and mitigate the
effects of homelessness on children and young people and meet young people’s
accommodation needs are:







The development of joint protocols
A shared ethos of prevention
Making strategic connections and developing shared strategic objectives and
targets
Effective use of joint resources to achieve shared aims
Sharing Information
Use of the Common Assessment Framework
Involving Children, Young People and Parents
Purpose:
To work at a strategic level to provide the overview and steer for
the prevention of homelessness amongst young people and the
provision of suitable accommodation for young people, through the
development of a robust joint protocol framework. To ensure that
sufficient resources are made available to underpin this work.
Responsibilities






To take the strategic lead across Leicestershire on issues relating to young peoples
homelessness
To contribute to the relevant LAA outcomes/indicators relating to young people, and
also to indicators within the national indicator set (see Appendix 2) and PSA
Targets.
To develop a county-wide approach to delivering accommodation to meet the
needs of 16- 21 year olds
To ensure that there is a consistent approach to young people’s accommodation
issues across Leicestershire
To develop and agree a planned and co-ordinated single pathway for potentially
homeless and homeless young people
To develop flexible and innovative approaches to meet the often complex needs of
young people with a potential accommodation problem and young people without
accommodation.
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Working Arrangements
 The group will be chaired by a senior representative from the District Councils
 The group may carry out work as a whole or set up task and finish groups as
appropriate
 The group will act as the advisory body to the CYPS Board on developments within
young people’s accommodation issues
 The group will meet every two months
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Appendix 2
Governance Arrangements
Youth Offending
Board
Children and Young
People’s Services Board
Supporting People Core
Strategy Development
Group
Young Accommodation Needs
Strategic Group
User Group Forums
Provider Forums
District Council Forums
District
Council
led LAA
meeting
Supporting
People Core
Strategy
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Youth Offending
Accommodation
Strategy
16+ Service
Accommodation
Strategy
Appendix 3
Indicators underpinning Outcomes
There are a number of multi-agency indicators that underpin the Public Service Agreements
Number 14 (Increase the number of children and young people on the path to success),
Number 16 (Increase the proportion of socially excluded adults in settled accommodation and
employment, education or training) Number 20 (Increase long-term housing supply and
affordability) (as quoted in the joint Working between Housing and Children’s Services) that
support the establishment of a multi-agency group that guides and supports the work of
providing appropriate accommodation wrap-around support for young people.
By working towards Public Service Agreements 14, 16 and 20, these should provide children
and young people with the opportunities and support so that they:
 Succeed in education and learning
 Develop resilience and wider social and emotional skills
 Can make a real contribution to their communities and wider society
 Are physically, mentally and emotionally healthy
 Grow up in a safe and supportive environment
In addition to the indicators included in Local Area Agreement 2, there are a number of
indicators that specifically relate to the accommodation needs of young people within the 198
indicators that Government will monitor.
National Indicator set (indicators finalised and released on February 2008)
National
Description
Indicator (NI)
NI 45
Young offenders engagement in suitable education, employment or training
NI 46
Young Offenders access to suitable accommodation
NI 91
Participation of 17 year olds in education or training
NI 141
Percentage of vulnerable people achieving independent living
NI 143
Offenders under probation supervision living in settled and suitable
accommodation at the end of their order or licence
NI 147
Care leavers in suitable accommodation
NI 148
Care leavers in education, employment or training
NI 153
Working age people claiming out of work benefits in the worst performing
neighbourhoods
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Links to the Meeting the Housing and Accommodation needs for young people aged 16-25 to Leicestershire’s LAA2 (10th March, 2008)
1. Improved life chances for vulnerable
individuals and places
1.1 Improved life chances for individuals and families
NI 142, Number of vulnerable people who
are supported to maintain independent living
NI 145, Adults with learning disabilities in
settled accommodation
1.2 Improved quality of life for people living in
the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods (at a
faster rate that the County generally)
1.3 The lives of offenders and those at risk of
offending and improved so they are less likely
to offend
NI 19, Rate of proven re-offending by young
offenders
1.4 An increase in the provision of affordable
housing
NI 155, Number of affordable home
delivered (gross)
1.5 Children in Leicestershire stay safe
1.6 Children and young people achieve
economic well-being
NI 117, 16 to 18 year olds who are not in
education, training or employment (NEET)
NI 87, Secondary school persistent absence rate
Local indicator – Care leavers in education,
employment or training
2. Stronger more
cohesive communities
3. A safe and attractive
place to live and work
2.1 Stronger communities where
people are involved, engaged and
play a role in decision making
3.1 People feel (and are) safer
from violence
NI 20, Assault with injury
crime rate
2.2 There is a positive view of
diversity and equalities
5. A prosperous innovative
and dynamic economy
5.3 A highly skilled,
motivated and innovative
population and more people
in high value jobs
3.2 Disorder and anti-social
behaviour is low compared to
comparable areas and is being
tackled effectively
2.3 Leicestershire is integrated,
cohesive and inclusive
NI 1, % of people who believe
people from different backgrounds
get on well together in their local
area
Local indicator –
Learning Diplomas
NI 24, Satisfaction with the
way police and local council
dealt with the anti-social
behaviour
NI 2, % of people who feel that they
belong to their neighbourhood
3.7 The housing needs of
young people
NI 154, Net additional
homes provided
2.4 There is equality of access to life
opportunities
2.5 All sections of the community are
empowered to influence local decision
making
Key:
NI 4, % of people who feel they can
influence decisions about their
locality
Top Level Outcome
SCS Outcomes from Consultation draft
National Indicator – NI National Priority
NI Statutory Priority
2.8 Children and young people make a
positive contribution
NI 110, Young people’s participation
in positive activities
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6. A healthier
community
6.2 The harm caused by
drug and alcohol misuse is
reduced in local
communities
NI 115, Substance
misuse by young
people
6.5 Children and young
people in Leicestershire
are healthy
6.8 Improved mental
health and well-being
NI 50, Emotional
health of children
6.12 Improved sexual
health, particularly for
young people
NI 112, Under 18
conception rate