Are you 16-17 years old and facing homelessness?
Preventing your homelessness
If you are a 16-17 year old living in Northamptonshire and you are homeless or threatened with homelessness, we have a protocol in place to help you. We work in partnership with Northamptonshire Children's Social Care and various other statutory and voluntary agencies to ensure that you remain in your current home wherever possible.
The lead professional will make contact with parents, carers and other agencies to try to keep you in your home. Extended family and support networks will be contacted to explore other rehousing options. Our main aim is to keep you from becoming homeless in the first instance.
Children's Social Services Assessments
If returning home is not possible, the objective is to find the most suitable accommodation.
The lead professional in Children's Social Services will be required to assess whether you will become a Looked After Child under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989. Any immediately required accommodation will be provided by Children's Social Care pending this assessment.
The lead professional will consider the following:
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Why the person is presenting as homeless
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Family composition, accommodation history, historical social services involvement
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Support networks
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Immigration status
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Resilience and protective factors
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Vulnerabilities, including mental health issues, learning disabilities, child protection and safeguarding
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Risks to themselves or others
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Communication needs
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Advocacy needs
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The young person's views
Social Workers will continue to explore the possibility of the young person returning to their home or being rehomed with extended family or friends throughout this assessment.
The outcome of the assessment will decide whether the young person is:
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Accepted as a Looked After child under Section 20 Children Act 1989, therefore Children's Social Care will provide accommodation
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Not accepted as a Looked After child, and therefore subject to homelessness legislation
Non-Looked After Children
A Full Housing Assessment will take place if a young person is considered homeless or threatened with homelessness. A Multi-Agency Child in Need Meeting is likely to be convened to address the young person's housing and support needs, and attempts will be made to keep or return the young person to their home, or rehome them with family or friends.
Temporary accommodation may be provided if the young person is unable to find anywhere else to stay. The young person will have to consider how they will be able to afford housing and day-to-day costs.
If the young person is in Relief duty for 56 days, we are guided to decide whether they have become intentionally homeless. A person would be considered intentionally homeless if they have become homeless as a result of something they had deliberately done or failed to do.
Useful Links
Northamptonshire Children's Social Services
