5.3.1 Homeless Children |
Contents
- Background
- Outline of the Service
- Becoming Homeless/Becoming Settled
- Notes on Tenure/Status/Interpretation etc.
1. Background
When Coventry provided social care assessment services through generic teams, local office responsibility was determined by the individual or family's Coventry address. Where the referred person/family was not linked to a Coventry address, responsibility was assumed by the (then) Earlsdon Office which was subsequently transferred to Willenhall.
Since the Referral and Assessment Service was established, this office now deals with all referrals.
2. Outline of the Service
The Council's corporate duty towards homeless families is met by the Housing Department who are responsible for arranging appropriate accommodation. The Children, Learning and Young People Directorate is therefore not routinely involved in assisting homeless families unless the children have/may have additional social care needs.
Where children in homeless families are identified by the Housing Department as potentially having social care needs they are usually referred to the Referral and Assessment Service (RAS). RAS staff are responsible for checking previous Children's Social Care involvement. Where Children's Social Care Services are involved (or have been involved in the four previous weeks) the referral will be passed on to the relevant Neighbourhood office.
Where children/young people under 18 years of age are homeless and are not accompanied by a responsible adult their needs are assessed by the RAS (or by the EDT outside normal office hours - see Out of Hours Duties to Provide Emergency Accommodation to Homeless People Procedure).
3. Becoming Homeless/Becoming Settled
Becoming homeless does not cut across standard arrangements for case responsibility/transfer. Where a family is "open" to a Children's Social Care office this responsibility is maintained should they become homeless. Requests for transfer of a homeless family or young person are made in accordance with the Allocation of Work and Transfer Protocol as appropriate.
Where a family has a Coventry address and is at risk of becoming homeless (for example by eviction) it is the responsibility of the relevant local Children's Social Care office (once aware) to provide appropriate services to help achieve safe accommodation for the children. Once involved for this, or any other reason, responsibility for the family is maintained by the office involved in the event of the family becoming homeless.
Where a social care service has been provided to a family by RAS in the context of homelessness this responsibility can be transferred to another office (in accordance with the Allocation of Work and Transfer Protocol) once the family has acquired a Coventry address.
Where a social care service has been provided to an unaccompanied minor by RAS in the context of homelessness, this responsibility can be transferred to another Children's Social Care office (in accordance with the Allocation of Work and Transfer Protocol) once the child/young person has acquired a Coventry address.
4. Notes on Tenure/Status/Interpretation etc.
In order to be considered as having a Coventry address it is not essential for a family/child/young person to have a legal right to occupy a property by tenancy agreement, licence, mortgage etc. Thus families and individuals living as squatters, with relatives or friends and in hostels (except when placed in a hostel by Housing for reasons of homelessness) are considered to have a Coventry address.
The legality of the occupation is not relevant in determining whether a family/individual has, or has had, a Coventry address
End