Public reports pack PDF 3 MB - Blaby District Council

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3. Scope, objectives and key tasks
The review’s scope focused on examining concerns in relation to youth homelessness raised by Blaby District Council’s Housing
Options Team, and specifically how the following objectives could be achieved:
• Adoption of a workable protocol that would enable Social Services, young people and local authorities to understand the
process for providing help and support to vulnerable, homeless 16 and 17 year olds.
• Establishing good working relationships between frontline officers, with true joint working and effective information sharing
• Joint commissioning of services for young people
• Identifying suitable accommodation for young people who are children in need
• Undertaking accurate and timely assessments that meet the guidance in the Children Act 1989.
As the impact of forthcoming Welfare Reforms became known, the working group also examined
• Councils readiness for increased homelessness
• Funding challenges
• Limited hostel access
Key tasks
• Visit to The Bridge, Loughborough to develop an understanding of a ‘single access point’ and to see at first hand how it
operates.
• Review other local authorities’ homelessness protocols to assess best practice.
• Look at the difference between Blaby District Council’s services for homeless 16 – 17 year olds and Leicestershire County
Council’s Locality Social Work Children & Young People’s Services. From this, the Group wanted to identify constraints and
issues experienced in dealing with this vulnerable group and how young people might ‘fall through the net’.
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