Prevention of homelessness

Tenancy sustainment

Most Care Leavers move on from care into independent accommodation without risk of becoming homeless and most can initially sustain their own accommodation with or without support. If additional help or support is identified, the Council has a Tenancy Sustainment Team who can intervene and help put a plan in place to help keep the tenancy on track. They can do things like:

• help with benefit claims for housing costs
• mediate with a landlord to sort out rent arrears and get payment plans in place
• support the care leaver to engage with other help eg, drug/alcohol services      
• signpost to agencies and additional help – such as with debts
• help with preparing a budgeting plan
• help set up utilities and ensure payments are made for things like TV licence, etc.

Pre-eviction protocol

Working with our partners in the supported housing sector, we have also put in place a robust pre-eviction protocol which means that, before considering eviction, every effort must have been made to involve both the Leaving Care Team and the Housing Team to work together to support the young person to maintain their accommodation. This is to stop them facing eviction and will provide additional support where it is deemed necessary for that young person to carry on living in a placement.

Homelessness

Dorset Council Housing Options Team will work with the Leaving Care Team to do everything possible to avoid homelessness for any care leaver and it is very much the last resort.  

All young people under 21 who were looked after between the ages of 16 and 18 are automatically considered to have a priority need for accommodation under the Housing Act 1996 (as amended). This means that Dorset Council would have a duty to provide you with interim accommodation pending a decision on a young person’s homeless application.

Young people aged 21 or more who are “vulnerable as a result of having been looked after, accommodated or fostered” are also considered to have priority need but establishing this will require a composite assessment of that young person’s needs to understand whether they would be significantly more vulnerable if street homeless.

Everyone would be vulnerable if they became homeless so the test of vulnerability within a housing setting is a very specific test set out in caselaw. Factors that the housing caseworker will consider will include:

• the length of time that the young person was looked after, accommodated or fostered
• the reasons why they were looked after, accommodated or fostered
• the length of time since the young person left care, and whether they have been able to obtain and maintain accommodation during that period
• whether the young person has any existing support networks, particularly family, friends or a mentor

The housing officer will also consider whether they would be at particular risk of exploitation, abuse or involvement in offending behaviour as a result of having been looked after, accommodated or fostered. It is important that, during any housing options interview, everyone is as open as possible in explaining their circumstances so that the advice can be tailored correctly.

For more information on how homeless applications are processed and the law around this, visit our webpage on Homelessness Duties.