Please provide:
1.
a) Total number of 16/17 year olds accommodated under section 17 of the Children Act (please only include 16/17 year olds accommodated alone, not with their families) for period 1st April 2017 ‘ 31 March 2018 and 1st April 2018 ‘ 31 March 2019
In 2017/18: 78 16/17-year olds were accommodated as a Child in Need s17 under the Homelessness Prevention contract.
In 2018/19: 51 16/17-year olds were accommodated as a Child in Need s17 under the Homelessness Prevention contract.
b) Total number of 16/17 year olds accommodated under part 7 of The Housing Act for period 1st April 2017 ‘ 31 March 2018 and 1st April 2018 ‘ 31 March 2019
In 2017/18: 94 16/17-year olds were accommodated under the Homelessness Prevention contract due to housing needs and not as a Child in Need.
In 2018/19: 86 16/17-year olds were accommodated under the Homelessness Prevention contract due to housing needs and not as a Child in Need.
We should clarify that reporting under the Homelessness Prevention contract doesn’t distinguish whether they were accommodated under section 7 of the Housing Act or under other legislation.
We should further clarify that whilst it is likely that the majority of these young people will have been under the Housing Act, although some may have been under an assessment pathway, for example, if accommodation was required while work was carried out to determine if they should become a Child in Need (s17), become a Child in Care under Section 20 or be accommodated under housing legislation.
c) Total number of 16/17 year olds accommodated on another basis apart from section 20 of the Children Act (please specify what basis e.g. through a supported accommodation pathway) for period 1st April 2017 ‘ 31 March 2018 and 1st April 2018 ‘ 31 March 2019
Please refer to our answer above
2. Broken down for each category in question 1 a-c above, please specify the number housed in accommodation which is not regulated by Ofsted (including independent or semi-independent accommodation or supported accommodation) at 31 March 2018 and at 31 March 2019
NB: For both questions a total for the combined number of 16/17 year olds is fine, we do not need this data to be broken down by age.
As at 31st March 2019 there were 11 16/17-year olds who were accommodated as a Child in Need s17 and 22 16/17-year olds who were accommodated under other legislation (including section 7 of the housing act) under the HP contract.
As at the 31st March 2019 there were 18 16/17-year olds who were accommodated as a Child in Need s17 and 31 16/17-year olds who were accommodated under other legislation (including section 7 of the housing act) under the Homelessness Prevention contract.
All providers on the Homelessness Prevention contract are not regulated by Ofsted as they are either semi-independent or supported accommodation.
Please note regarding the answers to questions 1 and 2 – sometimes a young person’s status may change during their time in supported accommodation. For example, they may initially present as having a housing need and be housed while an assessment is carried out, which then determines that they are a Child in Need s17.
Question 1 has been answered based on a young person’s status on initially entering support housing, Question 2 has been answered based on the young person’s status on the date given.
3. Does your local authority have a written joint protocol on services provided to 16- and 17-year olds by housing and children’s services? If yes, please provide us with a copy.
Yes, please see below.