5. Referral pathway for homeless 16 and 17 year olds
5.1 During office hours:
This protocol acknowledges that young people may present as homeless in a variety of settings. Irrespective of where the young person presents, the following process should be followed during standard office hours (8.30am-5.00pm/ 4.30pm on a Friday), to establish the most appropriate pathway for the young person based upon their vulnerability. The Housing Advice Service takes new homeless applications by telephone for the initial contact. This can be done between 1:00pm and 4:00pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. It is an emergency service only on Wednesdays for young people who are homeless that day, not those at risk of homelessness in the future. The telephone number is 01429 401813.
5.2 Out of office hours:
Where a young person aged 16-17 years presents as homeless outside of office hours the Emergency Duty Team should be contacted on 01642 524552.
5.3 The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 introduced a duty on specified public authorities to refer service users who they think may be homeless or threatened with homelessness to the local authority. If the Housing Advice Team receive a Duty to Refer for a 16 or 17 year old they will contact the young person to verify the circumstances and where necessary refer them via a SAFER to the Children’s Hub, notifying their Social Worker if they have one.