A young person may present themselves as homeless, or as threatened with becoming homeless within 56 days [4] to a variety of places, including any part of Staffordshire County Council’s Children’s Services, or Local Housing Authorities.
Once a report of the homelessness of a 16 or 17-year-old is received, the responsibility lies with the receiving agency to undertake the steps identified below.
The most critical issues to be determined in the first instance, will be:
- Whether the young person is homeless.
- If the young person is a child in need (section 17) and/or is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm (section 47)
- And/or if the young person requires emergency accommodation.
If the young person requires accommodation, Children’s Services must accommodate them immediately. The welfare of the young person is paramount. It is important that this 16- or 17-year-old child must not be placed at risk whilst waiting for the completion of an assessment.
[4] Housing Act 1996
