To receive an update on the Mark Ridell visit and implementation of an action plan for care experienced young people and how we deliver Housing to Care Experienced Young People.

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Councillor Bye, Divisional Director of Community and Customer Services, Tara Harris and Affordable Housing Manager SHAP (Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme) – Programme, presented the submitted report and responded to questions in respect of housing for care experienced young people.

The Sub-Board asked questions in relation to the following:

·                     was SHAP supported living or follow on accommodation;

·                     when a care experienced person leaves their families were they encouraged to stay in touch and continue to be supported;

·                     the care experienced people who come back and need support, were they referred to Adult Services or would they continue to be supported by Children’s Services;

·                     were young people who stay with host families a short term option;

·                     paragraph 1.1 referred to Torbay supporting 128 former care experienced young people, of whom 85% (110) were assessed as living in suitable accommodation, which left 18 who were not, 9 were in temporary accommodation and 1 in His Majesty’s Prison, where were the remaining 8 (it was agreed that a written response would be provided to this question and where the Council was regarding staying put accommodation for care experienced young people);

·                     the figures were not correct in the report, it was requested that the figures be updated and the report be republished;

·                     section 8 referred to limited options to move families who have been found intentionally homeless, was there a plan to support those families; and

·                     what counted as intentionally homeless for a care experienced young person.

Members received the following responses:

·                     The SHAP project was being delivered by the YMCA to provide 36 units of accommodation for young people between the ages of 18-25 who were at risk of homelessness or rough sleeping. The YMCA was at the stage of practical completion for 3 of the 4 units of accommodation representing 28 of the 36 units. 18 units were expected to be occupied in July 2025.  These units were intended to be the main landing point for young people where there would be overnight warden support.  A further 8 units would come online in September 2025 and the remaining 10 in October 2025.  The YMCA Staffing Team was in place and training was underway.  From a local authority perspective, the allocation policy would now be developed at pace and a Panel established to ensure that this was a transparent process that was operational to ensure that properties were occupied at the earliest opportunity.  Members were informed of the work that the YMCA had done in Exeter and suggested the merits of visiting to see what could be learned from their projects.

·                     There was a lack of suitable accommodation across Torbay, with 220 properties on Devon Home Choice a year across the system, with 1800 on a waiting list.  The report had also been prepared in conjunction with the Devon Ofsted and feedback from the Mark Rydell visit.  Support for housing for care experienced young people would form part of the Council’s Ofsted inspection due later this year and was also the focus of a recent Corporate Parenting Board.  Part of the challenge for some supported accommodation was the length of stay due to lack of suitable move on accommodation.  High numbers of care experienced young people were staying over 18 months, with some for up to three years.  Over the past four years take up had increased from 73% to 90% and accommodation was being utilised better. 

·                     Feedback from Mark Rydell’s visit showed that care experienced young people did not want to be in shared accommodation and wanted to be able to move on when they were ready.  They felt that the housing offer could be inconsistent at times and could be better.  The Council was reviewing the Band B offer and looking to get a set of guarantees to help care experienced young people to transition between Children’s Services and Adults Services, with better joining up of services specially around support for mental wellbeing.  The Director of Adults and Community Services and Director of Children’s Services were looking at the wider gaps and what the offer was for people post 18.

·                     Although the number of people in temporary accommodation had increased the number of care experienced young people in that accommodation had decreased.  Supported lodgings with host families who support young people to live within their properties was a preferable option, but there had been a reduction in the number of families coming forward, which was the same nationally as well as a national shortage in foster carers.  The length of time a young person stayed with a host family varied and depended on their relationships, the intention was for them to stay until they were ready to move on, but the problem was then lack of move on accommodation.

·                     There was expected to be a bottle neck of care experienced people this year with 35-59 and next year 30-44 people needing support.  This excluded referrals through unaccompanied asylum seeking, potentially 25 a year, many of whom were 16 or 17 years old when they come through the scheme.  These young people have complex needs particularly around mental health and wellbeing and substance misuse. 

·                     Devon Home Choice had been asked how many care experienced young people had been allocated placements since changing them to a Band B, to help the Council identify how many young people were being placed through the current system to help identify demand.

·                     The Council has a duty of care for care experienced young people up to 25 years of age.  Even after 21 years of age, if the young person says they do not want to see their Personal Advisor, the Personal Advisor will still reach out to them on a quarterly basis.  Some do come back for support where they are struggling.  They would continue to be supported through the Care Experienced Team, who would then work with other agencies to provide to support to the young person to meet their needs.  There was concern that if they did not meet the criteria for support through Adult Services they would not receive the support, this was part of the reason the two Directors were working together as Children’s Services retains responsibility but would need support through Adult Services.  Work was being carried out with the Human Resources Team to have care experienced as a characteristic for job applications, which would ensure they receive an interview if they meet the essential job criteria.

·                     There was a pilot to provide early help via the Housing Options Team, to support families who were at risk of becoming homeless, this was carried out with Children’s Services to identify issues and source temporary accommodation which was more cost effective than that previously secured by Children’s Services as the Housing Team have more expertise in the temporary accommodation market.  The Council did not have any intentional homeless people, that was just a legal term.

·                     Under the new Children’s Reforms those children who would have previously been categorised intentionally homeless would have automatically been classed as children in need would no longer happen as they do not have to be held with a social worker, whoever was working with the family from early help services would support them and anyone could be a family lead practitioner.  They would only come into Children’s Services if they needed to escalate to child protection.  There was a need to skill up the wider workforce to make them aware of the triggers to escalate to child protection.

·                     Last year the costs to Children’s Services for spot purchasing temporary accommodation was £272,000, there had been a reduction in the number of families but the costs were increasing.  There was a lot of different legislation coming into force which would impact on services.  Previous market engagement events were not that successful.  A needs analysis was being carried out so that the Council knows what it needs over the next five years, which would be used to drive the market to be flexible to meet our needs.

·                     The Council did not define care experienced young people as intentionally homeless, when they may have difficulties with temporary accommodation.

Resolved (unanimously):

1.         that the Democratic Services Team Leader be requested to arrange a site visit to the YMCA project in Exeter; and

2.         that the Democratic Services Team Leader be requested to invite the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board Members to the Planning Committee meetings when any new planning applications come through from the YMCA for the SHAP project.