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I had my son at the age of 17 and he is a real power ranger!… We are both looking forward to a brighter future.
Tiffany - Rainer Kent Housing
Poor housing ruins life chances for care-leavers
Gaps in local authority planning mean that almost one in six young people leaving care (1) are placed in unsuitable - sometimes unsafe - accommodation, according to a report released today by young people's charity Rainer.
In some of the worst cases vulnerable young people were placed in housing that was physically unsecured and where they were subjected to harassment and discrimination by other tenants and staff. They could find themselves miles away from work or training and effectively cut off from friends and other support. One in three care leavers did not feel safe where they were living (A National Voice 2005).
Legislation clearly states that local authorities have a duty to provide 'suitable accommodation' for young people leaving care (2) and that care leavers are a priority group for housing services. However, a lack of coordination between leaving care and housing departments can mean that this is not carried out in practice. There is also evidence that young people feel they have no choice but to accept unsuitable accommodation because failure to do so would result in them being declared 'intentionally homeless' and receiving no further help. This is caused in part by the approach of some housing staff.
Bad housing is immensely distressing for young people in the short term, but it is the long-term consequences that Rainer is most concerned about. Placing already vulnerable young people in unsafe or unsuitable accommodation can have a devastating impact on their wellbeing and future prospects in education and employment. For example research shows that quality housing is the biggest factor in achieving good mental health (3). Becoming homeless is one of the top ten concerns of young people leaving care (4) and up to one in three rough sleepers spent time in local authority care as a child (5).
The report recommends that every local authority develop a list of approved properties and landlords and a system for rigorously inspecting properties before vulnerable young people are placed in them. The charity is also pressing for much closer links between leaving-care and housing teams within local authorities, to avoid the confusion that sometimes arises around young people's needs and the support they are entitled to. Finally, there should be a presumption against young people leaving care being declared intentionally homeless.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Rainer Chief Executive Joyce Moseley said:
"While the cases discussed in this report may not represent the experience of all care-leavers - or even the majority - it is unacceptable that even one young person should be put at risk in this way.
"The Care Matters Green Paper presents an enormous opportunity to improve the life chances of young people in or leaving care. But if we don't get the housing right first, we risk undermining that opportunity. The best local authorities already see the links between housing and wider issues. They bring housing and social services together to provide a joint response. We want to see that approach used consistently across the country."
"We want local authorities to provide the support, advice and encouragement that any parent would when their child moves out on their own for the first time."
Ends.
Case study
Matt is an 18-year-old male who spent six years in care from the age of 12 and had a range of support needs, including diabetes. On leaving care he was placed in a hostel that was used to house homeless people from throughout the borough. His room was tiny and had no facilities to store food, so he was forced to keep food in the shared kitchen from which it was frequently stolen. He was very uncomfortable washing in the shared bathroom, as an older resident had made inappropriate sexual advances towards him. Despite reporting this incident and the other difficulties he was experiencing, Matt received no support. The distress caused by this situation meant that he was unable to focus on other areas of his life, such as moving into education and seeking employment. It also severely damaged his confidence when it came to living independently.
*Please note this young person's name has been changed to protect identity.
A promising approach: Hull Young People's Support Service
Hull provide a single referral point for all young people in need of accommodation support through a drop-in service designed with the needs of young people in mind. This combines assessment of housing and support needs through a multi-disciplinary team, including a housing options worker.
The team commissions specific housing provision for 16 & 17 year old care leavers and also operates a joint referral process with supporting people. They also wrote the section of the local supporting people strategy relating to children in need and young people and maintain strong links with the housing department. This provides a planned pathway from one category of support to the next as young people reach 18.
The team has arrangements in place allowing them to support care leavers to bid through the local Choice Based Letting scheme and all care leavers automatically fall into a higher band, ensuring they have a good chance of appropriate accommodation and preventing them from becoming involved in the homelessness system.
Notes to editors
1. Rainer internal research, Jan 2007. Sample size 1,244 young people in contact with leaving care teams in three regions.
2. Regulations and Guidance to the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000. Homelessness Act 2004
3. Making a home, finding a job: Investigating early housing and employment outcomes for young people leaving care. Wade and Dixon, Child and Family Social Work, 11, pp 199-208, 2006.
4. Morgan, R. 2006. Transitions. . .Leaving Care (CSCI presentation)
5. Crisis. Randall & Brown 2001.
6. Rainer is the national charity for under-supported young people. We work with 14,000 young people and young adults in 115 communities across the country - including those who are at risk of family breakdown, in or leaving care, caught up in the criminal justice system, homeless, or outside education, training or employment. www.raineronline.org.
