To consider a report on housing and support needs for vulnerable young people.

The Panel considered a report from the Director of Social Care, Health and Housing which provided an additional perspective to the report on the provision of accommodation to care leavers submitted to the Panel on 21 July 2014 (minute CPP/14/18 refers) and to the presentation to the Panel on 3 February 2014 (minute CPP/13/38 refers).

The report outlined the strategic drivers that were acting to bring the Children’s Services and Social Care, Health and Housing Directorates into closer collaboration and discussed the emerging strategic and operational response from a Housing service perspective.  In addition the report set those activities in context by outlining the barriers that care leavers and vulnerable young people experienced in their access to housing including the potential ‘blockages’ within the system.

The Assistant Director Housing introduced the report, highlighting and developing issues for consideration.  He also emphasised that meeting the housing and support needs of care leavers and vulnerable young people was the responsibility of the whole Council and that only the whole Council, acting with a unified approach could, ultimately, meet the demands emanating from this area. 

The Assistant Director Housing referred to the need to optimise the supply of new build housing but that how, unfortunately, new developments were not necessarily in those areas which were suitable for use by care leavers and vulnerable young people.  Instead he suggested the use of commuted sums for the development of infill sites in established communities.  The Director of Social Care, Health and Housing also referred to the challenge of understanding the need and the type and location of suitable accommodation and ensuring that this information was communicated to partners and stakeholders across the Council, especially to those responsible for planning.

Discussion took place on the circumstances leading to tenancy failure by care leavers and the importance of semi independent accommodation, especially for younger care leavers, as an opportunity to gain life skills before moving to fully independent accommodation.  The meeting noted the input from the Children in Care Council representative.  The Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations emphasised that, if possible, foster placements were retained for young people until post 18 mindful that there was a background of young care leavers losing their accommodation and becoming homeless as a result of premature entry into the adult world.  Members concurred with this approach, drawing on personal family experience in support of young people remaining in foster care with their families whenever possible and until they were suitable experienced.

The Panel welcomed the report and expressed its support for the content.

RESOLVED

that an update report relating to the Improvement Plan being developed by the Corporate parenting Operations Group be submitted to the Corporate Parenting Panel in October 2015.

NOTED