‘Duty To Refer’ May Help Prevent Homelessness
Public services such as hospitals, Jobcentres and prisons now have a duty to notify local authorities when they think someone may be homeless or at risk of homelessness.
According to Homeless Link, individuals can arrive at the point of homelessness after a long chain of other life events, often coming into contact with a range of public services before reaching a homelessness crisis or approaching the local housing authority (LHA) for advice. The recently introduced duty to refer, part of the Homelessness Reduction Act, aims to help people get access to homelessness services as soon as possible by ensuring that peoples’ housing needs are considered when they come into contact with a range of public authorities.
Where they become aware that someone is homeless or at risk of homelessness these authorities are now legally required, with consent, to notify the LHA, which will then contact the individual and begin the process of determining whether they require support. Although LHAs’ and public authorities should decide how the duty will work in each local area, the Homelessness Code of Guidance offers direction around the minimum amount of information that will be required for a referral. It recommends that LHA’s set up a single point of contact for submitting referrals and makes clear that for certain individuals it may be more appropriate for public bodies to assist them to approach the LHA rather than simply refer them.
The guide to the duty to refer goes further, highlighting that if an individual wishes, public authorities can actively assist them to make a homeless application. The guide also acknowledges that identifying whether someone is threatened with homelessness is difficult. It outlines a number of factors that may indicate that someone is threatened with homelessness (e.g. if they have problems with debt, or are a ‘victim of domestic abuse’), and public authorities should also have received service-specific guidance from their relevant government departments to support them with implementing the duty.
Homeless Link recommends that staff develop a trauma-informed approach to support effective identification and engagement with individuals. Consideration should also be given to how the environment can be designed and delivered in a way that takes into account the emotional and psychological needs of the individuals using them.
Guidance from the Department for Communities and Local Government provides case studies on how this has worked in practice for services working with homeless people. As local areas are in the early stages of implementing the duty to refer, Homeless Link will be working closely with their members across the country to monitor the impact in the coming months.
