Public reports pack PDF 3 MB - Blaby District Council

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In August 2012, a further £300,000 was awarded by the DCLG for a City and Countywide partnership project, led by County
Officers.
Leicestershire County Council processes and procedures
The first contact from a young homeless person who approaches the Children & Young Peoples Service is with the Bassett Street
team who establish firstly if they are homeless and secondly if there is any other support available - relatives, family, friends. Then
an initial assessment is completed to establish needs and if they should come under local authority care (always a last resort and
going into local authority care is prevented).
Jill Bharkhada, Service Manager, Locality Social Work Children and Young People’s Services gave evidence to members that a
restructure of the County’s Social Work Children & Young People’s service in December 2011 was aimed at providing a more
consistent response and approach as well as supporting staff development in understanding legislation, issues and guidance.
Since then the service has been reassessed to improve locality links. From 15 October 2012 arrangements for assessing young
people will be through one of three Strengthening Families Teams.
Working Together
The Government vs. LB Southwark judgement (2009) requires local authorities’ housing and social services departments to work
together to provide support and accommodation to 16 and 17 year olds. This is an area Blaby Housing Options officers expressed
as a frustration and was not as effective as it should be.
Findings from a Homeless LINK survey (Dec 2011) would support this view
• ‘Local authorities largely felt this was due to Children’s Services, although it was also reported that the two-tier local authority
structure was a barrier to effective working’.
• Survey response: ‘Our protocol is very new and needs to be reviewed. We still experience difficulties in getting CYPS to
accept their duty and follow the protocol’ (LA East Midlands.)
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