CP2242-22 - Homelessness Prevention, Young people's housing-related support for 16/17 year olds and care leavers

Devon County Council Children’s Services commissions services to support young people at risk of homelessness who are age 16/17, or who are care leavers supported by Devon County Council age 18-25. This includes supported accommodation and floating support to young people who require it to prevent them from becoming homeless. Devon County Council commissions the support element of the contract, and the housing costs are funded via housing benefit, or rent contributions from the young person if they are not eligible for housing benefit. This meets our responsibilities to young people as Children in Need or Care Leavers under:

• The Children’s Act 1989
• The Children Leaving Care Act 2000
• The Children and Social Work Act 2017
• The Statutory Guidance on the Provision of Accommodation for 16 and 17 Year Old Young People at Risk of Homelessness.

It also helps housing partners to meet their commitments to these groups under:

• The Homelessness (Priority Need of Accommodation) order 2002
• The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017

Devon County Council will be carrying out a commissioning and procurement process to secure these services in the future when the current arrangement expires. It is the authority’s intention to publish tender documents by late August. There will be opportunities ahead of this to engage with commissioners to help design future services. Further details of these will be published through the tender portal www.supplyingthesouthwest.com ↗ very shortly.