Close working links between Oldham’s leaving care service and housing agencies means more care leavers in Oldham feel safe and settled in their homes.
Why?
Joined up working agreements between housing and leaving care mean that care leavers are well supported in their accommodation.
What?
Oldham have developed a Protocol between housing and their leaving care service with commitments to:
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- Joint working between leaving care and the housing department starts at 17 years and 6 months to allow time for individual planning to meet young people’s needs.
- Multi-agency discussions to avoid early risks of homelessness.
- Involvement of the voluntary sector to support prevention plans through the Young Futures group.
- Additional support to care leavers with complex needs from Housing First – A Greater Manchester wide resource.
- A clear pledge from corporate leaders that no young person will be made homeless.
Impact
Your Life your care survey findings
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- 75% of care leavers in Oldham reported feeling safe where they lived and 61% always felt settled compared to 64% and 51% of care leavers nationally.
Good working relationships between managers
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- The protocol provides a basis for regular meeting between housing and leaving care managers and a strong emphasis on findings solutions to the issues young people are facing
Acting when young people say they don’t feel safe
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- When young people have reported that they do not feel safe in commissioned accommodation, action has been taken to review the contract and where necessary change providers.
Care leaver“Neighbours are very friendly and everyone knows everyone. It’s a nice area to live in and a nice home.”
Oldham Joint Protocol“The central principle of Corporate Parenting is that all elected members, Council employees, service area departments and directorates should consider children in care as if they were their own children and seek to provide only the quality of care which would be considered good enough for their own children.”
