Councils under new duty to notify GPs, schools and other relevant bodies when child placed in temporary accommodation

To help councils implement the change “quickly and effectively”, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has updated the Homelessness code of guidance for local authorities, and provided nearly £1 million to support operational costs.

Meanwhile, the Department for Education has updated its Keeping children safe in education guidance to inform schools of the measure and how they might respond to receiving a notification.

There are currently around 177,530 children living in temporary accommodation.

The Government warned: “When a household is forced to move into temporary accommodation, it can be disruptive for children – affecting school attendance, healthcare appointments and access to support services.

“Without the right join-up between key services, support can come too late and children risk falling through the cracks.”

While describing the new duty on local authorities as “an important step”, the Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, warned it is “vital” it is backed by a unique ID for every child, “to help services join up information and ensure children do not lose access to the support they need whenever their circumstances change.”

Homelessness Minister, Florence Eshalomi said: “I know first-hand the uncertainty and upheaval that comes with not having a place to truly call home. For the thousands of children living in temporary accommodation, I know how much it can impact their school life, their ability to form lasting relationships and their sense of belonging.

“We’ve made clear that councils have a responsibility to place families in suitable, quality housing and from today, this will be matched with a new duty to inform education and health services when a child is homeless.

“This is a major milestone. Crucially, it means schools, GPs and councils all talking to each other about the vulnerable children in their community – ensuring vital support services are wrapped around them at the earliest opportunity and reducing the number of children falling through the cracks.”

Lottie Winson