Report to follow.
Minutes:
In May, 2012 the Crime & Disorder Committee established a Topic Group to:
· Review the level of services delivered locally in respect of the effects of Domestic Violence on Young People and Children both as victims, witnesses and /or perpetrators;
· Look at what steps the Community Safety Partnership were taking to tackle the problem in the future;
· Identify good practice in other boroughs; and
· Make recommendations to the administration on areas which could be improved, if appropriate.
The outcomes of the Topic Group were reported to Cabinet on 25 September, 2013, with the following recommendations:
· To the Lead Member with responsibility for Housing and Public protection to review, possibly in 12-18 months’ time how the new Allocations Scheme was supporting victims of Domestic Violence;
· To the Lead Members for Housing and Public Protection and Children and Learning to ensure that wherever possible school placements were taken into account before an alternative housing offer was made.
Officers advised that under the new allocations scheme there were three key ways in which the Council could help those experiencing Domestic Violence:
· Offer accommodation through the Allocation Scheme;
· Arranging a move out-of-the-borough through a reciprocal rehousing arrangement with another borough or housing association: or
· Providing alternative accommodation in an emergency using the Borough’s homelessness duties and powers.
Officers informed the Committee that in their opinion the new allocation scheme was more straight forward and made it easier to assist victims of domestic violence. Under the scheme those fleeing domestic violence were assumed to have an Emergency Rehousing need and therefore were afforded maximum priority. In these circumstances it was accepted that the need to move was so great that a direct offer would be made without the person needing to bid through the Choice-based Letting System.
To ensure the needs and aspirations of the household were taken into account when making an offer we operated a process of ‘assisted offers.’ Officers speak to the family and ascertain as much information as possible
about their needs and requirements.
The police were involved in the process to ensure that the area(s) offered were safe.
Homes and Housing were a signatory to the East London Reciprocal Protocol. This was aimed to ease the process of moving across borough boundaries where an out-of-borough move was essential for the person’s safety. In the last 12 months one person had been rehoused under this protocol.
Vulnerability due to fleeing violence was explicitly listed in the code of guidance accompanying the homelessness provisions of the housing Act 1996. In the year to June 2014 the Council had accepted a duty to rehouse 18 homeless households where DV was the main reason for their homelessness.
In the intermediate term, those homeless do to fleeing DV were housed in refuge accommodation, in or out of the borough, or one of the Council’s hostels: placements were based on individual risk assessments.
Longer term accommodation was provided through the council’s private sector leased option.
Officers advised that Homes and Housing Services worked closely with Children and Learning when they make ‘assisted offers’ through:
· The MASH – there was a housing officer placed in the team;
· THE Troubled Families team – there was a housing officer seconded to the team;
· The Children in need and Housing Panel – this was established by Housing and was chaired by Housing;
· The MARAC – Housing was a standing member:
· Day-to-day liaison between teams.
The key issue with regard to taking into account school places was the need to balance:
1. The need for the household to move to a place of safety, most typically away from their current location, with
2. The availability of council stock, most of which is in Harold Hill, Romford/Collier Row and Elm Park.
We have noted the report and were pleased to note that the new housing allocations scheme seems to provide more flexibility and a better service to victims of Domestic Violence.
We were also pleased to note that the liaison between Homes and Housing and Children and Learning was working well.