Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Deferred
Update Code of Guidance and end family placements sharing facilities with single adults.
Recommendation
We are alarmed to hear examples of families housed in temporary accommodation that included spaces shared with single adults with a history of domestic abuse. This is completely inappropriate and poses a potential safeguarding risk to children. Currently, there is no explicit ban on placements of families in accommodation with single adults, and we do not believe that the Code of Guidance goes far enough to ensure the wellbeing of children and families at safeguarding risk. (Conclusion, Paragraph 45) 44 The Government must update the Code of Guidance to clearly demonstrate local authorities’ foremost duty to mitigate safeguarding risks when making decisions on placements for families with children. The Government should work with local authorities to bring an end to placements of families in temporary accommodation with kitchens or bathrooms shared with single adults housed in the same building. (Recommendation, Paragraph 45)
Government Response Summary
The government deflected the recommendation to update the Code of Guidance on safeguarding in shared facilities by discussing existing reporting requirements for out-of-area placements and its efforts to improve the presentation, quality, and accessibility of this data.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
22. Local authorities are already required to report to the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on instances of out of area placements as part of their quarterly Homelessness Case Level Information Collection (H-CLIC) return. 23. We are considering different presentations of out of area placements data in order for it to be more helpful and publicly accessible, as well as working with local authorities and MHCLG’s expert homelessness advisors closely to ensure data quality and reporting practices improve. 24. We aim to continually improve all our published products, including improving accessibility. We currently produce a performance dashboard quarterly, as well as a flows dashboard and a support needs dashboard annually.