Homelessness Law - the Safety Net for Homeless People

This course ensures your staff have a thorough understanding of the legislation governing the help that councils must give homeless people and those who are at risk of homelessness.

Attendees undertake exercises that demonstrate how homeless people are assessed. The essential legal rules are explained, so your staff know the duties councils owe homeless people.

Who should attend?

This course is suitable for both homelessness managers and staff working with people who apply to their local council as homeless. For example:

• Support workers
• Homelessness prevention staff
• Homelessness assessment staff
• Council staff involved in triage and initial assessments
• Advocacy workers and advisors.

Learning outcomes

Those attending will:

• Gain an understanding of how the legislation operates.
• Apply the rules which councils must adhere to, via questions and exercises.
• Have an opportunity to discuss issues, problems and ambiguities.
• Appreciate the various sources of information and advice which are available, should they experience difficulty when applying the legislation in practice.

What's covered?

• Policy aims of the new legislation
• How the general advice duty will be strengthened
• Is priority need still important?
• Changes to local connection rules for care leavers
• How the homeless application process will change - the new 3 stage process
• Change to the legal definition of 'threatened with homelessness' - what are the implications?
• The interim accommodation duty - what's changed?
• The new assessment duty - what must the assessment cover?
• The 'housing plan'
• Identifying 'reasonable steps'
• Seeking agreement with the applicant
• Unreasonable and deliberate non-cooperation - how must the new power be exercised?
• Keeping the assessment and plan under review
• The prevention duty
• The homelessness 'relief' duty
• How much action must the council take to prevent or relieve homelessness? The relevant principles explained
• What if the council does not take reasonable steps?
• The main housing duty - when will this now be owed?
• Changes to the Suitability Regulations - consequences for priority need households and discharging duties
• The new duty for public authorities to offer a referral to a local housing authority - what information will be provided?
• New rights to request a review of decisions
• Code of Practice.

Length of course

• One day, or
• Two days.

Two days should be considered if attendees need a thorough briefing on the relevant rules, as opposed to a refresher or basic introduction.

Booking

Contact me if you're interested in booking this course.

Please note I provide training for groups on an 'in house' basis.

Example of training materials*

*Some of these materials are only excerpts (i.e. not complete versions) for illustrative purposes only. My materials are regularly updated. As a result, these examples may now be out of date.