The duty to refer will help to ensure that services are working together effectively to prevent homelessness by ensuring that peoples' housing needs are considered when they come into contact with public authorities. It is also anticipated that it will encourage local housing authorities and other public authorities to build strong partnerships which enable them to work together to intervene earlier to prevent homelessness through, increasingly integrated services.
This guidance is designed for those working in a specified public authority, which is subject to the duty to refer. The public authorities which are subject to the duty to refer are specified in The Homelessness (Review Procedure etc.) Regulations 2018. The public services included in the duty are as follows:
- prisons;
- youth offender institutions;
- secure training centres;
- secure colleges;
- youth offending teams;
- Probation Services;
- Jobcentre Plus;
- social service authorities;
- emergency departments;
- urgent treatment centres; and,
- hospitals in their function of providing inpatient care.
If you are a professional looking to complete a duty to refer for someone you are supporting, please go to Kent Homechoice and start a referral.