Anna Whalen
Youth Homelessness Advisor
The Positive Pathway for young people
1. Minimise
Demand:
Education work
in schools /other
places on reality
of housing
choices
8. Young person is
ready to make
their next move
with minimal/no
support and is
positively engaged
in ETE
2. Reduce
Demand & Crisis
Early intervention
targeted to keep
young people in
family network
3. Reduce Crisis
Plan & prepare
with those at
risk of
homelessness
BEFORE they
are in crisis
5. Supported accommodation
as a starting point for those
with higher needs or younger
age (16/17)
6. Floating Support in
accommodation - likely to be
shared in private rented sector
7. Shared student style
accommodation for those in
FE, employment or
apprenticeship with “light
touch” support
4. Single Integrated
Service Gateway
Prevention, assessment
of need, planning advice
& options
AND access to other
services e.g.
ETE & Job Centre Plus
Range of health services
Life skills
Benefits advice
Steps 5-7 Young
people can access
3 broad options
and move between
them until they are
ready to move on.

A whole systems, strategic approach locally

Investment in prevention and integrated support –
its not just about housing

Community budget/joint commissioning approach

An integrated & seamless front door to options,
advice, planning and assessment of needs

Local leadership and champions

A belief in young people and their futures

Placing young people at the heart of the planning
process

Economic downturn and youth unemployment

Supply of affordable housing

Welfare reform changes

Reductions in public spending – impact on
services for young people
Drivers include:
Social Justice Strategy – early intervention
Preventing homelessness – “Making Every Contact
Count” report
Challenges may include:
Resources to deliver
Getting into academies may be harder?
Demonstrating impact – making the business case
Opportunities could include:
Raising the Participation Age – more access?
Young people as peer educators=citizenship
Drivers include :
Social Justice Strategy – Early Intervention and
Recovery and Independence
DfE - Improving outcomes - reducing risk of entering
care or going down homelessness route
Challenges may include:
Joint working locally – not always easy!
Pressure on resources to deliver preventative family
work and youth work
Opportunities could include:
Linkage with Troubled Families work locally
Systems within Children’s Service to identify young
people earlier
Drivers include:
Ministry of Justice - Resettlement of young offenders
DfE and local authorities – Care Leavers Charter – find a
home
Reducing children in care and homelessness
Challenges may include:
Pressure on resources reduces capacity to proactively
plan
Opportunities could include:
Troubled Families work - early identification
Revised local joint protocols
Business case for planning V waiting for crisis!
Drivers include:
Community
budget - joining up of services
Social Justice Strategy – Promoting Work and Recovery
and Independence
Making Every Contact Count – homelessness prevention
and reducing children coming into care
Challenges may include:
Budget pressures and service pressures
Local context - geography, joint working, practical
issues e.g. lack of suitable premises
Opportunities could include:
The business case -significant prevention improvements
and budget savings

May be a need to reconfigure services in light

of budget reductions
Drivers include:
 Social Justice Strategy – Recovery and Independence,
Promoting Work
Resettlement of young offenders & Care Leavers Charter
Making Every Contact Count & No Second Night Out
Challenges may include:
Local decisions to reduce spending on housing related
support
Support to young people with higher needs
Provision of support for older young people ( 18 – 24s)
where no statutory duty is owed
Move on options
Opportunities could include:
 Re-tendering - outcome focused and potential for new
funding models
Joint commissioning - e.g. looked after and alternatives
to remand
Mixing it up – e.g supported lodgings & Nightstop, leasing
smaller units of accommodation and use of floating
support
Implementing new approaches – e.g. Psychologically
Informed Environment ( PIE)
Drivers include:
DCLG Housing Strategy and welfare reform: Best use of
social housing stock e.g. under occupation, flexible
tenancies allocations policies
Use of the Private Rented Sector to discharge the
homelessness duty – Localism Act
Challenges may include:
Shift in understanding for everyone re: what realistic
housing options there are for young people ( i.e. sharing in
private rented sector for many)
Confidence of landlords to take young people
General supply of private rented and competition for what
is available
Challenges may include:
Availability of one-bed social housing
General availability of social housing and who should be
priority in allocations schemes
Opportunities could include:
Clear messaging to everyone about options/choice
Private rented sector access schemes - landlord
incentives for taking under 25s
Leasing of PRS and “rent a room” as options for some
young people
Joint tenancies in social housing – new approach
 “Care
about us”
 “Give
clear and realistic information”
 “Support
our transition – its our
whole lives not just housing”
 “Go
the extra mile”
 “Actively
encourage our aspirations”
[email protected]