Nightstop Emergency Accommodation service for young people aged 16-24 years

The Authority’s current offer to young people in housing need consists of a number of separate elements; these include a Nightstop Emergency Temporary Accommodation offer, Short Term Accommodation and personalised support delivered through the Authority’s Youth Homelessness and Housing Team.
The Authority’s current Nightstop Emergency Temporary Accommodation Service is due to end 31st March 2020.
Under the Children Act 1989, the Authority has a statutory duty to provide suitable accommodation to a 16-17 year old who requests help; it also a duty to provide support in finding and keeping accommodation to formerly looked after children until they are 21 years old (or 25 if in education or training). The Authority has no statutory duty to offer housing related support to people who are not in these groups.
Having conducted a thorough review of Short Term Accommodation services, Cumbria County Council has concluded that in addition to its statutory responsibilities, it will continue to offer provision to young people to whom they do not owe a statutory duty as an early prevention measure to reduce the need for support or intervention in the future.
In response to the findings of the service review, the Authority has adapted the principles of the St Basil’s Positive Pathway model to meet the needs of young people in Cumbria. As a result there are significant changes to the Service Specifications which now reflect an increased emphasis on:

• A clear and effective referral Pathway into supported accommodation or flexible support, accessed through a single point.
• A Pathway to enable young people to make the transition from requiring intensive support through to independent living.
• Support, which is delivered flexibly and based on the assessment of individual needs; for example a young person might require intermittent levels of high support when they first enter the Pathway, followed by periods of reduced support.
• Strong partnership working, based on the need to deliver clear outcomes, which add value to a young person’s journey through the Pathway.
• Enhanced Contract monitoring and Contract management arrangements.
• Continuous improvement.
These changes are taking place within a national context of reduced central government funding to local authorities.