We are delighted that the Government has taken a big step forward in showing commitment to the wellbeing of children and families in Temporary Accommodation (TA). On the 5th December, it was confirmed that the notification system we have been campaigning for through the SAFE protocol campaign, alongside Shared Health and the APPG for households in TA, will become law through an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
This creates a clear duty for local authorities to notify GPs and schools when a child becomes homeless and is placed in Temporary Accommodation. Through this simple act of communication, teachers and healthcare professionals will be able to offer appropriate support for children and their families, and identify risks earlier.
Other positives include improving the quality and suitability of TA placements, including ending the practice of placing mothers with newborns in unsuitable shared accommodation like B&Bs.
Every day, 54 children are placed in TA; a third of them will likely be moved away from their local authority area, at risk of losing contact with known support services, with devastating impact for those affected. Some local authorities have already been putting notifications in place, and some have even piloted the SAFE protocol on behalf of the APPG. But the majority of families have been left disconnected to the basic services they need, while service providers - from GPs and school teachers to local authority housing staff in the many instances where families are placed in a different area - have been left in the dark.
Imagine the frustration of the teacher of a child that never engages, turns up late and delivers homework that is clearly not up to their abilities, if they hand in any homework at all.
Now imagine if the teacher knew that the child had to travel more than an hour to get to school, had to do their homework on a bed which they share with their older sister, and was kept awake at night by their crying baby brother. Add to this the disruption of frequent unplanned moves; no one can perform well under these circumstances.
“If we had known, we would have helped”
Teacher, Greater Manchester
Or the GP who is unaware that the mother of young asthmatic children is unlikely to come for follow-up checks after she has been moved to a different area and struggling to afford transport.
The notification system will allow for proactive contact from health services, with a new clinical code for children in temporary accommodation. This will help identify and prevent incidents before they occur. And when education providers are notified, they can provide pastoral support and practical assistance, such as breakfast clubs, after school activities and support with homework.
“We know Temporary Accommodation has a huge impact on the health and educational attainment of children, and this will make a real difference. (...) I urge Ministers to act quickly to implement this strategy so all children have a safe place to live”
Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP, Chair of the APPG on TA
With knowledge comes potential; potential for understanding, for identifying risks early, for kind responses and appropriate support structures. With 74 children dying in TA between 2019 and 2024, this matters.
“I am delighted with this outcome of the campaign. Communication between housing departments and other public bodies can seem a small thing, but it makes a huge difference in the lives of the children and families. We hope local authorities are able to find effective ways to do this and have the support they need from the government.”
Simon Gale, CEO, Justlife
When some of the most vulnerable children disappear from the view of the services that are there to support them, they are robbed of their potential and left in survival mode. It is clear we must do better. We encourage Ministers to implement all actions announced in the Child Poverty Strategy with urgency, including providing sufficient support to local authorities.
