What's housing policy got to do with young offenders? A lot. In fact, it's such an important issue that the Youth Justice Board is researching accommodation. In early 2004, the board surveyed youth offending teams (YOTs) to find out about the housing needs of young people in trouble with the law.
But the board doesn't provide housing, does it? No, but it has an interest in ensuring appropriate housing policies are in place to help break the cycle of offending. So, it's consulting on a housing strategy for young people.
What is it recommending? Might be worth reviewing some of the findings from its survey first. A significant number of the young people who become homeless are in public care; we have a Children (Leaving Care) Act 2001 that is supposed to ensure the housing needs of care leavers are "looked after", but it's obviously not happening in the case of young people who have or are serving a sentence, whether in custody or in the community. YOTs rate supported accommodation with round-the-clock staffing cover most highly for this very vulnerable group. But there isn't enough available.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
