Homelessness prevention: child rights and wellbeing impact assessment

Post Assessment Review and sign-off

Communicating impact to children and young people

Stakeholders, including those that work specifically with children and young people, were engaged with and consulted throughout the development of the prevention duties, including in workshops with frontline workers working with children and young people held by Crisis in late 2022. It was as a result of engagement with stakeholders that the PRG recommendation relevant to children and young people mentioned earlier in this assessment was not taken forward as set out by the PRG. This decision has been communicated to stakeholders ahead of the duties being introduced to parliament.

Subsequent to the introduction of the duties, we will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders, via the Homelessness Prevention Strategy Group, which includes membership by Rock Trust, ALACHO and COSLA who represent local authorities as well as directly with third sector stakeholders, to assess the impact the duties are having on children and young people and their families.

Comprehensive training and guidance will be developed in collaboration with stakeholders which will detail the implication of ask and act on relevant bodies as well as advise how to implement ask and act. This will include updating the current statutory Code of Guidance on Homelessness for local authorities on changes to homelessness legislation.

Planning for the review of impact on child rights

Analytical colleagues are undertaking a comprehensive data review on housing and homelessness, which includes revisiting the data currently collected and the data which policy colleagues may wish to collect in the future. This may address the lack of intersectionality in our data.

It is being considered whether qualitative data should be collected and analysed a year after the duties are fully implemented, and this may include analysis on the impact of the duties on particular groups which may include children and young people.

The CRWIA will be reviewed in order to assess the intended or unintended effect the legislation has had on children’s rights after a period of time in which the legislation has been implemented. Subsequent to this, Stage 3 of the CRWIA will be completed.

Compatibility sign off statement

Deputy Director Signature & Date of Sign Off:

Alice Hall

Deputy Director Better Homes

21 July 2024