3.14.5 Priority Housing Nominations |
This is a new chapter for April 2010.
The Housing Priority Nominations Form can be found in the Forms Library.
Contents
1. Introduction
Every year Children’s Social Care are able to make 45 priority housing applications. The effect of this will be that families will be given the highest priority.
2. The Process
A housing nomination form should be completed on the template dated January 2010. It is extremely important that a check is made to ensure that the family have an application in with the Housing Department because a family can not be considered if no application has been made.
Their “housing number” must be included on the form.
Once the form is completed it needs to be signed by the Service Manager for the service area and then passed to the Service Manager for Referral and Assessment who is the nominated signature within Children’s Social Care.
The Service Manager for Children’s Social Care will check the form and sign if appropriate. The form is then forwarded to the CSC Secretariat and will be forwarded on to Housing.
Upon receipt of the form the Housing Department will discuss the case at their panel. There is no expectation that social workers will have to attend this panel. This panel is very unlikely to turn down any Social Care cases.
Once an offer is made the family have 12 weeks in which to identify a property. During this time they will need to bid for a property or accept a management offer. They will only be offered one property. However a review system will exist within Housing if they have been offered a property that does not meet the requirements that we have requested. If no suitable properties are available within 12 weeks their nomination will continue beyond that period. What needs to be clear is that there is evidence that the family are making bids and are actively pursing their application.
It is very important that the information we provide on the form is up to date and is clear about the requirements of the family, including the part of the borough the family wish to live in. This will affect the one and only offer the family receive.
Once the form has been processed within Housing the administrator for the panel will write to the person who has nominated the family, in our case the social worker, to explain what has happened and making clear that we support the family in doing what is required for them to be re-housed.
End