Bitesize learning: Supporting adults and young people through safeguarding

We have created six bitesize (30-minute) sessions to give frontline staff working in homelessness services the knowledge and skills to better support people who are facing multiple disadvantage (also known as multiple and/or complex needs) and are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness.

The sessions are delivered by Fiona Bateman, Safeguarding Consultant from Safeguarding Circle and Bruno Ornelas, Head of Homelessness at Concrete and Safeguarding Consultant.

All sessions are free to watch, thanks to the generous funding from The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, as part of the Capacity Building programme.

Session 1: Understanding the Care Act 2014 for people experiencing multiple exclusion and homelessness

For new starters

This session covers:

• What the Care Act 2014 is
• Why it matters
• What’s involved – s.9 and s.42

Session 2: Adult Safeguarding and Homelessness - The importance of fact finding and submitting quality safeguarding referrals

This session covers:

• Articulating needs and risk in the context of safeguarding and the Care Act
• Toolkits and how to use them for effective multi-agency working
• What happens next and escalation

Session 3: Mental capacity assessments and what good practice looks like

This sessions covers:

• Assessing capacity, who, how and in what circumstances including detailing relevant case law and the important nuance regarding residence and care decisions for those with co-occurring conditions
• Overcoming prejudicial assumptions about life-style choices
• What legal powers exist

Session 4: Supporting people from abroad with restricted eligibility to access accommodation

This sessions covers:

• Summary of the restrictions under the housing act, NHS Act and social care legislation
• The flexibility that statutory partners have to ensure that withholding support does not leave someone at risk of inhuman or degrading treatment
• How to advocate and escalate if individuals are not getting their legal entitlement including referrals to solicitors

Session 5: Working with young people and care leavers at risk of homelessness

This sessions covers a review of key learning from transitional safeguarding reviews:

• poor recognition of risks associated with emerging mental health and neurological conditions
• over-reliance on emergency placements when Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)/Trauma response behaviours lead to placement breakdown
• lack of multi-agency planning regarding transition and over-reliance on ‘leaving care’ or supported living which is not always able to manage high levels of challenging behaviour, drug or alcohol misuse.
• What the law says should happen from 14 years old and how to advocate for that approach and escalate to senior leaders if risks remain high, including risk management and safeguarding pathways

Session 6: Prison release and hospital discharge - Continuity of care responsibilities

This sessions covers:

Continuity of care responsibilities for adults with experience of mental health problems

• being discharged from hospital
• going into or being released from prison
• and moving across local authority areas