MSPs called on to back proposals to reduce homelessness among young care leavers

The Scottish Council for Single Homeless has called on MSP’s to back a new report on services for young people leaving care in today’s Parliamentary debate on Looked After Children.

MSPs will today debate the Report from the Scottish Executive Working Group on the Throughcare and Aftercare of Looked After Children in Scotland .

Between a fifth and a half of young homeless people have been in care and 26% of Rough Sleeper Initiative service users have a care background. The need for drastic improvements in the way young people are supported to leave the care system could not be more urgent.

Head of the SCSH Youth Unit, John Dickie, a member of the Working Group said:

"SCSH is calling on MSP’s to ensure this Reports’ recommendations are implemented. With the right resources it will help reduce the scandalous levels of homelessness among young people leaving care in Scotland . It sets out a plan for improving support to young people leaving care. We particularly welcome the recommendations to ensure local authorities have a proper plan in place for each young person leaving care, that each young person has a nominated Key Worker and that the accommodation of those leaving care is effectively monitored.

Even more important is the emphasis on young people having choice in who their Key Worker is and a central role in developing their plan for leaving care.

He continued:

"In most cases young care leavers should receive much better support. SCSH concerns about the removal of care leavers rights to benefits, linked to the new plans, are also addressed. An important recommendation is that, as a safety net, the young person should have entitlement to, at the very minimum, the same levels of support as they would get from the current DWP benefits system"

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Notes 

• SCSH is the national membership organisation for individuals and organisations working with homeless people
• An Executive Debate on the subject of Through Care and After Care of Looked After Children will be held in the Main Chamber today at 3.30pm (Thursday 5 September)
• SCSH is represented by John Dickie, Head of Youth Unit, on the Scottish Executive’s Working Group on the Throughcare and Aftercare of Looked After Children in Scotland .
• The Scottish Executive’s Working Group was established in November 1999 following consultation on proposals to transfer responsibility for providing financial support to 16 and 17 year old care leavers from the DSS (now DWP) to local authorities. SCSH was concerned that the planned transfer potentially increased the risk of homelessness among young care leavers, given the often limited systems local authorities have in place to support care leavers, the switch from an entitlement based demand led DSS budget to a cash limited local authority budget and the danger that young people estranged from their local authority may be left without financial support. The Working Group Report published today is welcomed by SCSH as going a long way to allay these concerns.
• The full "Report from the Working Group on the Throughcare and Aftercare of Looked After Children in Scotland " is published on the Scottish Executive web-site (www.scotland.gov.uk)