Homelessness Legislation
The 1996 Housing Act is still the Government’s main legislation relating to rights of homeless people, but since it's introduction there has been a major push for Councils to address all homelessness - and not just for those who have legal rights to accommodation.
The course will be suitable for front line staff and aims to give an understanding of the legislation, the need for homelessness strategies and the Government's homelessness prevention agenda.
It will take a detailed look at the legal rights of homeless people, and then tension between those rights and homelessness prevention intiatives, as well as exploring key changes within the legal framework.
In particular, the course will examine:
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The duty to develop a strategic approach to homelessness
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Legal definitions of homelessness
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Where homelessness prevention fits in
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The categories of priority need
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When homelessness is 'intentional'
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Where does the Children Act fit in?
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The right to challenge decisions