Youth Homelessness

The Child Welfare and Protection Policy Unit is responsible for the formulation and monitoring of policies in relation to youth homelessness.

The HSE is responsible for the implementation of the Youth Homelessness Strategy.  Any queries in relation to a child who is currently homeless or at risk of becoming homeless should be directed to the HSE.

Youth Homelessness Strategy

The Government has shown significant commitment to tackling youth homelessness by targeting resources at the youth homeless service in the context of the development of the broader child welfare services.  The Government’s Youth Homelessness Strategy was published in October 2001.  The Youth Homelessness Strategy provides a strategic framework within which youth homelessness is tackled on a national basis. 

Its goal is “to reduce and if possible eliminate youth homelessness through preventative strategies and where a child becomes homeless to ensure that he/she benefits from a comprehensive range of services aimed at reintegrating him/her into his /her community as quickly as possible.”

Under this Strategy the HSE have lead responsibility for implementation of the Strategy and they prepared detailed implementation plans in this regard.  Those action plans are currently being reviewed by the OMC in conjunction with the HSE.

The implementation of the YHS has been monitored and co-ordinated by the Youth Homelessness Strategy Monitoring Committee (YHSMC). The YHSMC have defined “youth homelessness” as:

“Those (under the age of 18) who are sleeping on the streets or in other places not intended for night-time accommodation or not providing safe protection from the elements or those whose usual night-time residence is a public or private shelter, emergency lodging, B&B or such, providing protection from the elements but lacking the other characteristics of a home and/or intended only for a short stay.”  This definition was taken to include “those in insecure accommodation with relatives or friends regarded as inappropriate, that is to say where the young person is placed at risk or where he or she is not in a position to remain.”
 

The Committee identified key areas, which required attention in order to drive the implementation of the Strategy in an effective, co-ordinated way, on a nationwide basis.

The following subgroups were established:

• Inter-agency Co-ordination and Linkages
• Leaving and Aftercare
• Statistics
• Education and Training
• Information and Advocacy

All sub groups of the Youth Homelessness Strategy Monitoring Committee have completed their work and reports produced have been circulated to the relevant agencies.

12 Key Objectives in the Youth Homelessness Strategy

There are 12 key objectives in the Youth Homelessness Strategy divided into three broad Categories: 

Preventative Measures, Responsive Services and Planning/ Administrative Supports:

Preventive Measures

1. Family support and other preventive services will be developed on a multi-agency basis for children at risk of becoming homeless.  In particular, this will incorporate a generic out of hours crisis intervention service and where necessary multi-disciplinary teams to target at risk young people.

2. Schools will actively support children at risk of homelessness e.g. truanting children and those who leave school early using the structures proposed under the Education Welfare Act.

3. Local communities will be supported to assist children at risk of becoming homeless and their families

4. Aftercare services for children leaving foster care and residential care, and other services provided by a health board such as supported lodgings and for those leaving centres for young offenders, will be strengthened so that children are supported in making the transition to living independently or returning to their families.

Responsive Services

5. Emergency responses will be provided promptly to children who become homeless; these services will be accessible and acceptable to this client group.  Specialised 24 hour Reception Services will be provided in cities where appropriate.

6. A comprehensive assessment of children who become homeless will be carried out as the basis for individual action/care plans for case management/key working with the young person where necessary.

7. A range of accommodation arrangements will be provided for children who are unable to return home as part of an integrated response to the child's needs.

8. A range of supports will be provided to meet children's health, educational and recreational needs based on each child's action/care plan and aimed at reintegrating the child into his/her community as quickly as possible.
 

Planning/Administrative Supports

9. Health boards are responsible and will take the lead role in implementing the youth homelessness strategy in their area; effective arrangements for co-ordination with both statutory and voluntary service providers will be put in place.

10. Each health board will facilitate ease of access to its youth homelessness services through the development of multi-access information points.

11. Effective information systems on homeless young people will be developed including a database accessible to both voluntary and statutory service providers.

12. Ongoing evaluation will be conducted at both local and national levels of the effectiveness of interventions to prevent homelessness occurring and of the services to assist and support young people who become homeless.

Contacts: Local Health Offices, HSE
Health Service Executive Child Protection Social Work Services

Publications:  
Youth Homelessness Strategy

Links
Department of Health and Children