Duty to refer

From 1 October 2018 certain public authorities are required to notify a housing authority of service users they consider may be homeless or threatened with homelessness within 56 days. The public services included in the duty are as follows:

• Prisons;
• Youth offender institutions;
• Secure training centres;
• Secure colleges;
• Youth offending teams;
• Probation services (including community rehabilitation companies);
• Jobcentre plus;
• Social service authorities;
• Emergency departments;
• Urgent treatment centres; and
• Hospitals in their function of providing inpatient care;

The Secretary of State for Defence is also subject to the duty to refer in relation to members of the Royal Navy, the Royal Marine, the regular Army and the Royal Air Force.

If you are one of the above public bodies and you wish to make a referral then please follow the link to our referral system called ALERT.

*If you are referring someone who is a victim of domestic, please include within your referral if they live with the perpetrator and if/when it is safe to contact them*

ALERT is a free tool provided to all Local Authorities in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. It supports partnership working by providing a secure and easy to use platform for making referrals including the new 213B duty placed on specific public bodies.

If you are unable to access ALERT then please send your referral to dutytorefer@tendringdc.gov.uk including as much information about your client as possible.  

Further guidance and a simple form template is available on www.gov.uk if you are not able to refer through our referral system ALERT.

What Happens Next?

All referrals to Tendring District Council will be reviewed and contact will be made with the client within 5 working days. If we are satisfied that the client is eligible for help and they are either homeless now, or threatened with homelessness within 56 days,  they will be offered an appointment for a full assessment.    If the client is not homeless they will be provided with the appropriate advice and assistance.

Further Information

Agency Guide to making a referral using ALERT

Gov.uk - A guide to the duty to refer