The Joint Working Protocol for Young People has been developed in partnership by Kent County Council (KCC) and the twelve District and Borough Councils across Kent, reflecting the changes in legislation and commissioned services by the County Council, as well as combining two former protocols; Provision of Accommodation for Care Leavers and Addressing the Needs of Homeless Young People aged 16 and 17 in Kent. In addition it has been developed with due regard to the joint guidance published by the MHCLG and Department for Education, ‘Prevention of homelessness and provision of accommodation for 16 and 17-year-old young people who may be homeless and/or require accommodation’.
This is a protocol for professionals, with a commitment to develop clear guidance for young people through the production of an information leaflet and has been developed with support from young people that have experienced a joint approach in addressing accommodation needs.
“Strategic planning approaches will need to be reflected at an operational level through protocols. These should identify the timing and mechanisms by which key professionals come together with young people to help to identify their needs and to plan individualised support packages.”
The purpose of this protocol is to guide each relevant organisation on the approach to supporting young people aged 16 and 17 and care leavers (18+) in an agreed and transparent way, this includes promoting the responsibility of all professionals to ensure that the young people who are being assisted can have access to inclusive independent advice, that will enable them to make informed decisions and choices across all elements of their life.
There are two appendix documents (7 and 8) along with the leaflet developed for a young person to read through to view and download.
LAUNCH OF THE PROTOCOL – The official launch of this protocol took place on the morning of the 18th March and was attended by over 150 colleagues from across a range of organisations. The launch was an opportunity to provide all colleagues with the background to the protocol, with an overview of the key changes, feedback from a young person (prior to the review), an overview from front line staff within a local authority and Kent County Council, along with the currently commissioned Independent Advocacy Service The Young Lives Foundation. MHCLG supported this launch and had two specialist advisers on the call providing their feedback and overview about the role of this protocol document.
The full slide deck for the launch can be found HERE.
The short animation featured during the launch can be found HERE.
The short film from the Young Lives Foundation Slides can be found HERE.
For the Teams recording of the whole event (which does include a short break of ten minutes at around 1 hour and 17 minutes) please click HERE.
For a copy of the short film featuring Luke, please contact the KHG Partnership Manager