Semi-independent Accommodation and Support for Looked After Young People, Care Leavers and Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children - Round 2

The services in Lot 1 will be available to young people aged over 16 and under 18 at the time of placement who are: Currently Looked After by Bedford Borough Council, who do not wish to live in foster/residential care or where such a placement is not available for them; Leaving care or eligible for care leavers’ services; Unaccompanied minors; and Homeless young people in need of accommodation and support under the Southwark Judgement.

The services in Lot 2 will be available to young people aged over 18 and under 21 at the time of placement who are:5 of 57 Copyright © Bevan Brittan LLP 201 Former relevant young people (care leavers) aged 18-21 years who require interim housing due to waiting for alternative housing; Former relevant young people (care leavers) aged 18-21 years who have no access to public funds and who have an outstanding home office decision; Former relevant young people (care leavers) aged 18-21 years who are All Rights Exhausted and have no access to public funds, who have been Human Rights Assessed and have a barrier to returning to their homeland; and All these categories may include young people who have previously been accommodated in care by the local Council due to being Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children (UASC).

The services in Lot 3 will be available to young people aged over 16 and under 18 at the time of placement who are discharged from Police to local Council custody under PACE regulations, pending appearance in Court. Bedford Borough Council has a duty under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) to provide supervised accommodation to young people under the age of 18 years who may not be accommodated in local Council care, but have been arrested or charged in relation to a criminal offence and have been denied Police bail. Only those young people identified as not posing a risk to the public will be placed into overnight accommodation under PACE regulations. This accommodation may consist of a solo placement or a room in single or multiple occupied units with support onsite and on call 24 hours Monday–Sunday at appropriate levels. Any young person who is placed in a PACE bed must be supervised at all times, i.e. may not go out unaccompanied and must be escorted to Court by a staff member from the PACE placement and supervised at Court by a dedicated member of Children’s Social Care. If the young person absconds at any time, this must be reported immediately and the young person may be charged by the Police with an offence of ‘Escape Lawful Custody.’