Guidance Sheet 2

CHILDREN’S SERVICE QUICK GUIDE TO NRPF

  1. Referral received for financial support and/or housing under Section 17 Children Act 1989
  1. Establish ordinary residence
  1. Establish immigration status
  • If asylum seeker, advise to approach NASS or to seek assistance from Barnet Refugee Service
  • If failed asylum seeker, advise to apply for Section 4 support and refer to Barnet Refugee Service
  • If NRPF due to other immigration status, seek documentary evidence of this.
  1. Establish destitution through completing an assessment of need under Section 17.
  1. Establish whether client has IS96 and consider referral for Section 4.
  1. If it appears that assistance may be required advise team manager and designated manager.
  1. If the situation is an emergency, provide short term support pending further assessment and inform client in writing of this.
  1. If child is assessed as being ‘in need’, consider whether need can be met by assisting to return to country of origin
  1. Consider whether Schedule 54 applies and if a Human Rights Assessment is needed to determine if support can be provided.
  1. HR assessment to be completed within 3 weeks
  1. Provide copies of HR assessment to legal for advice and to designated manager for authorisation to either continue support or terminate support.
  1. Copy of assessment to be provided to client to enable them to seek legal advice.
  1. Letter to client to confirm outcome of assessment.
  2. If support is to be provided, letter needs to detail that this is temporary pending any change in circumstances.
  3. If support to be withdrawn, client to be given 14 or 21 days notice of termination of support
  1. Any financial payments to be recorded on cost code 10593
  1. Social Worker to record HO reference numbers and details of HO caseworker on ICS.

IF CLIENT IS ELIGIBLE TO RECIEVE SUPPORT

If housingis required, social worker to liaise with key colleagues in Barnet Homes:

-senior housing registration officer

-temporary accommodation team leader

-allocations manager

Email to be sent to TA Team Leader and Housing Allocations Team undertaking that CS will pay the costs of the accommodation and to request that the social workers name be recorded on Saffron.

Housing Allocations will identify a property (which may not be in borough) and client will need to sign booking in letter

Social worker to obtain copy of booking in letter to confirm nightly cost – to be scanned in to Wisdom and copy given to NRPF budget holder.

Commitment Form to be completed for rent.

If subsistence is required, to be provided at a rate of £35 per week per family member. Any Child Benefit in payment should be deducted from this amount.

Commitment form to be completed for subsistence.

Any additional expenditure required to be discussed with relevant manager.

IF CLIENT IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE SUPPORT

Refer to NASS, IOM, other local authority, voluntary sector as appropriate.

Consider providing one-off financial support to return to country of origin.

If support is to be withdrawn, give 14 or 21 days notice depending on circumstances.

Notify Housing Allocations Manager and Temporary Accommodation Team Leader in writing of date of cancellation, copy to NRPF budget holder.

Consider if the Home Office need to be notified under Schedule 54.

Carolyn Greenaway

Version 2

September 2014