BFOI-016229 - Temporary Accommodation
FOI request on households with children and EHCPs placed in temporary accommodation and the authority's related recording, procedures and policies.
Request
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide the information below relating to households with dependent children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and who have been accepted as homeless and/or placed in Temporary Accommodation by the authority. If exact figures cannot be provided, please supply the nearest available data or confirm that the information is not held. Aggregate data only is requested; no personal data is sought.
a) For the last year, please supply the number of households with dependent children placed in Temporary Accommodation;
b) For the last year, please supply the number of those households known to include at least one child with an EHCP;
c) If the authority does not routinely record whether homeless households include children with EHCPs, please confirm this and explain where (if at all) this information would be recorded within housing needs assessments or homelessness systems.a) For the last year, please supply the number of households with children - with no EHCPs - who were placed in Temporary Accommodation outside the local authority area;
b) For the last year, please supply the number of households with children - with one or more EHCPs - who were placed in Temporary Accommodation outside the local authority area.Please confirm whether the authority routinely records information on children's SEN or EHCPs when completing Section 208 notifications.
When a household with a child who has an EHCP is placed in Temporary Accommodation, including out of area:
a) what procedures are in place to notify the current and new SEND service; and
b) what procedures are in place to ensure transfer and continuity of EHCP provision in line with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014.Does the authority record or monitor whether children with EHCPs experience any interruption or delay to the provision specified in their EHCP following placement in Temporary Accommodation? If yes, please describe the monitoring approach.
Does the authority have a policy or protocol for maintaining or funding home-to-school transport for children with EHCPs who are placed out of area due to homelessness?
Are housing suitability assessments adapted or given additional consideration where a household includes a child with an EHCP or other SEN? Please provide a brief description of any such adjustments or guidance.
What training (if any) is mandatory for housing officers in relation to:
a) SEND and EHCPs;
b) safeguarding children.
Response
For the reporting period covering the last financial year (1 April 2025 - 31 March 2026), 190 dependent children were part of households placed in Temporary Accommodation. This figure includes cases where households moved within Temporary Accommodation during the period, meaning the number may reflect placements rather than the actual number of children.
