4Prevention, support and accommodation plans(1)

The 2014 Act is amended as follows.

(2)

After section 63 (notice of the outcome of assessment) insert—

63APrevention, support and accommodation plans(1)

If a local housing authority considers that it owes a duty to an applicant under the following provisions of this Chapter, the authority must prepare and maintain a prevention, support and accommodation plan (“a plan”) for the applicant.

(2)

A plan comprises—

(a)

the written records required by this section, and

(b)

any written information or advice for an applicant that the local housing authority considers appropriate.

(3)

A plan may consist of one document or a collection of documents, any of which may be revised in accordance with this section.

(4)

The local housing authority must have regard to its assessment under section 62 in relation to the applicant and any member of the applicant’s household when preparing and reviewing the plan.

(5)

The local housing authority must record in writing—

(a)

the authority’s assessment of the matters described in paragraphs (b), (c) and (ca) of section 62(5),

(b)

any views of the applicant in relation to those matters, and

(c)

any steps the authority is to take to communicate with the applicant in the exercise of its functions under this Chapter in a way that is accessible to the applicant.

(6)

The local housing authority must—

(a)

seek to identify the outcome the applicant wishes to achieve from the authority’s help,

(b)

record the outcome in writing, and

(c)

in preparing and reviewing a plan, have regard to whether the exercise of any function under this Chapter could contribute to the achievement of the outcome.

(7)

The references to steps to be taken in the following subsections are references to steps taken for or in connection with the purpose of securing that the applicant and any other member of the applicant’s household have and are able to retain suitable accommodation.

(8)

The local housing authority must try to agree with the applicant—

(a)

any steps the applicant is to take, and

(b)

the steps the authority is to take in the exercise of any of its functions (including the social services functions of the authority).

(9)

If the local housing authority and the applicant reach an agreement, the authority must record it in writing.

(10)

If the local housing authority and the applicant cannot reach an agreement, the authority must record in writing—

(a)

why they could not agree,

(b)

any steps the authority considers it would be reasonable for the applicant to take, and

(c)

the steps the authority is to take in the exercise of any of its functions (including the social services functions of the authority).

(11)

The local housing authority must record in writing any other steps of which it is aware that another public authority has agreed to take in relation to the applicant.

(12)

The local housing authority must—

(a)

give a copy of any document comprising or forming part of a plan to the applicant;

(b)

notify the applicant in writing of—

(i)

the right to request a review of the plan, and

(ii)

the time within which such a request must be made (see section 85).

(13)

The local housing authority must keep under review the appropriateness of any agreement reached under subsection (8) or steps recorded under subsection (10)(b) or (c) during the period in which the authority considers that it owes a duty to the applicant under the following provisions of this Chapter or that it may do so.

(14)

If the authority considers that any agreement reached under subsection (8) or any step recorded under subsection (10)(b) or (c) is no longer appropriate—

(a)

the authority must notify the applicant, in writing, that it considers the agreement or step is no longer appropriate, and

(b)

subsections (8) to (12) apply again.

(15)

A notification under this section or a copy of any document comprising or forming part of a plan, if not received by the applicant, is to be treated as having been given to the applicant if it is made available at the authority’s office for a reasonable period for collection by or on behalf of the applicant.

63BDuty to review assessments and plans in specific circumstances(1)

If a local housing authority is under a duty to maintain a prevention, support and accommodation plan for an applicant, the authority must review its assessment under section 62 and the plan if any of the circumstances described in subsection (2) apply.

(2)

The circumstances are that—

(a)

a period of 8 weeks has passed without a review since completion of the first plan or the last review of the plan;

(b)

the local housing authority has reason to believe that the circumstances of the applicant, or any member of the applicant’s household, have changed in a way that may affect—

(i)

accommodation needs,

(ii)

support needed to help retain accommodation, or

(iii)

entitlement to help under this Chapter;

(c)

it appears to the local housing authority that a duty owed to the applicant under section 66 or 76A(2) has or is likely to come to an end because the applicant is homeless.