2. No Local Authority age assessment has been done

The aim at this stage:

get the young person referred to the Local Authority as a ‘Child in Need’ so the process of age assessment can start
advocate for safer accommodation </aside>

This stage is when the Home Office thinks a child is not the age they say they are, and has placed them in adult accommodation, but no Local Authority has been notified.

The Local Authority has a duty to support children under child protection legislation in all four nations. This includes determining if a child is eligible for care and support.

The Local Authority won’t know there is a child in adult accommodation assess unless you, or someone else, makes a ‘Child in Need’ referral to them.

Your action: if someone has just arrived in the UK and hasn't met with their Local Authority yet, you should refer them to the Local Authority as a child who needs help.

Action details:

Referring to the Local Authority

A child in adult accommodation is always a safeguarding issue.

Risks in adult accommodation include... ... room-sharing with unrelated adults ... emotional, physical, or sexual abuse ... limited access to medical services ... witnessing traumatic events in the hotel ... poor mental health and suicidal ideation ... social isolation ... exploitation, going missing and being re-trafficked ... hate incidents or hate crime.

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After you meet with the young person, save all your notes and pictures of their documents - if you have consent from them to do this (follow your organisation’s procedures).
Then tell the Local Authority about them - there's a special letter for this in the templates section.
If you don't know which Local Authority to contact, you can check using the postcode on Write To Them website. Then find the MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) ****team's email on the Local Authority's website, or fill in their online form.
When you write to them, tell them about any worries you have about the young person's safety and why you think they're the age they say. Don't write about their journey to the UK. Send pictures of their Home Office papers, any proof of their age, their signed permission form, and a picture of them. If making the referral by email, mark it as very important.
Once the Local Authority gets your message, they should arrange for social workers to visit the young person and do a quick check of their age.

If you don't hear back in 24 hours, send another email asking for an urgent reply. Some charities report that Local Authorities are refusing to carry out Child in Need assessments. So if they still don't answer, help the young person find a solicitor.

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What to tell the young person

We have worked with young people to create resources to help explain the process to them - **access the resources.**

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You need to tell the young person that you'll be letting the Local Authority know about them.