This information and form on this page is intended for professionals and agencies only. If you're a resident and need help with housing issues, please visit our housingplus page

What is a 'Duty to refer'?

Specified public authorities are required to notify a housing authority of service users they consider may be homeless or threatened with homelessness (for example, it is likely they will become homeless within 56 days). In Warrington this will be the Council’s Housing Options Service known as Homelessness & Housing Advice Service.

Public authorities are not expected to conduct housing needs assessments but should provide as much information as possible to assist the homelessness team.

Other agencies not included in the required list below may wish to refer cases to us and will be able to make a referral using the same link and form. 

Which public authorities are subject to the duty to refer?

Internal Council Services:

• youth offending teams
• social service authorities (Adult and Children’s services)

External Services:

• prisons
• youth offender institutions
• secure training centres
• secure colleges
• probation services (including community rehabilitation companies)
• JobCentre Plus
• Accommodation providers
• The Secretary of State for Defence in relation to members of the regular forces.

Health Services:

• emergency departments such as accident and emergency services provided in a hospital
• urgent treatment centres
• hospitals in their function of providing inpatient care.

Other public services:

For example, Early Help for families, adult and children’s mental health services, voluntary organisations and education services should also notify a housing authority of service users they consider may be homeless or threatened with homelessness.

Before making a referral, You need to:

• have consent to the referral from the individual
• ask the individual if they would like the referral to be made to Warrington’s Homelessness & Housing Advice Service, or another Local Authority (LA). Usually, clients should be referred to LAs where they have a ‘local connection’. (If the client chooses another LA you will need to contact that LA and make a referral using their process). If we receive a referral incorrectly, we will contact you and direct you to the LA where the referral should be made.
• have consent from the individual that their contact details can be supplied so the housing authority can contact them.

How to make a referral?

All Public Bodies must obtain permission from their client before making a referral. Permission can be verbally or in writing and we do not need to see this permission. We do need to have the confirmation that permission has been provided on the Referral for us to take action.

The Housing authority is the Homelessness & Housing Advice Service. This team is the single point of contact for Warrington.

Referrals should be submitted using the online referral system only.

Initial response by Housing Plus

Once a referral is received a member of the Homelessness & Housing Advice Team will enter details on the Locata Database and make initial contact with the client referred, within 7 - 10 working days

• Introduce our service to them following the referral
• Ask if they would like to see a Housing Advisor by face-to-face interview or complete the assessment via telephone.  We will arrange visits if the person is not able to attend our offices because they are confined at home, in hospital or in prison and a telephone interview is not appropriate or cannot be arranged.
• If the client does not want to engage with our service at initial contact, we will explain what our service can do to help and provide contact details of our service should they change their mind in the future.
• If the client wants to take the referral further, then the case will be assigned to a Prevention & Relief Officer.

Assignment to a Housing Plus officer

• If the client is asked to attend to see the  Duty Officer for a planned appointment, then the officer who they see will become the Case Officer for the duration of the application.
• If the client wants a telephone appointment, then the Telephone Duty Officer will pick up the case within 7 - 10 working days
• If the client requires a visit, then the case will be referred to the Deputy Manager for assignment.
• In all other cases the Deputy Manager should be consulted as to assignment of a case to a Prevention & Relief Officer.

Once assigned to a Prevention & Relief Officer the case should progress in the usual way. If additional information is required from the Referring Agent, then further enquiries should be made in the usual way, observing Data Protection requirements.

If the referring agent would like to provide further information to support, the application, this can be emailed to housingadvice@warrington.gov.uk