Duty to refer
In April 2018, the Homelessness Reduction Act came info force in England.
One of the duties in the Act, is the duty to refer which came into effect in October 2018. The duty places an obligation on specified public authorities to notify the relevant local authority of people they consider may be homeless or threatened with homelessness within 56 days.
Before making a referral, the referring organisation must have the consent of the person to make the referral and consent to share their contact details with that authority. The person should also be asked to identify the local housing authority in England they wish to be referred to.
The duty to refer only applies to public authorities in England and people can only be referred to housing authorities in England.
The public services included in the duty to refer are as follows:
prisons
youth offender institutions
secure training centres
secure colleges
youth offending teams
probation services (including rehabilitation companies)
Jobcentre Plus
Social Services Authorities
Hospitals (A&E, urgent care centres, inpatient wards)
Although the duty only applies to public authorities, the Council welcomes referrals from any public authority not listed above or from third sector, community or voluntary organisations.
If you are a individual who is homeless
If you are an individual who is homeless or threatened with homelessness, please do not use the referral form. Please contact the Council directly on 01772 625 625, via email or by calling in to the offices between 10am and 4pm.
Offices are closed 24 Dec to 4 Jan so please use emergency contact number during this time.
Emergency Contact Number: 01772 436756
How to make a referral
Referrals can be submitted via https://live.housingjigsaw.co.uk/alert/duty-to-refer or by emailing dutytorefer@southribble.gov.uk.
Referrals can also be made in person at the Civic Centre, West Paddock, Leyland, PR25 1DH between 10am - 4pm Monday to Friday.
View Central Government guidance on the Duty to Refer.
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