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Care Leavers Rent Guarantor Scheme.docx

children’s services care leavers rent guarantor schemeversion final 2 approved by tina benjamin & siobhan walshdate: july 2022about this documenttitlecare leavers rent guarantor schemepurposesupporting the independence of young people 18+ where they do not have someone to act as a guarantor for a tenancy.updated bysiobhan walshdate document reviewedjuly 2022approved bytina benjamin, siobhan walsh, legaldate document approved14/09/2024versionv2statusfinalreview frequency24 monthsnext review datejuly 2026version controldocument location: the surrey county council children’s services procedures manual. this document is only valid on the day it is printeddate issued:versionsummary of changescreated by july 2022final v 1first issuedfabrice kabamba homelessness prevention officer july 2024 final v2additions to guarantor application form.siobhan walsh intended audiencethis document has been issued to the following people for review (r) information (i) and review and sign off (s). the child in need procedure is mandatory and must be shared with all staff and partners working with children in need and their families.namepositions/r/itina benjamin / matt antselldirectorss/r siobhan walsh / nicole miller /jenny bricknell/jo rabbitte/catherine watkinsassistant directorsrservice managersiall stafficontentscontentsabout this  document21.what is the rent guarantor scheme for 18+ care leavers?42.how long does a guarantor agreement last?43.who is eligible for the rent guarantor scheme?54.specific eligibility criteria applicable for those in employment65.specific eligibility criteria applicable for those in full-time higher education66.expectations for fulfillment by the young person77.staff guidance for scc care leaver rent guarantor scheme88.appropriate documentation and recording of any corporate guaruntor agreement99.rent start and rent deposit schemes9appendix a10what is the rent guarantor scheme for 18+ care leavers?the scheme is aimed at those young people aged 18+, who are financially and emotionally ready to live independently and where there is no family member willing/able to act as a guarantor. surrey county council (scc) 18+ care leavers service could stand as a corporate guarantor for the young person’s tenancy. this is important as some landlords and letting agencies will only accept a personal guarantor. scc cannot stand as a guarantor on this basis.being a corporate guarantor means that should the young person not be able to pay their rent, scc 18+ care leavers service will be contractually obliged to pay the rent instead.  in addition, should the young person be unable to pay for any damage to the property, scc 18+ care leavers service will be contractually obliged to cover these costs as well. the cost that scc 18+ care leavers service will have to review will be the non-accidental damage, these costs will be taken out of the care leaver’s allowances following a review of their income, expenditure and ensuring repayments are affordable.  it is therefore important that we assess the young person’s maturity, financial position, and emotional wellbeing before we agree to accept them onto this scheme.how long does a guarantor agreement last?there's no general rule about how long a guarantor agreement lasts, it depends on what is agreed between the landlord and the guarantor. for the care leavers who are currently in higher education at university, scc will be the guarantor for the whole academic year. your guarantor should speak to the landlord if they don't want their liability to continue beyond the end of a fixed term tenancy. this will be reviewed on yearly basis.if the landlord agrees, this should be clearly set out in the guarantor agreement.for scc we should express that our guarantor period should be for no more than one year. an extension can be possible depending on the needs of the young person.the personal adviser (pa) who is working with the young person, will have to maintain contact with the young person on a monthly basis during the first year to ensure that arrangements are working as intended and there are no issues arising. who is eligible for the rent guarantor scheme?former relevant care leavers between the ages of 18 and 25.willing to pay their own rent in full each month.in agreement to pay all benefits issued for purpose of payment towards rent costs in full towards their rent each month as per the purpose, without exception.engaging regularly and meaningfully with any supporting professionals (and intention to continue to do so) to ensure relevant support is being accessed and provided when required.if this is not currently in process (i.e., they have outstanding unaddressed need/s) this will need to be actioned prior to acceptance to avoid placing the young person at risk of further harm.5.be fiscally responsible (assessed via previous involvement with pa – the practice expectation is this should be recorded on lcs and included within their latest pathway plan) and able to manage the variety of costs involved in running their accommodation.6.not have any significant level of debt (current ‘debt to income ratio’ of no greater than 20%)less than 20% of income required on debt repayment7.have the required independent living skills (assessed via previous involvement with pa – the practice expectation is this should be recorded on lcs and included within their latest pathway plan) necessary to avoid placing this young person at obvious significant risk of failing to maintain an independent tenancy.importantly, these include proactive problem solving, a ‘proven ability to access support when required’ and at least a basic ability to read and respond to correspondence in relation to their needs i.e., if they receive a letter which requires a response, they would either do this themselves or contact a relevant member of their support network to address this as a priority.note: the above criteria should be relevant to all young people who wish to access private rented sector accommodation and wish to receive support from the scc 18+ rent guarantor scheme.however, as a service we pride ourselves on being responsive to the needs of our young people and experts in their advocacy. with this in mind, if you believe that your young person does not ‘match’ with one of the above criteria, but genuinely believe they should be supported to access this scheme, please discuss this with your team manager, so that they can put forward this consideration to the assistant director.specific eligibility criteria applicable for those in employmentthe young person requesting access to the rent guarantor scheme must be:earning an income above or in addition to state benefits. i.e., if working only, total income must be more than local housing allowance (lha) rate in area desired for private rented sector accommodation or the young person must be earning income in addition to being in receipt of benefits.be engaged positively with their employment and not currently be involved in or expecting to become involved in any disciplinary or other process which has the potential to limit or otherwise negatively impact upon their future income.have no intention to end this employment, during the duration of their tenancy (for which guarantor support has been provided by scc).specific eligibility criteria applicable for those in full-time higher education the young person requesting access to the rent guarantor scheme. must be:currently enrolled in full-time education (tertiary / degree level). this needs to be confirmed in writing with the learning agreement evidencing the study hours.have the intention to continue this study to its conclusion.be engaged positively with their education and not currently be involved in or expecting to become involved in any disciplinary or other process which has the potential to limit or otherwise negatively impact upon their future enrolment in their current educational provision.in receipt of all benefits/other incomes to which they are eligible in order to support with the costs of their studies and reduce the potential dependency i.e., employment support allowance (esa), personal independence payment (pip), student grants/loans etc. this includes the scc university bursary accessible via application from the pa.expectations for fulfilment by the young person1.no choice will be made by the young person whilst under this scheme, not to pay their rent. a choice does not mark a ‘change in circumstance which affects their ability to pay their rent’ and therefore, this would not see that portion of their rent covered by the scheme.2.if a young person becomes aware that they may experience problems in paying their rent at any point in the future, this must be communicated to their pa and landlord/letting agent as soon as possible. this will allow a joint approach to supporting the young person to take preventative measures where possible and to work with their support network to avoid ongoing or recurring problems in this respect.3.if scc are not made aware of the amount owed, they cannot be held responsible for payment. both the landlord/letting agent and young person have the responsibility to inform scc care leavers service of issues in regard to rent payments or monies owed at the earliest opportunity.4.at the point that a change in circumstances which affects the young person’s ability to pay their rent becomes a reality and the scheme is required to cover their payments, the young person remains responsible for paying any benefits or other monies issued for use against rent payments to the landlord/letting agent, reducing the amount of rent required to be covered by the scc care leavers service. examplea young person receives universal credit via the department for work and pensions (dwp) and works 10 hours a week to pay their rent. this young person loses their job. this young person continues to receive universal credit (rent element) and therefore, must continue to pay this to their landlord/letting agent, as this is provided for that purpose. any other use of this money would be inappropriate. 1.if a young person who previously worked to pay their rent, then loses their job, they will be expected to notify their pa within 48 hours, to discuss next steps. they will then be expected to engage immediately with the dwp, in order to ensure that universal credit (or other benefits) can be utilised to pay their rent, which they previously paid. 2.if a young person claims benefits to support them to pay their rent and then disengages with or otherwise loses this provision, there is an expectation that this young person will notify their pa within 48 hours and accept support to reengage with this provision. 3.if the higher education setting accessed by the young person has an offer of support for care leavers in respect of their rent or living costs, there will be an expectation that the young person informs them of their change in circumstance, so that this support can be accessed to reduce costs for the scc care leavers service. staff guidance for scc care leaver rent guarantor schemein certain circumstances, scc can act as a corporate rent guarantor on behalf of a young person, where there is no family member willing/able to do so. this can only be used for young people aged over 18. the process should be as follows: 1. the personal adviser identifies a young person who is suitable for the scheme (see below):financially stablecurrently managing finances wellno prohibitive levels of debtregular, legal income source other than benefitscoping well emotionally / psychologicallyno issues managing emotional/psychological wellbeing independentlyreceiving adequate support and avoiding significant prohibitive difficulties with related issuesutilising and able to use effective strategies for managing difficulties if/when they arisehas the necessary independent living skills to maintain a tenancywill seek support from support network if requiredhas practical day-to-day skills such as cooking, cleaning, and basic maintenance abilitiesunderstands the need for routine, understanding legal / tenancy commitments and a sense of responsibilityevidence of the success of previous tenancies (where appropriate)has not been issued with notice from a previous providerpositive references from any previous supported accommodation providers2. the pa will complete a guarantor application form with the young person. 3. the pa will also need to provide a summary as to why they feel that the young person can hold a tenancy both emotionally, financially and has the skills to meet the requirements (as above). in most cases the young person will have identified a possible property and be aware of the main costs, including rent, rent in advance and deposit. 4. the summary application form and documents relating to the tenancy should be checked by the respective team manager. the team manager will need to agree that the young person is able to meet the requirements to oversee their own accommodation. 5. the team manager will then forward all the documents to the service manager of the looked after children and care leaver team.  the service manager will review the request and present to the area resource panel which will review the request.  6. each agreement may be different, for many it will be for student accommodation, for others long-term private rental agreements. the pa, team manager, service manager, and the assistant director will ensure that the risk is minimal for the young person. 7. once the area resource panel assesses the application, a letter will be given to the pa, to give to the young person confirming the outcome. 8. if the young person is accepted onto the scheme, they will receive an ‘acceptance in principle’ letter, which confirms scc are prepared to stand as a corporate guarantor for their tenancy. 9. the young person can use this letter when speaking to letting agencies as evidence that they have a guarantor in place. however, it must be pointed out to the letting agent/landlord that we are offering a corporate guarantee. neither scc, nor any individual within the care leaver service can stand as a personal guarantor for a tenancy. this is a challenge for some letting agencies/landlords. 10. only if the letting agent/landlord is prepared to accept a corporate guarantor can we move forward. appropriate documentation and recording of any corporate guarantor agreementit is important that scc have the appropriate paperwork on file for any corporate guarantee we agree to, as if the young person defaults on their rent, scc are obligated to step in and pay it on their behalf. the discretionary housing payment “dhp” package can be accessed by all the local authorities.most letting agents/landlords will want to include information about the guarantor either within the tenancy agreement or by completing a separate deed of guarantee.please obtain a copy of the tenancy agreement and deed of guarantee from the letting agency/landlord. these documents should reflect that scc will stand as corporate guarantor for the tenancy for a period of 12 months. email the documents to the team manager and pa for agreement and signature. signed copies of the documents will be returned to the letting agent/landlord. the pa must save the information to the lcs case record and update a case note. rent start and rent deposit schemeswhere appropriate, young people should be encouraged to explore options available to them through the rent start and rent deposit schemes provided by their local borough council before applying for support through the rent deposit scheme. young people should contact their local council to discuss the options available to them. appendix a provides a brief overview of the support offered by the 11 districts and boroughs. appendix alocal housing authorities rent start and deposit support schemeselmbridge borough council – rentstart - https://www.rentstart.org/ tel:01372 474 590email:housingoptions@elmbridge.gov.ukepsom and ewell borough council - rent deposit scheme. via housing options route.tel:01372 732000email:housing@epsom-ewell.gov.uk guildford borough council – homes for you – request via housing options route.tel:01483 505 050 email:housingadvice@guildford.gov.uk mole valley district council – homechoice plus scheme – available through the housing options route. tel:01306 885 001email:housing@molevalley.gov.ukreigate and banstead borough council – young people should call the housing team to see if they would be eligible. it may also be possible to be referred to ymca next step who offer support for vulnerable families with priority need, but this request would have to come directly from reigate and banstead council. tel:01737 276790email:housing.advice@reigate-banstead.gov.uk runnymede borough council – magna carta lettings – request via housing options route. tel:01932 838 383email:housingsolutions@runnymede.gov.uk  spelthorne borough council - rent assure – request via housing options route.tel:01784 446 380email:housingadvice@spelthorne.gov.uksurrey heath borough council – rent choice scheme – request via housing options route.tel:01276 707 100email:housing@surreyheath.gov.uk tandridge district council – tandridge can refer single homeless people to ymca (east surrey) next step who will assist with a private rented search and offer support with the rent and deposit if needed. tel:01883 722 000email:housing-needs@tandridge.gov.uk waverley borough council – via the housing options team.tel:01483 523 551email:homechoice@waverley.gov.ukwoking borough council - prs scheme – “lets rent letting service” – request via housing options route.tel:01483 743 834email:housingoptions.enquiries@woking.gov.uk 

Care Leavers Rent Guarantor Positive Outcome Care Leaver Agreement.docx

care leavers servicesurrey county council, woodhatch place, 11 cockshot hill,reigate, rh2 8ef01 january 2023guarantor application form outcome for [ insert name ].we are pleased to inform you that your application for surrey to act as your rent guarantor has been approved. we will provide you with the confirmation letter, so that it can be provided to the letting agent/landlord. the letter confirms that surrey county council will act as a rent guarantor for 12 months. we have been assured through your application that you meet the criteria for the scheme. you have the required independent living skills necessary, including proactive problem solving, with a ‘proven ability to access support when required’ to avoid you becoming at risk of failing to maintain an independent tenancy in the private rent sector.based on your financial positon set out in your application, the maximum monthly rent amount you can commit to is £ [insert amount] this amount may change as the letting agent or landlord will complete independent affordability checks and will clarify the maximum rent they feel is affordable for you. in your application you agreed that you will be –willing to pay your own rent in full each month.you are in agreement to pay all benefits issued for purpose of payment towards rent costs in full towards your rent each month as per the purpose, without exception.you agree to engaging regularly and meaningfully with any supporting professionals (and intention to continue to do so) to ensure relevant support is being accessed and provided when required.be finacially responsible - this means you spend less than you earn, save some of your money for different financial goals, pay your bills on time and are able to manage the variety of costs involved in running your accommodation. [assessed via previous involvement with pa – the practice expectation is this should be recorded on lcs and included within their latest pathway plan]you do not have any significant level of debt (current ‘debt to income ratio’ of no greater than 20%).you will continue to have less than 20% of income required for any debt repayments.[*delete as applicable-]  care leaver in employment- you will continue to earn an income above or in addition to state benefits. i.e. if working only, total income must be more than local housing allowance (lha) rate in area desired for privated rented sector accommodation or you must be earning income in addition to being in receipt of benefits.you must engaged positively with your employment and not currently be involved in or expecting to become involved in any disciplinary or other process which has the potential to limit or otherwise negatively impact upon your future income.you should not end your current employment, during the duration of your tenancy (for which guarantor support has been provided by surrey county council).care leaver in full-time higher education- you will continue to be enrolled in full-time education (tertiary / degree level). this needs to be confirmed in writing with the learning agreement evidencing the study hours. you will have the intention to continue this study to its conclusion.you will engage positively with your education and not currently be involved in or expecting to become involved in any disciplinary or other process which has the potential to limit or otherwise negatively impact upon their future enrolment in your current educational provision.you will continue to be in receipt of all benefits / other incomes to which you are eligible in order to support with the costs of your studies and reduce the potential dependency i.e. employment support allowance (esa), personal independence payment (pip), student grants/loans etc. this includes the surrey county council university bursary accessible via application from the personal advisor.service/ team managers signture: i confirm i am in agreement to the conditions for the duration that surrey county council acts as my rent guarantor – care leavers signature: date: version control information (internal use only)last review date: january 2026ad sign off: siobhan walshnext review date: january 2027version number: 2

Care Leavers Rent Guarantor Scheme.docx

Care Leavers Rent Guarantor Positive Outcome Care Leaver Agreement.docx

Care Leavers Joint Housing Protocol.pdf