Dear Arjun,

Thank you for your request dated 5 February 2025, asking for information that we hold as follows; please see our responses below in blue:

I formally request disclosure of the following information Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

For all “Yes” or “No” responses, you must provide:

  • The internal policies, guidance documents, or case examples that justify the decision.
  • The specific legal or procedural basis for the decision.

Carers & Housing Priority

  1. What internal policies and guidelines does Barnet Homes follow when assessing whether a primary carer should be granted Band 1 priority or exceptional circumstances status due to caring responsibilities for multiple dependents?

Barnet Housing Allocation scheme – housing_allocation_scheme.pdf

  1. How many applicants in the past five years have been:?
    • Placed in Band 1 due to carer responsibilities?

0

    • Classified as exceptional cases due to carer responsibilities?

1

  1. If an applicant submits medical evidence confirming that relocation will cause a breakdown in care, what policy does Barnet Homes follow in response?

Barnet Housing Allocation scheme – housing_allocation_scheme.pdf

  1. If an applicant’s family members are registered carers with the local authority and cannot provide care due to relocation, does Barnet Homes reassess the suitability of the offer?

Yes, we would consider caring arrangements and assess suitability of the offer.  We would follow the housing legislation as when making an offer of accommodation we need to be satisfied that the offer is suitable and reasonable for the client to accept considering statutory guidance in the Homelessness Code of Guidance 2018 and in particular Chapters 3, 12, 14 and 17. Chapter 14 contains specific advice on when a local authority may bring the duty owed to you to an end and Chapter 17 gives advice on when accommodation offered may be considered suitable. I have also followed the requirements set out in Article 3 of the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2012 on assessing the suitability of the accommodation to be offered

    • If yes, under what policy?
    • If no, why not?

Financial Considerations vs. Safeguarding

  1. Does Barnet Homes prioritise financial considerations over applicants’ health and safety when making housing allocation decisions?
    • If yes, provide all internal policies, guidance documents, and case examples where financial considerations took precedence over safeguarding concerns.
    • If no, how does Barnet Homes ensure that financial considerations never override safeguarding duties under:
      • The Care Act 2014
      • The Children Acts 1989 & 2004
      • The Equality Act 2010

Barnet Homes does prioritise financial considerations over applicants’ health and safety when making housing allocation decisions. All decisions are made based on customer need and in line with The Barnet Housing Allocations scheme, an equality impact assessment was undertaken when the scheme was developed. Please see attached documents for further reading.

  1. Has Barnet Homes ever made a housing allocation decision where financial constraints were prioritised over documented safeguarding risks?  

No

    • If yes, how many times in the past five years, and what was the justification?
    • If no, does Barnet Homes have a formal policy preventing financial prioritisation over safeguarding?

No

Risk Assessments & Special Cases

  1. What internal risk assessments or decision-making frameworks does Barnet Homes use to ensure that financial concerns do not lead to unsafe housing placements for vulnerable applicants?

Barnet Housing Allocation scheme;

  1. How does Barnet Homes assess the risk of relapse for applicants in addiction recovery when offering relocation outside of Barnet?  

All individual Need is captured in the housing needs assessment. In addition TA placements are made in line with the Temporary Accommodation Placement Policy.

  1. Has Barnet Homes conducted any formal assessments on the impact of housing instability on individuals in addiction recovery?

No

  1. If financial constraints prevent a household from being placed in safe and suitable accommodation, what alternative support does Barnet Homes provide?
  • If none, provide a justification for why no alternative support exists.”

All Temporary Accommodation Placements are in line with the Temporary Accommodation Placement Policy. Individual needs are captured during the assessment stage and acted on accordingly.

Your Rights

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been handled, you can request a review by emailing Talk2Us@barnethomes.org and marking it as an appeal for the attention of the Data Controller. There is no charge for making an appeal.

After this, if you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint, you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner:

Kind regards,

Carly Williamson

Complaints and Information Manager