Duty to Refer (only to be used by professionals)

If you are a professional working with someone who is homeless or threatened with homelessness, you can refer them to a local housing authority for help.

Any service provider can refer to us, but the following services are required to complete a duty to refer:

• JobCentre Plus

• social service authorities

• hospitals providing inpatient care

• accident and emergency services provided in hospital and urgent treatment centres

• prisons, probation services including rehabilitation companies

• youth offender institutions and the youth offending services

• secure training centres and colleges

• Secretary of Sate for defence in relation to member of the regular armed forces

You will need to provide us with some information about the person you wish to refer, so you must first ask for their consent to make a referral.

You will need to tell us:

• Who you are, your role and who you work for

• your email address and telephone number

• the service user's name and date of birth 

• their email address and contact telephone number

• information about them and their current housing situation

• who is in their household

You must ask the service user which local housing authority they would like to be referred to, as this should be their choice.  If they do not have a local connection to the housing authority you refer them to, they may be referred on to a local authority where they do have a connection.

A local connection may be established through:

• residence (6 out of the last 12 months or 3 out of the last 5 years)

• employment

• strong family connections

If someone is fleeing domestic abuse, or at risk of violence, local connection may be disregarded.

The quickest and easiest way for you to refer to Torridge District Council is through:

https://live.housingjigsaw.co.uk/.

Alternatively you may email [email protected]