Advice wanted re potential homeless 16 year old girl

[soaccidentprone]

My eldest DS's girlfriend (lets call her Jo) does not get on with her mum. She has also told me that her mum is very controlling and gets very angry sometimes and hits her. I have phoned SS to ask for advice, and also to tell them that she is temporarily living with us.

Her mum stated that this would just be for a few days, but she has been here now for 4 days. This is the 3rd time this has happened since Christmas, and to be perfectly honest I am totally fed up with the situation.

The mum has now stated she does not want her back, and that she can either go and live with her father, or live in a homeless hostel. Now Jo's father does not even live in the same county, and has had very little contact with Jo over the past 12 years. Jo's father and mother were not married, and there doesn't appear to be a residency order. Jo is currently at College doing an NVQ. She will soon be 17.

Anyway, my question is: can her mum make her go and live with her dad even though she doesn't want too? Her life, friends, college course, relatives and boyfriend are all here. She really wants to go back home, but her mum doesn't want her there.

What would you do, 'cos I'm now at a loss? I have advised Jo to speak to a Counsellor at college.

Thanks

SOP

Okay, so this is a bit of a tricky area (I work in a homeless service).

Firstly no mum cannot make her go to Dad's. There was a piece of case law a couple of years ago now G v Southwark which changed which department within an authority had responsibility for a homeless 16/17 year old, up until the judgement homeless services had accommodated young people of these ages under homelessness legislation, so normally in supported housing/hostels/bedsits and provided them with no or limited support.

Following G v Southwark where a young person age 16/17 cannot be accommodated with their parent (because it is unsafe or because their has been a total relationship breakdown) then social services should do an assessment and unless the young person is exceptionally competent (the example in the judgement was a young person who had lived independently, worked and was made homeless through no fault of their own) social services should pick up the child as a looked after child and accommodate them. This is much preferable for the young person as they are accommodated, provided with support and where they go onto higher education this is funded by the authority. However this was a very unpopular decision with children's services who have central government set targets around the numbers of looked after children and small budgets, and many, my own included, do their best to not accept a duty but to 'resolve' the young persons housing situation by accommodating them but not accepting a looked after duty.

My advice would be that she presents to social services as homeless, explains her mum is not willing to accommodate her, and in any event she is unsafe at home due to violence. She should make it plain that she has no relationship with dad and would not feel able to live with him. She should say that she wishes to be assessed. They will try to persuade her she doesn't want to be looked after, probably by telling her she might have to go to a chimdren's home (very unlikely as she is more likely to get a much cheaper supported housing placement, eg at a Foyer).

Shelter will be able to offer her some good advice too 0808 800 4444

Emskaboo, thanks for this.

Her mum has texted her every evening to ask if she is OK! but that's a far as communication has gone. Jo has spoken to a counsellor at College who was v helpful, so hopefully things will be sorted out soon. I think we'll just have to see how thing pan out.

SOP