What is the difference between the prevention duty and the relief duty?

The prevention duty applies when someone is threatened with homelessness (likely to lose their home within 56 days). The local authority must take reasonable steps to prevent them from becoming homeless. The relief duty applies when someone is already homeless, and the authority must take reasonable steps to help them secure accommodation for at least 6 months. Both duties last up to 56 days, but the relief duty can lead to a main housing duty if the applicant is in priority need and still homeless.

Who is considered in priority need for homelessness assistance?

Priority need groups include pregnant women, families with dependent children, victims of domestic abuse, care leavers (under 21), former members of the armed forces, and those who are vulnerable due to old age, mental illness, or physical disability. The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 added care leavers and former armed forces personnel to the list. If someone is not in priority need, the council only has to provide advice and information.

Can I be intentionally homeless and still get help?

If you are found to be intentionally homeless (e.g., you deliberately gave up accommodation that was available and reasonable to occupy), the council may still owe you a prevention or relief duty, but they will not owe you the main housing duty. This means they will help you for up to 56 days but are not required to provide long-term housing. However, they must ensure you are not left street homeless if you have a priority need.

What is a Personalised Housing Plan (PHP)?

A PHP is a written plan agreed between the applicant and the local authority that sets out the steps both parties will take to prevent or relieve homelessness. It must be tailored to the individual’s circumstances, such as their housing needs, support requirements, and any barriers they face. The plan is reviewed regularly, and failure to comply without good reason can lead to the duty ending.

How long can I stay in temporary accommodation?

There is no fixed time limit for temporary accommodation. You can stay until the council discharges its duty, which may be by offering you a social housing tenancy, a private rented tenancy, or until you find your own accommodation. However, the council must review your case regularly and ensure the accommodation remains suitable. In practice, many people stay for months or even years due to housing shortages.

What happens if I refuse an offer of accommodation?

If you refuse an offer of accommodation that is suitable and the council has informed you of the consequences, the council may end its duty to you. However, if the accommodation is unsuitable (e.g., too small, in poor condition, or in an area where you would be at risk), the duty continues. You have the right to request a review of the suitability decision.

How to Revise CIH Level 3 Certificate in Providing Homelessness Services — Chartered Institute of Housing Occupational Qualification Public Services

1 Understand the values and principles that underpin support services for independent living.2 Understand the role of the practitioner in supporting identified needs, goals and aspirations of individuals.3 Understand the role of the practitioner in safeguarding individuals.

Examiner Tips for CIH Level 3 Certificate in Providing Homelessness Services

Use real-world scenarios or case studies to illustrate how you would apply principles to support independence while managing risk.
Explicitly reference legal and policy frameworks (e.g., Care Act, homelessness legislation) when discussing safeguarding to show contextual understanding.
Ensure your answers reflect a holistic, multi-agency approach, highlighting collaboration with housing, health, and social care partners.
Use concrete practice scenarios or case studies to illustrate skills and ethical decisions—this shows applied understanding and is highly valued by assessors.
Explicitly reference the CIH Code of Ethics and relevant legislation (e.g., Housing Act 1996, Equality Act 2010) to ground your responses in professional frameworks.
For self-assessment, adopt a reflective cycle (e.g., Gibbs or Kolb) to structure your response and ensure you include an evidence-based action plan with specific, measurable goals.
When discussing importance, link engagement directly to the values of person-centred care and the reduction of repeat homelessness to strengthen your argument.
In assessments, always illustrate your points with practical examples of how engagement has been implemented in homelessness services, even if hypothetical, showing you can adapt theory to practice.

Common Mistakes in CIH Level 3 Certificate in Providing Homelessness Services

Confusing independent living with simply securing housing, neglecting the wider support needs such as finance, health, and social inclusion.
Failing to demonstrate how values like choice and control are practically implemented, instead offering generic statements without application.
Overlooking safeguarding responsibilities or not linking them to concrete referral and reporting procedures.
Confusing personal moral beliefs with professional ethical standards—learners often fail to reference a code of conduct or organisational policy when discussing ethics.
Treating equality, diversity and inclusion as abstract concepts rather than demonstrating practical application through specific case examples or service adjustments.
Describing skills and knowledge only generically without linking them to improved service user outcomes or professional competence in homelessness services.

Key Marking Points

Award credit for demonstrating a clear understanding of person-centred values and how they inform support planning for independent living.
Evidence must show practical steps taken to identify individual needs, goals, and aspirations, and how these are translated into actionable support plans.
Assess for knowledge of safeguarding duties, including recognising signs of abuse, responding appropriately, and using organisational policies to protect individuals.
Award credit for demonstrating clear understanding of the key skills (e.g., active listening, negotiation, case management), knowledge (e.g., housing legislation, welfare benefits, local resources), and professional behaviours (e.g., empathy, integrity, resilience) required in housing practice.
Learner must accurately define ethics in a housing context, differentiating between personal and professional ethics, and provide examples of ethical dilemmas (e.g., confidentiality breaches, conflicts of interest) with appropriate resolution strategies that reference the CIH Code of Ethics.
For equality, diversity and inclusion, assess the ability to apply principles to practice, such as using inclusive communication, adapting services for diverse needs, and challenging discrimination, supported by relevant legislation (e.g., Equality Act 2010) and organisational policies.

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CIH Level 3 Certificate in Providing Homelessness Services

CHARTERED-INSTITUTE-OF-HOUSING

vocational

This element focuses on the principles and practicalities of involving individuals with direct experience of homelessness in service design, delivery, and evaluation. It emphasises the value of co-production and meaningful participation, ensuring that services are shaped by the expertise of those who have navigated the system. Learners will explore strategies to overcome barriers and apply engagement models in real-world contexts.

Learning Outcomes

Assessment Guidance

Key Skills

Key Terms

Assessment Criteria

Topic Overview

The CIH Level 3 Certificate in Providing Homelessness Services is a specialist qualification designed for frontline housing staff, support workers, and managers working directly with people experiencing homelessness. It covers the legal frameworks, policy contexts, and practical interventions needed to prevent and relieve homelessness effectively. This qualification is part of the Chartered Institute of Housing’s occupational standards and is essential for anyone pursuing a career in housing or homelessness services in the UK.

Students will explore the Housing Act 1996 (as amended by the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017), which places duties on local authorities to prevent and relieve homelessness for all eligible applicants, not just those in priority need. The course also examines the causes of homelessness, including structural factors like poverty and lack of affordable housing, as well as individual triggers such as relationship breakdown or mental health issues. Understanding these complexities is crucial for delivering person-centred support and navigating the legal duties owed to different groups.

This qualification matters because homelessness is a growing crisis in the UK, with over 100,000 households in temporary accommodation. By mastering the legal duties, assessment processes, and support pathways, students can make a tangible difference in people’s lives. The course also prepares learners for roles such as Homelessness Prevention Officer, Housing Advisor, or Tenancy Support Worker, and provides a foundation for further study like the CIH Level 4 Certificate in Housing.

Key Concepts

Core ideas you must understand for this topic

→Homelessness Reduction Act 2017: This Act introduced a new duty on local authorities to take reasonable steps to prevent homelessness for all eligible applicants threatened with homelessness within 56 days, and to relieve homelessness for those who are already homeless. It also extended the ‘priority need’ definition to include care leavers and former members of the armed forces.
→Eligibility and Priority Need: Not everyone who is homeless is owed a full housing duty. Applicants must be eligible for assistance (e.g., have recourse to public funds) and may be in ‘priority need’ (e.g., pregnant women, families with children, or vulnerable adults). Those not in priority need may only receive advice and information.
→Personalised Housing Plans (PHPs): Under the 2017 Act, local authorities must work with applicants to create a PHP that sets out the steps both the authority and the applicant will take to prevent or relieve homelessness. This is a key tool for tailoring support to individual circumstances.
→Prevention and Relief Duties: The prevention duty applies when someone is threatened with homelessness (likely to lose their home within 56 days). The relief duty applies when someone is already homeless. Both duties last up to 56 days, after which a ‘main housing duty’ may arise for those in priority need who have not found accommodation.
→Suitability of Accommodation: Any accommodation offered to discharge a duty must be suitable for the applicant’s needs, considering factors like location, condition, and affordability. If accommodation is unsuitable, the duty may not be discharged.

What You Need to Demonstrate

Key skills and knowledge for this topic

Award credit for demonstrating a clear rationale for involving people with lived experience, referencing benefits such as improved service outcomes, empowerment, and more accurate needs assessment.
Expect evidence that the learner has identified at least three distinct opportunities for engagement (e.g., advisory panels, peer support roles, involvement in policy review) and can outline the strengths of each.
Credit for applying engagement principles to a chosen context, showing how to recruit, support, and sustain participation, and addressing ethical considerations like tokenism and power imbalances.
Award credit for demonstrating a clear understanding of the interplay between structural factors (e.g. poverty, housing market shortages), institutional factors (e.g. discharge from institutions) and personal factors (e.g. relationship breakdown, poor health) that contribute to homelessness.
Award credit for accurately explaining the statutory duties of local authorities under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, including the prevention duty, relief duty and main housing duty, and the priority need categories.
Award credit for identifying and evaluating a range of accommodation types (e.g. emergency beds, temporary supported housing, private rented sector schemes) and related support services, with reference to their suitability for different client groups.
Award credit for presenting a multi-agency prevention strategy that includes early identification, mediation, tenancy support, welfare advice and collaboration with health, social care and voluntary sector partners.
Award credit for demonstrating clear understanding of the key skills (e.g., active listening, negotiation, case management), knowledge (e.g., housing legislation, welfare benefits, local resources), and professional behaviours (e.g., empathy, integrity, resilience) required in housing practice.

Assessment Criteria

Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio

Award credit for demonstrating a clear rationale for involving people with lived experience, referencing benefits such as improved service outcomes, empowerment, and more accurate needs assessment.
Expect evidence that the learner has identified at least three distinct opportunities for engagement (e.g., advisory panels, peer support roles, involvement in policy review) and can outline the strengths of each.
Credit for applying engagement principles to a chosen context, showing how to recruit, support, and sustain participation, and addressing ethical considerations like tokenism and power imbalances.
Award credit for demonstrating a clear understanding of the interplay between structural factors (e.g. poverty, housing market shortages), institutional factors (e.g. discharge from institutions) and personal factors (e.g. relationship breakdown, poor health) that contribute to homelessness.
Award credit for accurately explaining the statutory duties of local authorities under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, including the prevention duty, relief duty and main housing duty, and the priority need categories.
Award credit for identifying and evaluating a range of accommodation types (e.g. emergency beds, temporary supported housing, private rented sector schemes) and related support services, with reference to their suitability for different client groups.
Award credit for presenting a multi-agency prevention strategy that includes early identification, mediation, tenancy support, welfare advice and collaboration with health, social care and voluntary sector partners.
Award credit for demonstrating clear understanding of the key skills (e.g., active listening, negotiation, case management), knowledge (e.g., housing legislation, welfare benefits, local resources), and professional behaviours (e.g., empathy, integrity, resilience) required in housing practice.
Learner must accurately define ethics in a housing context, differentiating between personal and professional ethics, and provide examples of ethical dilemmas (e.g., confidentiality breaches, conflicts of interest) with appropriate resolution strategies that reference the CIH Code of Ethics.
For equality, diversity and inclusion, assess the ability to apply principles to practice, such as using inclusive communication, adapting services for diverse needs, and challenging discrimination, supported by relevant legislation (e.g., Equality Act 2010) and organisational policies.
In self-assessment, credit evidence of honest and structured reflection using a recognised model (e.g., Gibbs), identification of specific strengths and areas for development, and creation of a SMART personal development plan linked to professional standards.
Award credit for demonstrating a clear understanding of person-centred values and how they inform support planning for independent living.
Evidence must show practical steps taken to identify individual needs, goals, and aspirations, and how these are translated into actionable support plans.
Assess for knowledge of safeguarding duties, including recognising signs of abuse, responding appropriately, and using organisational policies to protect individuals.

Assessment Guidance

Guidance for achieving higher grades

💡When discussing importance, link engagement directly to the values of person-centred care and the reduction of repeat homelessness to strengthen your argument.
💡In assessments, always illustrate your points with practical examples of how engagement has been implemented in homelessness services, even if hypothetical, showing you can adapt theory to practice.
💡Always use precise legal terminology when discussing the statutory framework, and reference specific sections of legislation (e.g. s.195, s.189B Housing Act 1996) where relevant.
💡Support answers with case studies or practical examples from your role to demonstrate application of knowledge in real-world housing practice.
💡For prevention questions, detail a step-by-step approach that covers early warning signs, personalised housing plans, and joint working protocols.
💡Ensure your responses reflect current policy and best practice, such as the importance of trauma-informed approaches and the ‘No First Night Out’ initiatives.
💡Use concrete practice scenarios or case studies to illustrate skills and ethical decisions—this shows applied understanding and is highly valued by assessors.
💡Explicitly reference the CIH Code of Ethics and relevant legislation (e.g., Housing Act 1996, Equality Act 2010) to ground your responses in professional frameworks.
💡For self-assessment, adopt a reflective cycle (e.g., Gibbs or Kolb) to structure your response and ensure you include an evidence-based action plan with specific, measurable goals.
💡Use real-world scenarios or case studies to illustrate how you would apply principles to support independence while managing risk.
💡Explicitly reference legal and policy frameworks (e.g., Care Act, homelessness legislation) when discussing safeguarding to show contextual understanding.
💡Ensure your answers reflect a holistic, multi-agency approach, highlighting collaboration with housing, health, and social care partners.
💡Always refer to the specific sections of the Housing Act 1996 and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 in your answers. For example, mention s.175 (definition of homelessness), s.189 (priority need), and s.195 (prevention duty). This shows you know the legal framework.
💡Use case studies or scenarios to illustrate how duties apply in practice. For instance, explain how a PHP would be tailored for a care leaver versus a rough sleeper with mental health issues. This demonstrates application of knowledge.
💡Don’t forget the ‘reasonable steps’ test. In prevention and relief duties, the authority must take ‘reasonable steps’ – not guarantee a home. Explain what factors influence reasonableness, such as local housing availability and the applicant’s circumstances.

Common Mistakes

Common errors to avoid in your coursework

Confusing engagement with simple consultation or tokenistic involvement, rather than genuine co-production that shares power and decision-making.
Overlooking practical support needs, such as expenses, training, and emotional support, which can prevent meaningful participation.
Assuming that all individuals with lived experience are ready or willing to engage, without considering the trauma and personal challenges involved.
Confusing the main housing duty with the prevention and relief duties, or failing to recognise the sequential stages of the statutory framework.
Ignoring the impact of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, particularly the extension of duties to all eligible applicants regardless of priority need.
Describing accommodation types without linking them to the specific needs of vulnerable groups, such as rough sleepers, young people, or those with complex needs.
Over-simplifying the causes of homelessness by focusing only on individual behaviours and not addressing structural or systemic factors.
Confusing personal moral beliefs with professional ethical standards—learners often fail to reference a code of conduct or organisational policy when discussing ethics.
Treating equality, diversity and inclusion as abstract concepts rather than demonstrating practical application through specific case examples or service adjustments.
Describing skills and knowledge only generically without linking them to improved service user outcomes or professional competence in homelessness services.
Producing a self-assessment that is either a list of achievements without critical reflection or a vague set of aspirations without actionable, time-bound development objectives.
Confusing independent living with simply securing housing, neglecting the wider support needs such as finance, health, and social inclusion.
Failing to demonstrate how values like choice and control are practically implemented, instead offering generic statements without application.
Overlooking safeguarding responsibilities or not linking them to concrete referral and reporting procedures.
Misconception: The council has to house everyone who is homeless. Correction: The duty to provide long-term housing (main housing duty) only applies to applicants who are eligible, in priority need, and not intentionally homeless. Others may only receive advice and temporary accommodation.
Misconception: If you refuse an offer of accommodation, you lose all rights. Correction: Refusing an offer can end the duty, but only if the accommodation is suitable and the applicant has been informed of the consequences. If the accommodation is unsuitable, the duty continues.
Misconception: The 56-day period for prevention/relief is a fixed deadline with no flexibility. Correction: The 56-day period can be extended if both parties agree, and the duty can end earlier if the applicant finds accommodation or becomes ineligible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions students ask about this topic

Before You Start

Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

•Basic understanding of UK housing law, particularly the Housing Act 1996.
•Familiarity with the roles of local authorities and housing associations in providing social housing.
•Knowledge of safeguarding principles and person-centred support approaches.

Key Terminology

Essential terms to know

1. Understand the importance of engaging people with lived experience of homelessness.2. Understand the opportunities for engaging people with lived experience of homelessness.3. Understand how to apply engagement of people with lived experience of homelessness in a specific context.
1. Understand the key factors that can contribute to people becoming homeless.2. Understand the statutory framework for the provision of services to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.3. Know about the accommodation types and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.4. Understand how homelessness may be prevented.
1. Understand the key skills, knowledge and behaviours required for the housing professional.2. Understand ethics in the context of professional practice in housing.3. Understand equality, diversity and inclusion in the context of professional practice in housing.4. Be able to assess own professional performance and development.
1 Understand the values and principles that underpin support services for independent living.2 Understand the role of the practitioner in supporting identified needs, goals and aspirations of individuals.3 Understand the role of the practitioner in safeguarding individuals.

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CIH Level 3 Certificate in Providing Homelessness Services

Topic Overview

Key Concepts

What You Need to Demonstrate

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Guidance

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Start

Key Terminology

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