Additional Reception Accommodation for Newly arrived Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Young People

Kent County Council (the Council) is the largest county council in England covering an area of 3,500 square kilometres with a population of approx. 1.6m. KCC spends in excess of £1 billion annually on works, goods, and services for the benefit of the communities and citizens of Kent. The Council provides a wide range of personal and strategic services on behalf of its residents, operating in partnership with 12 district councils. The Council’s Services for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (SUASC) has a statutory responsibility for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) under the Children Act 1989 and seeks to develop additional reception accommodation for newly arrived UASC, to provide humanitarian accommodation, assess their needs, including age, and prepare those assessed as under 18 for living in the community. Having identified facilities makes the risk assessment more robust and supports the Governments Prevent agenda.