I’m Backing the SAFE Campaign and Standing Up for Families in Temporary Accommodation

I’m proud to support the SAFE campaign, launched by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Households in Temporary Accommodation. It’s a common-sense push for something that should already be happening: making sure families placed in temporary accommodation don’t fall through the cracks.

Right now, when a homeless household is placed in temporary accommodation—often in another local area—there’s no guarantee that key services like schools and GP surgeries are told. This lack of communication means that vulnerable families, including those with children, can go without the care and support they’re entitled to. It’s a quiet administrative gap, but one with serious consequences.

The SAFE campaign aims to fix that.

By placing a duty on councils to notify relevant services when a household becomes homeless, we can help ensure there’s a safety net in place—so that children don’t miss school unnecessarily, parents can access healthcare, and no one becomes invisible in the system. These changes would apply to all homeless households, whether they’ve been placed elsewhere or are staying locally.

While the Government hasn’t yet accepted amendments to enshrine this in law, they have acknowledged the need for a better notification system. That’s a step in the right direction. In the meantime, some local councils have already started implementing this process themselves—and I’d encourage more to do the same. Here in West Berkshire, I’d welcome conversations about how we can take action now to better support families in temporary accommodation across Newbury and beyond.

We know that continuity of care—especially when it comes to health and education—makes a real difference. That’s why I back the SAFE campaign’s call to expand these notifications through both the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and the Renters Rights Bill. It’s a simple change, but one that would help ensure that homelessness doesn’t mean starting over every time a family crosses a council boundary.

Everyone deserves to feel supported during difficult times—and families facing homelessness are no exception. We can’t allow children’s futures to be shaped by postcode confusion or broken communication between services. I’ll continue to press for changes that protect the most vulnerable, and I’m proud to stand alongside those pushing for practical solutions like SAFE.