Cllr Sarah Murray: Let’s Strengthen Safeguards for Children in Temporary Accommodation

At the Communities Committee on the 5th November, Worcester City Councillor Sarah Murray welcomed reassurance from officers about the quality of the city’s temporary accommodation — but urged the Council to go further by adopting the national SAFE protocol, which ensures housing for families is Safe, Accessible, Family-focused, and in the right Environment.

“Our temporary accommodation is certainly not the worst — and I thank officers for their hard work,” said Cllr Murray. “But across the country over 130,000 children are in temporary housing, and we know the risks that come with unsuitable placements. We should formalise the high standards we already aim for in Worcester and commit to putting children’s wellbeing at the heart of every decision.”

Cllr Murray cited the Shared Health Foundation’s national call for councils to adopt the SAFE framework, and called for a report back to the committee on how Worcester is meeting these standards — and what more can be done. She also noted the importance of acting now, ahead of potential changes to local authority structures:

“With reorganisation and a possible move to a unitary authority on the horizon, it’s vital that we embed good practice while we still can. Once a framework like SAFE is adopted, it’s much harder to undo. This is about safeguarding children and strengthening the work we’re already doing.”