The failure of councils to meet the housing needs of young people leaving custody reflects underfunding and confusion over where responsibility lies, a leading social services director has said.

John Coughlan, chair of the Association of Directors of Social Services children and families committee, was speaking as the Howard League for Penal Reform said it would continue its legal campaign against councils it claims are breaching their duty of care to children leaving custody, under the Children Act 1989 and the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000.

Coughlan said councils were not wholly to blame over the failure to provide suitable accommodation for some custody leavers. He said: "We do think there are issues of confusion [over responsibilities] and application, but we also think there are issues of capacity."

His comments come ahead of a summit between the organisations.

Chris Callender, head of the Howard League's legal team, said that of 14 cases brought since April, three councils had accepted they had reneged on their obligation to house and support under-18s in their care.

In April, the league secured a ruling against Caerphilly Council which clarified councils' responsibility to provide suitable accommodation for young custody leavers who had been in care.