Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (22 012 797)
Category : Housing > Allocations
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 23 Apr 2023
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the banding the Council awarded Mr X’s housing application. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault to justify an investigation.
The complaint
- Mr X complains about the banding the Council has awarded his housing application.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Ombudsman investigates complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or may decide not to continue with an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X says he is homeless. He has made a housing application to the Council.
- The Council awarded Mr X’s housing application a bronze band. This was because Mr X does not have a local connection but did meet one of the criteria set out in the Council’s housing allocations policy for a bronze band. The Council has allocated the band award in line with its allocations policy and there is no evidence of any fault with its decision.
- Mr X would be eligible for a silver band if the Council owed him the main housing, prevention, or relief duty. However, the Council confirmed Mr X’s housing application did not proceed as Mr X terminated a call. This meant the Council could not complete its homelessness assessment and so was unable to establish if any duty was owed.
- The Council confirmed if Mr X wanted to pursue a homelessness application, he could contact the Council to do so. The Council said it would arrange for an appointment to allow a homelessness assessment to be completed. It is open to Mr X to contact the Council to arrange this.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault to justify an investigation.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman