Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to move her into alternative accommodation and reassess her housing band because there is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. Summary: Miss X complained that the Council kept her and her two children, aged 3 and 5, in unsafe hostel accommodation for 2 years. She requested that she be urgently moved into a safer, permanent and more suitable property due to an ongoing safeguarding concern. Miss X expressed that her children were being exposed to chaos, distress, ongoing noise and aggression. She complains that despite reporting various incidents, nothing had been done, making her fear for her safety and wellbeing.
2. Miss X states that her living conditions have had a severe impact on her and her children and because of her unsafe hostel accommodation, she suffers from serious health problems and anxiety, including a blood disorder that she states has worsened due to lack of sleep and hygiene facilities. She states that as a result of the Council’s failure to provide her with safe and suitable accommodation, her and children’s health, safety and future are at risk.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. We investigate 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 continue an investigation if we decide:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the Complainant.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Miss X approached the Council on 24 June 2025. She requested that she be urgently moved from her temporary accommodation, into a permanent and more suitable property due to ongoing safety concerns for her and her 2 children. She detailed incidents that caused her to fear for her safety and wellbeing.
7. Miss X says that Council failed to adequately address her concerns including, her mental and physical health, reassessment of the suitability of her current accommodation and housing band, and plans to move her into safer permanent housing.
8. The Council says that it reviewed Miss X’s medical evidence and assessed her housing situation in the previous year following contact from her solicitor. and deemed her accommodation suitable. Miss X was then refused alternative accommodation and a further review or reassessment of her housing on the basis of this finding. It says there has been no change in her circumstances since then.
9. We cannot find fault in the Council’s the decision-making process. The law says councils must allocate social housing in line with their published allocation schemes. The Council considered the information Miss X provided and without delay they reviewed the suitability of her accommodation to which it was concluded suitable.
10. The evidence suggests that the Council addressed all concerns raised by Miss X in a timely manner. Whilst she remains on the waiting list for a property, which is processed in date order and in order of priority need, the Council has performed it duties by liaising with the Hostel Team and Supported Housing Manager to address Miss X’s concerns regarding her accommodation. Her concerns were addressed following a meeting with the Hostel team and Hostel Manager on 25 June 2025.
11. It is unlikely that the Ombudsman would find fault upon investigation of the Council’s assessment of Miss X’s housing band and application for reallocation as it was carried out in line with its published allocations scheme. Therefore, we will not investiage further.

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Final decision

We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault in the Council’s decision-making to justify an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman