Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the support the Council provided Miss X when she was homeless. That is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained the Council failed to provide appropriate support after she became homeless because of domestic abuse in February 2022. She said it should have placed her into a refuge, but instead placed her in temporary accommodation in area R that was unsafe. She also said the Council had not awarded her high enough priority on its housing register. Miss X wants the Council to review her housing application and provide more support.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Miss X’s mother, Miss Y complained to the Council on Miss X’s behalf in March 2022. The Council sent its final response at the start of May.
6. In the Council’s response to Miss X’s complaint, it said when she asked for homelessness support, it was because of overcrowding at her mother’s property. It said Miss X did not state she was at risk of domestic abuse. It also said Miss X had not told it to exclude area R when looking for temporary accommodation. It said after it received information area R was unsafe, it identified an alternative property for her to move into within a fortnight. It said it had listened to a recorded telephone call provided by Miss Y, but that did not support her claim that Miss X had told it about domestic abuse. As the Council has offered accommodation based on information provided there is insufficient evidence of fault to justify investigating this complaint.
7. The Council said it had reviewed Miss X’s priority banding and that she was in the correct band (band two) for her housing needs. It said as she was in safe accommodation, she did not meet the criteria for band one. The Council has made its housing decision in line with its allocations policy, therefore there is insufficient evidence of fault to justify investigating.
8. The Council said Miss X was allocated a support worker from its Bed and Breakfast (B&B) Support Team, after it initially placed her in B&B interim accommodation. It said that support passed over to its Floating Support Team, after Miss X moved out of the B&B. It said Miss X had also accessed the duty line for support.
9. The Council said it also allocated Miss X support from Early Help. That support ended when Miss X moved into the temporary accommodation in area R as it was out of area. However, it said Early Help offered to find other support available, but Miss X turned that down.
10. Given the above I am satisfied there was support available to Miss X and there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.
11. Miss Y has also raised new housing and support concerns since her initial complaint. However, she would need to exhaust the Council’s complaint procedure before we could consider these new matters.

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Final decision

12. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman