Overview:

Key to names used

• Ms X The complainant

Summary

Ms X complains that the Council failed to provide sufficient support with her homelessness and failed to provide suitable accommodation for her and her children. As a result, Ms X and her family have been living in unsuitable accommodation for longer than necessary which has caused significant distress. Ms X also considers the stress of living in unsuitable accommodation has significantly affected her mental and physical health.

Finding

Fault causing injustice and recommendations made.

Recommendations

The Council must consider the report and confirm within three months the action it has taken or proposes to take. The Council should consider the report at its full Council, Cabinet or other appropriately delegated committee of elected members and we will require evidence of this. (Local Government Act 1974, section 31(2), as amended)

In addition, the Council should take the following actions within three months of this report.

• Send a written apology to Ms X for distress caused by the faults identified above. We publish guidance on remedies which sets out our expectations for how organisations should apologise effectively to remedy injustice. The organisation should consider this guidance in making the apology.

• Make a symbolic payment of £500 for the distress caused to Ms X by failing to respond to her concerns about the suitability of her refuge accommodation, failing to notify her of the decision to accept the main housing duty and the missed opportunities to seek a review of the suitability of her accommodation.

• Make a symbolic payment of £1,300 for the distress caused to Ms X and her children by living in unsuitable Bed and Breakfast accommodation for13 weeks longer than they should have done.

• Make a symbolic payment of £150 per month to Ms X for every month she remains in unsuitable temporary accommodation.

• Draw up an action plan, with clear timescales, for reducing the number of families in Bed and Breakfast accommodation for over six weeks and moving them into suitable temporary accommodation. The Council should provide a quarterly report on progress to the relevant committee to ensure democratic oversight. This is to ensure the Council has a robust plan to reduce the number of families in Bed and Breakfast accommodation over six weeks.

• By training, or other means, remind officers that they must consider whether interim accommodation is suitable temporary accommodation when accepting the main housing duty and be mindful that refuge accommodation may not be suitable temporary accommodation.

• Review its template letters to ensure it notifies applicants of their right to seek a review of the suitability of their temporary accommodation, when the Council accepts the main housing duty or moves them to alternative temporary accommodation.

The Council has agreed to comply with some of the recommendations. It has not agreed to make the symbolic payment of £1,300 or pay Ms X £150 for each month she remains in unsuitable temporary accommodation.

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