Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council has dealt with Ms X’s housing application. This is because there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by doing so.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains the Council has accepted it has a duty to provide housing to her and her baby, but has then failed to offer suitable accommodation.
2. Ms X has raised a number of complaints around the service provided by the Council around dealing with her homelessness matter. She says it has caused her significant mental harm.
3. Ms X is seeking an offer of accommodation she considers to be suitable.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

4. 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 no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

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

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. Ms X made a homelessness application in 2024. The Council accepted it had a duty to provide accommodation for her and her child.
8. The Council made offers of accommodation which Ms X declined as they did not meet her needs.
9. The Council sought to end its duty to Ms X as its offers had been declined. Ms X appealed this decision and the Council’s decision was overturned.
10. There is nothing to be achieved by investigating this now as the matter has already been considered and the outcome Ms X wanted was achieved.
11. Ms X complained the offers of accommodation made after this have also been unsuitable. She made a request the Council review the suitability of a property offered to her. The review was completed and decided the property was suitable.
12. The law says councils must ensure all accommodation provided to homeless applicants is suitable for the needs of the applicant and members of their household. This duty applies to interim accommodation and accommodation provided under the main housing duty. (Housing Act 1996, section 206 and Homelessness Code of Guidance 17.2)
13. Homelessness temporary accommodation must be legally suitable. (Housing Act 1996, section 206) Anyone who believes their temporary accommodation is unsuitable can ask the Council to review the accommodation’s suitability. (Housing Act 1996, section 202) If the Council’s review decides the accommodation is unsuitable, the Council must provide suitable accommodation. If the review decides the accommodation is suitable, the applicant has the right to appeal to the county court on a point of law. (Housing Act 1996, section 204)
14. As Ms X disagrees with the suitability review outcome, she has a right to appeal to the county court.
15. Ms X also complained about the communication of Council staff, which she has had issues with. The Council has provided a response to her complaints, and it is unlikely that further investigation by this office would add to that.
16. While it is understandable that Ms X has found it frustrating that not all council officers she has encountered in the process have been familiar with the details of her matter, the Council has explained those were not the officers assigned to her case.
17. Where we are unlikely to achieve a worthwhile outcome, we do not investigate.

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Final decision

18. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because doing so would not result in a worthwhile outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman