South Kesteven District Council (24 010 719 fr)

Report Upheld Homelessness 17-Mar-2026

Summary: We have written this further report because the Council has refused to comply with some recommendations made in our report issued on 18 August 2025.Although the Council has complied with some of our service improvement recommendations, it has refused to remedy all the personal injustice caused to Mr B by the Council’s fault. It has also refused to remind its staff about the correct test and threshold for considering interim accommodation when someone is homeless. We are not satisfied with the Council’s response to our recommendations. We have therefore issued this further report to highlight our continuing concerns.

Leicester City Council (24 005 927 fr)

Report Upheld Homelessness 09-Mar-2026

Summary: We have written this further report because the Council has refused to comply with one of the recommendations made in our report issued on 9 October 2025. Although the Council has confirmed it will apologise to Mr X and make a payment of £500 for the distress its fault caused, it has refused to remedy all the personal injustice caused. We are not satisfied with the Council’s explanation for refusing to fully remedy the personal injustice to Mr X. We have issued this further report to highlight our continuing concerns.

Norwich City Council (24 018 523)

Report Upheld Homelessness 24-Feb-2026

Summary: The Council failed to consider whether to provide Mr X with interim accommodation when it should have and delayed making decisions about his case. When it did address whether to provide Mr X with interim accommodation, it did not properly consider all the information he had provided. As a result, Mr X, who has a physical disability, stayed in his property until he was evicted by bailiffs and then slept for several nights on the concrete floor of a garage. Mr X has been caused significant, avoidable distress because of the Council’s actions. However, there was no fault in how the Council applied its allocations policy to Mr X.

London Borough of Harrow (25 010 559)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 17-Feb-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with Ms X’s homelessness application. It is reasonable to expect Ms X to have appealed to the county court against the Council’s decision that she was intentionally homeless. There is insufficient evidence of fault in how the Council considered Ms X’s new homelessness applications to justify an investigation into her complaint.

Leeds City Council (25 002 364)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 16-Feb-2026

Summary: The Council failed to consider providing Miss X with emergency severe weather accommodation during freezing temperatures because it misunderstood its protocol. This caused Miss X distress and may have put her at risk of harm. The Council will apologise, make a payment, and improve its service. There is no fault with the way the Council handled Miss X’s homeless application.

London Borough of Barnet (25 005 308)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 16-Feb-2026

Summary: Miss X complained about how the Council dealt with her request for a domestic abuse floating support officer. There is no evidence the Council offered and withdrew a domestic abuse floating support officer or that an officer dealt with her inappropriately. However, the Council misled Miss X about her eligibility, delayed telling Miss X about the eligibility criteria and delayed changing the male officer allocated to Miss X. That raised Miss X’s expectations and caused her distress. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to Miss X, reconsider her eligibility and provide guidance for officers.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets (25 012 554)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 16-Feb-2026

Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about a final offer and the discharge of the homelessness duty by the Council in 2023. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Mr X could not have complained to us sooner.

London Borough of Lambeth (24 020 842)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 13-Feb-2026

Summary: Miss X complained the Council placed her family, including a newborn baby, in unsuitable accommodation. We find the Council at fault for its failure to assess suitability at the point of placement, its delay in completing a suitability review, its poor oversight of the managing agents, its delay in moving the family after accepting the accommodation was unsuitable, and its poor communication and complaint handling. As a result, Miss X and her children lived in accommodation that was unsuitable from the outset and for a prolonged period, causing significant distress, hardship, risk to their health and wellbeing, and avoidable time and trouble. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to Miss X.

London Borough of Wandsworth (25 005 135)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 13-Feb-2026

Summary: The Council was at fault in how it dealt with Miss X’s homelessness application and for leaving her in unsuitable temporary accommodation. This left Miss X and her children at risk of harm which caused distress and uncertainty. The Council agreed to apologise to Miss X and make a symbolic payment to recognise the injustice its faults caused.

London Borough of Brent (25 011 730)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 13-Feb-2026

Summary: We have upheld Mr X’s complaint because the Council did not give an end date or review date when it banned him from entering Council premises. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr X and provide this information.