A homeless Leicester family spent nearly 10 months too long in Bed and Breakfast accommodation, according to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Following an investigation into the case, the council has rejected the Ombudsman’s recommendation to pay the family a financial remedy for the injustice they have been caused.

It is the second time this year the council has taken the rare step of refusing to accept one of the Ombudsman’s recommendations.

The family complained to the Ombudsman that Leicester City Council placed them in B&B accommodation in separate rooms because of the family’s size in August 2023. The family were also moved on a number of occasions.

The council eventually found a suitable property for the family in July 2024.

The Ombudsman’s investigation found fault with how the council handled the family’s case, including delays when reviewing their Personalised Housing Plan and not telling the family about their rights to appeal the suitability of accommodation offered.

The council also took too long to decide it owed the family the main housing duty, and for failing to move the family to self-contained accommodation after six weeks of living in the B&B, contrary to the law.

Mrs Amerdeep Clarke, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

“The council is not alone in experiencing increasing pressure and demands on its homelessness services. However, it is unique in repeatedly declining to agree to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused to families impacted by its failings.  We cannot become apathetic to failings simply because we see these repeated across different parts of the country and we will continue to hold councils to their legal obligations.

“By refusing to acknowledge and remedy the injustice caused to the family – including splitting them up across separate rooms – for nearly 10 months, I am concerned Leicester City Council has yet again not fully accepted the personal impact of what has gone wrong.

“We hear the council’s concerns about wider impacts of paying a financial remedy to the family. Our report recognises the service improvements the council has made to address the use of B&B accommodation for homeless families. However, we have been clear that we have only recommend financial remedies for the two complaints brought to us and that these are based on the individual circumstances of each complaint. This is clearly reflected in the different remedies we have made in this and the previous case.

“I urge Leicester City to reflect on this case, and its responses to my office, and to put things right for this family.”

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman remedies injustice and shares learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the council has agreed to apologise to the family for what has gone wrong in this case.

However, it has not agreed to pay £3,525 for the injustice of having to live in unsuitable B&B accommodation for 42 weeks longer than they should have done.

In line with the Ombudsman’s powers, the council now must consider the Ombudsman’s report at a full council meeting, or similarly senior decision-making level, and formally respond.

Article date: 06 November 2025