South Gloucestershire Council turned away a domestic abuse survivor and her young children when they urgently needed help, after fundamentally misapplying the law designed to protect victims, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.

The mother fled domestic abuse in 2023 and moved with her child to a refuge. When told she would need to leave the refuge, she approached South Gloucestershire Council for homelessness help. Despite a formal risk assessment showing she faced severe and escalating danger, the council refused to help because she did not have a local connection to the area.

The council considered whether the mother could live in a different area near her family. This was despite being told the mother had applied for a non-molestation order against her former partner who had travelled there to try to find her.

South Gloucestershire then referred the mother back to the area she had fled, telling her she would be safe if housed "three miles" from unsafe addresses, without any basis in law or guidance for this approach.

When the mother's support worker repeatedly challenged the council's decisions, citing the relevant law and the Government's own Homelessness Code of Guidance, the council dismissed the challenges and insisted the guidance did not apply.

The council then closed the mother's case without resolving her housing situation, leaving her with no accommodation and no clear way of getting help.

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

"This vulnerable family sought help from South Gloucestershire Council and the risks she faced were clearly documented. Yet the council turned her away, sent her back towards danger, and then simply closed her file.

“What concerns me most is that these decisions were not made in error by a single officer acting alone. They were made and maintained with managerial awareness, in the face of accurate challenge. That suggests this is not about one bad decision, it may reflect a wider misapplication of the law that could be affecting other domestic abuse survivors right now, in South Gloucestershire and potentially elsewhere.

"No victim of domestic abuse should face the prospect of being referred back to the area they fled. The law is clear on this and councils must understand and follow it.

"I am pleased that South Gloucestershire Council has accepted our recommendations and taken steps to put things right for this family. Its commitment to train housing staff should hopefully ensure that no other family is let down in this way.

"This case should serve as a wake-up call for every council in the country. Getting this wrong does not just cause distress. It puts lives at risk."

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 mother and pay her £1,000 in recognition of the significant distress caused.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council has agreed to provide training or guidance to housing staff to ensure they understand their duties to people at risk of domestic abuse.

Article date: 21 May 2026