Case Ref: 23 015 831 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• Look at what went wrong in this case and why there were significant delays in processing the housing application and medical assessment form. The Council should consider what changes it can make to ensure it processes housing applications and medical assessments quicker.

Case Ref: 23 015 110 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to review how its housing officers - in particular in its temporary accommodation team - respond to and record on applicants' case files, any urgent contact from applicants, including notices to quit and eviction warrants.
• The Council has agreed to remind all housing officers - with particular focus on its temporary accommodation team - of sections 6.37 and 6.38 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance - which says it is not reasonable for applicants to occupy properties until an eviction warrant is issued and they should not be evicted by bailiffs because of councils’ failure to provide accommodation.
• The Council has agreed to carry out training with its temporary accommodation team on the dangers domestic abuse victims face in the period when they first seek to flee abuse. This training should set out the increased risks during this time - if not provided with appropriate housing support - of victims returning to or remaining with their abuser. This case should be used – with all key individuals anonymised - to demonstrate how the temporary accommodation team avoidably missed opportunities to move a victim to safety sooner and to consider how to prevent these mistakes happening in future.
• The Council has agreed to demonstrate how - several months after the Council carried out its procedural review in early 2024 - officers are now carrying out suitability assessments with households before making offers of temporary and permanent accommodation, preventing the need for so many applicants to have to challenge unsuitable offers through the review process instead.
• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff – using this case as an example but anonymising key individuals - that applicants need reasonable notice and opportunity to view a property before deciding whether to accept it as temporary or permanent accommodation. It is fault for the Council to withdraw its housing duty from applicants who have not had this opportunity.

Case Ref: 23 014 553 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• the Council has agreed to consider and devise an action plan, including a target date, to implement a change to its procedure, to ensure it informs applicants on the housing register of a right to request a review if their bedroom entitlement changes.

Case Ref: 23 011 925 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Noise

• By training or other means remind staff of the importance of responding to residents’ correspondence in a timely manner. This is to ensure noise nuisance issues are dealt with effectively to prevent complaint escalation.
• Review the Council’s communication strategy and processes between the teams dealing with noise nuisance complaints and licencing matters. This is to ensure the Council provides residents with seamless and efficient service.
• As stated in its responses to Mr X's complaint, provide the Ombudsman with evidence to show the Council: has reminded staff of the need to manage residents’ expectations about how it informs them of its site visits' outcomes/assessments has revisited the hall premises to re-set the sound limiter and the Council said it would contact Mr X to further discuss the disturbance issues has arranged a visit to better assess any live activities held at the hall premises licensing team would provide Mr X with a prompt response about any alleged contravention of the hall premises licence.

Case Ref: 23 011 920 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to review its procedures for communicatingits decisions on housing and homelessness applications and notifying applicantsof their review rights.
• The Council has agreed to consider any changes needed toensure its procedures comply with the legal requirements for informingapplicants of decisions and review rights, and ensure its officers understand and follow these procedures.
• The Council has agreed to review its complaint handling process to establish if there are ongoingfailures in meeting the required timescales, and if so, devise an action planto address these.

Case Ref: 23 011 449 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council agreed to share a copy of our final decision with all staff in its Special Educational Needs and Disabilities service, to discuss the faults identified and share learning.

Case Ref: 23 011 286 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to share the Ombudsman’s focus report - unsuitable temporary accommodation: guide for practitioners (issued May 2023) with relevant staff, managers and directors. This will help to ensure staff have a clear understanding of their roles and duties in relation to the suitability of temporary accommodation.

Case Ref: 23 010 082 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to reflect on the issues raised in this decision statement and identify any areas of service improvement, particularly in respect of suitability review delays and poor communication. The Council should prepare a short report setting out what the Council intends to do to ensure similar problems do not reoccur. This report should be sent to the Ombudsman.

Case Ref: 23 010 032 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to provide advice, guidance or training to staff to ensure they:properly explain the consequences of staying with friends/relatives to prevent homelessness and to get a higher banding, and the likely timescales involved in securing social housing in band B; issue homelessness decision letters promptly setting out the duty owed and review rights; andknow what information is required for a referral to its private lettings scheme and this is communicated effectively to applicants.

Case Ref: 23 008 937 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to send a written briefing to all staff in the Housing Needs service reminding them of the legal duty to make an accurate and comprehensive record of the housing and support needs of the applicant and members of their household and to keep PHPs under review.
• The Council has agreed to review its procedures for acting on reports of disrepair in interim/temporary accommodation to ensure property inspections are arranged promptly.
• The Council has agreed to share a copy of our final decision statement with the Housing Improvement Board.
• The Council has agreed to identify what further steps it can take to reduce the time it takes to process statutory and non-statutory review requests and include this in the Housing Needs Improvement Plan.