The Council has agreed to provide training or guidance ondomestic abuse to all housing staff dealing with homelessness and allocationsapplications to ensure they understand (1) the changes introduced by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021; (2) the requirements of chapter 21 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance;and (3) how to appropriately deal with homelessness and housing registerapplicants at risk of domestic abuse;The Council has agreed to share with its housing staff our recently published GoodPractice Guide - Domestic abuse in housingThe Council has agreed to report to us on the action it has taken to ensure it hasgiven proper consideration to the need for provision of refuge accommodationfor male victims of domestic abuse within its area.

The Council will remind officers dealing with medical assessments of the need to ensure the decision on an applicant’s banding is made by the Council after taking into account medical advice rather than simply relying on the medical recommendation.The Council will remind officers dealing with decisions on homeless applications to inform applicants that their housing register application has been closed when the Council has discharged its duty and to inform them of how to make a further housing register application if they wish to do so.The Council will remind officers that when dealing with a complaint from a Council tenant if there are areas which relate to matters where the Council is not acting as a landlord (such as when dealing with homeless applications) the Council should ensure it provide details of the LGSCO at the end of the complaints process.