industry news
Ombudsman urges councils to be more flexible
Councils should be flexible in their housing policies when dealing with people with complex needs the ombudsman has said. The Local Government Ombudsman has said that councils should
deviate from their policies when awarding housing priority in special cases where a family’s circumstances are difficult. This followed an investigation into how Kent-based Thanet District
Council dealt with a family of six living in a small, privately rented home. One child had sleep problems and another had mobility difficulties, with the parents acting as full-time carers. The ombudsman ordered the council to apologise to the family after they spent nearly three years too long in “unsuitable cramped accommodation”. The council was asked to apologise to the family and pay them £8,400 due to the impact of living for so long in unsuitable accommodation. They were also told to pay a further £250 to acknowledge the “stress and confusion” caused to the family.
Overcrowding
The ombudsman said the council based the family’s application on overcrowding criteria instead of their needs. The ombudsman also found the council contravened its own lettings plan by wrongly prioritising other families over them. This meant they could not bid for homes that met their needs.
“The council was asked to apologise to the family and pay them £8,400 due to the impact of living for so long in unsuitable accommodation”
The council incorrectly told the family it could only take into account one of the childrens’ needs. The council should have recognised the complexity of the case as needing cross-agency referral, and officers should have visited to check the size of the bedrooms, the Ombudsman said. Jane Martin, Local Government Ombudsman, added: “While it is
important for councils to operate consistent housing policies, they also need to ensure they spot the complex cases, such as this family, that may require special consideration. “To properly meet people’s needs, local authorities should allow themselves the flexibility to exercise discretion when exceptional combinations of circumstances mean their allocation policies cannot accurately meet those needs.” Rob Kenyon, director of community services at Thanet District
Council, said: “We have reviewed our procedures to ensure that we learn from the findings of the report to prevent similar issues from arising in the future.” He also apologised to the family.
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www.housingmmonline.co.uk | HMM November 2016 | 17
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