Ombudsman raps council for leaving homeless family “in damp and cockroach-infested properties”
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has criticised the London Borough of Haringey for failing to deal properly with disrepair issues at the two properties where it placed a homeless family.
An investigation by the LGO found that the problems a mother and her children encountered in the temporary accommodation included cockroach infestations, issues with the gas supply, mould, damp and broken locks.
“Some of the problems at their first property were not resolved by the time the family moved out, while many of those at the second property should have been picked up before the family moved in,” the Ombudsman said.
The Ombudsman’s investigation found the council at fault in:
- how it dealt with the family’s requests to have the suitability of the properties reviewed;
- how it handled their reports of the disrepair problems;
- directing the family to the wrong Ombudsman after dealing with their complaints.
The council has agreed to apologise to the family but will only pay part of the £1,600 the LGO recommended it should pay in recognition of the faults identified
The Ombudsman has also called on the council to reimburse the cost of cleaning the second property and for buying curtains and blinds.
Haringey will conduct an inspection of the second property with the mother present, and give her a clear schedule of works to be carried out.
The council will meanwhile conduct an audit of other suitability review requests received between December 2017 and December 2018 to identify any failures to follow the statutory timescale and offer a suitable remedy for any injustice caused.
The council will also review its record keeping of temporary accommodation repairs to ensure it has complete records of what happens on every repair request and it follows up on any jobs not completed.
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Michael King said: “We issued a report last year about the way Haringey council carried out property suitability reviews. The council agreed to make changes to its procedures. Clearly these changes have not been sufficiently rigorous, so I am pleased the report has prompted the council to conduct these reviews itself rather than use an external contractor.
“It is good administrative practice to keep good records of what work needs to be carried out, when it is to be done and when it has been completed – particularly in private let situations such as this.
“I welcome the council’s acceptance of many of my recommendations to resolve the situation for this family, and hope its commitment to audit other cases will ensure those who may have been similarly affected will have their situations put right too.”
