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Pregnant woman forced to sleep on the floor after council’s failings
A pregnant woman who approached her local council for help after becoming homeless was forced to sleep on the floor in a flat miles from her support network, an investigation by the care watchdog has revealed.
Tower Hamlets Council delayed assessing the woman, did not do enough to prevent her becoming homeless, and did not consider whether the accommodation it found for her was suitable, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said.
The woman initially approached the council for help when her father gave her notice to leave the family home.
But the council was slow in taking action and “ran out of time” to take steps to stop her becoming homeless, the ombudsman said.
The following month the woman found out she was pregnant and again approached the council, but instead of immediately providing her with interim accommodation it demanded extra evidence from her. She was left to sofa-surf with friends.
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A week later, having provided her 12-week scan, the woman was provided with unfurnished accommodation in another London borough, far from her support network and maternity hospital. She was only given a bed a month after she had moved in.
She was eventually moved into private rented accommodation having spent three months in the flat.
The woman subsequently complained to the ombudsman, which carried out an investigation.
During that time, the council agreed to pay the woman a Discretionary Housing Payment to cover the shortfall in her rent until January 2020 and to refund the deposit she paid for her private rental accommodation.
The ombudsman’s investigation criticised the council for its initial response, as well as the fact that it did not review its assessment when her circumstances changed and delayed providing her with interim accommodation.
The investigation also found the council did not do enough to help the woman find accommodation, including delaying a decision over what financial support it could offer her and making enquiries to find out whether it owed her the full housing duty.
Michael King, the local government and social care ombudsman, said: “In this case, because of the council’s faults, the woman was left in unsuitable temporary accommodation for three months, causing her unnecessary distress and anxiety at a time when she was most vulnerable.
“I welcome the efforts the council has made during our investigation to help the woman and hope its commitment to learn from its errors will help ensure other people are not affected in the same way in future.”
Tower Hamlets Council has agreed to apologise and pay the woman £1,000 to recognise the time she spent living in unsuitable accommodation.
Mr King said the ombudsman service was issuing its report in part to highlight to other councils the duties they have under homelessness prevention laws.
A spokesperson for Tower Hamlets Council said: “We deeply regret the hardship caused in this case and we accept the findings of the ombudsman’s investigation.
“The resident has now been supported to find appropriate accommodation, but the council recognises that errors were made. We have apologised to her and taken steps to ensure that our processes are improved so that similar mistakes do not happen again.”
