Warning issued to council after woman’s suicide
A council has acted to provide more training for its housing officers following the suicide of a young university lecturer.
Suzanne Dow
Its move came after the death of Suzanne Dow, who killed herself following months of harassment in 2011. A coroner presiding over Ms Dow’s inquest earlier this month warned Broxtowe Council that a similar situation could recur.
Ms Dow, 33, a university lecturer, owned a two-bedroom house in Nottingham next to a family who she said she had witnessed dealing drugs and fighting. She wrote to Broxtowe Council, her neighbours’ landlord, 11 times during a 12-month period, asking for the family to be evicted, the inquest heard.
In a final letter to the council in September 2011 she said she had ‘reached the limit of [her] tolerance’ and could no longer sleep. A final warning, before eviction proceedings or fines, was issued to the family in August 2011.
Dr Dow died in October 2011 following a drugs overdose. Mairin Casey, coroner at Nottingham Coroner’s Court, recorded a verdict of suicide. She also issued a rule 43 report, which is made if the coroner thinks that circumstances creating a risk of other deaths will occur or continue to exist. The council must respond to the coroner within 56 days with any action it thinks it needs to take.
The council has already altered its housing department to ‘give officers more time to concentrate on the identification of vulnerable cases in the future’. It has also changed the way it records complaints and visits tenants more often if they have been issued with a warning. Council staff have also attended training on how to identify vulnerable people and its anti-social behaviour policy has been reviewed.
Joh Bryant, head of housing at Broxtowe Council, said the council expressed its ‘deepest sympathy’ to Dr Dow’s family and friends. ‘The council cares a great deal about its tenants and residents and it will review the findings of the case and learn any lessons it needs to learn,’ she added.
Eamon Lynch, managing director at the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group, said there were still ‘challenges’ for councils working with other agencies.
Rule 43 explained
- Rule 43 is a legal sanction handed down at the end of an inquest
- It is issued if a coroner believes action needs to be taken to prevent further deaths
- Most are issued to NHS trusts
- It must be responded to within 56 days and the coroner must share responses with bereaved families
- There were 443 rule 43 reports issued between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2012, 55 of which were issued to local authorities
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