Summary: The Council’s failure to provide Ms X a reviewable decision about the suitability of her temporary accommodation is fault. There is also fault in the Council’s failure to keep accurate records. There is no fault in the Council’s decision Ms X didn’t need a level access shower. There is no fault in how the Council decided not to award Ms X lease end points on her application to the housing register. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a financial payment to Ms X, and take action to improve its services.

Summary: There is no fault in how the Council offered Ms X a homeless assessment.

Summary: The Ombudsman found no fault on Mr D’s complaint against the Council about how it dealt with his application to join its housing register. Had he provided correct information on his application, the Council would have refused it, instead of allowing him on the register and none of the events about which he now complains, would have happened.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of Ms X’s housing application. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has delayed the purchase of a property under the Right to Buy scheme. This is because it is reasonable to expect her to use the remedy available to her via the courts.

Summary: Ms B complained about the way the Council considered her housing situation and requests for increased priority on the housing register. She considered the Council had not properly considered all the family circumstances and as a result they had been living in an unsuitable property. There was no fault by the Council.

Summary: Mr X complained that the Council attempted to provide him with accommodation that was not fit for purpose. He said the Council’s approach to re-housing him from unsuitable accommodation has caused him and his wife anxiety. I do not find the Council at fault.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s failure to take enforcement action in relation to an empty and neglected property next door to her own. This is because the Council is satisfied the sale of the property is progressing and an investigation is unlikely to achieve any useful outcome for Ms X.

Summary: The Council failed to provide evidence of compliance with a remedy it previously agreed with the Ombudsman. In the original complaint, we found the Council failed to investigate Mr B’s complaint The Council agreed to make a financial payment to recognise the impact of its fault. The Council was at fault for not paying Mr B or keeping records of its attempts to do so. The Council will review its internal procedure for ensuring compliance with, and providing evidence of, recommendations made by the Ombudsman to prevent future injustice to others.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council ignored the complainant’s reports of racial harassment and failed to tell her to contact the police or her landlord. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of Mr and Mrs X’s housing application. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

Summary: The Ombudsman found no fault by the Council on Mrs T’s complaint of it leaving the family in unsuitable accommodation between February and August 2019. It offered her a property which she viewed and refused. She unsuccessfully challenged its suitability by way of review. There was no fault on her complaint about it refusing to apply for a disabled facilities grant. Officers visited and decided the works were not appropriate or practical because of their cost and size of the site. Nor was there fault with the processing of her 3 unsuccessful bids for accommodation.

Summary: Miss X complained about the support the Council provided after she became homeless in March 2020. There was fault in how the Council made a final offer of accommodation to Miss X and how it refused to process a homelessness application from her after her circumstances changed. The Council agreed to apologise to Miss X, make another offer of accommodation and pay her a financial remedy. It also agreed to remind its housing staff about the correct approach to its offers policy and repeat homelessness applications.

Summary: Ms B complained that the Council has failed to ensure her temporary accommodation is kept in good repair and has failed to move her to alternative accommodation. The Ombudsman found the Council was at fault because it delayed in completing pest control treatment in September 2020 and delayed in completing proofing works to Ms B’s flat. In recognition of the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to apologise to Ms B and make a payment to her.

Summary: Miss D complained about how the Council dealt with concerns she raised about her temporary accommodation. She says the Council delayed dealing with her complaints of disrepair and it took several months to find alternative temporary accommodation. We find the Council was at fault as it delayed inspecting the disrepair issues, failed to follow up with the managing agent and delayed finding suitable alternative temporary accommodation for Miss D and her family. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to address the injustice caused by fault.

Summary: Mr X complained about the way the Council dealt with his homelessness applications and discharged it duties. The Council’s delays and failures to properly advise Mr X amount to fault. This fault has caused Mr X an injustice.

Summary: The Council delayed assessing Mr X’s application to join the housing register. But there was no fault in the way it decided Mr X did not qualify to join the register, or its decision that he did qualify after he provided new information. The Council has agreed to make a payment to Mr X, backdate his registration date and provide an update on the action it is taking to reduce delays.

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council wrongly placed her in a temporary accommodation which was not properly set up for the individual billing of utilities and council tax. We found the Council at fault for placing Mrs X in the accommodation without ensuring it was properly set up for individual billing, and its failure to resolve the matters when she brought it to it and its Agent’s attention. The Council agreed to apologise and make payment to Mrs X. It also agreed for it, or its Agent, to take responsibility for her utility and council tax costs until the individual billing issues are resolved.

Summary: The Ombudsman found fault by the Council on Ms L’s complaint about how it processed her housing application. It delayed processing it, has an allocation scheme which does not explain whether officers assess studio flats as a bedroom, failed to consider whether her accommodation was statutory overcrowded or whether officers should take a homeless application from her. It failed to properly consider all her circumstances when removing her housing and well-being points. The agreed action remedies the injustice caused.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council not offering Mr X different housing. There is no fault in the Council’s current approach. Mr X’s complaint about the Council offering him his current home is late and he could have taken court action on that.

Summary: A man complained about the Council’s review decision letter which upheld its earlier decision to end its homelessness duty in his case because he refused an offer of accommodation. But we will not investigate this matter because the man has a statutory right of appeal to court he can use to challenge the Council’s decision.