Hounslow Council has been forced to pay £1,100 in compensation after repeatedly failing a mother and her two disabled children by leaving them in leaking temporary accommodation for nearly two years. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found the council at fault for delays in providing suitable housing, completing social care assessments, and addressing a roof leak that directly affected the family's bedroom.
Family's ordeal began with eviction
In November 2021, the mother, referred to as Miss X in the Ombudsman's report, and her three children—two of whom have diagnosed disabilities—were evicted from their home. Hounslow Council placed the family into temporary accommodation. Due to the family's specific needs, the council's medical advisor recommended that Miss X bypass the standard bidding system and receive a "direct offer" of permanent housing. However, the Ombudsman's investigation found that "the council delayed making a direct offer of accommodation."
Delays in social care assessment and housing review
In May 2022, the council opened a social care assessment for Miss X's disabled children—three months after she requested it. The assessment did not take place until October 2022. In September 2022, the temporary accommodation was officially assessed as unsuitable. One month later, almost a year after her eviction, Miss X formally reported a leak in the roof that was disruptive and directly affected the bedroom. Despite an officer attending in late October, the leak was not fixed. The Ombudsman found that the failure to review her housing plan when she reported the leak constituted a fault.
Intervention by MP and eventual resolution
In November 2022, Miss X's MP contacted the council, leading to an offer of hotel accommodation, which she declined because it lacked cooking facilities and was too far from her children's schools. The leak was finally fixed in January 2023. Only then did the council refer Miss X for housing support—a delay the watchdog ruled as a fault, as it should have occurred much sooner. In March 2023, the council agreed to provide specific support packages for the children. After Miss X complained in July 2023 about delays and poor communication, the family was finally offered permanent accommodation in August 2023, nearly two years after becoming homeless.
Compensation and apology
To remedy the injustice and distress, the council agreed to apologise and pay £1,100 in compensation. The Ombudsman upheld the complaint, finding "fault with the council for poor communication, delaying arranging her move, and delaying completing social care assessments for her children." A Hounslow Council spokesperson said: "The council is constantly striving to improve its performance, and this includes having the appropriate regard for LGSCO findings. In this instance, we have taken the agreed actions to prevent similar faults and have apologised to and compensated the complainant."
