Ombudsman blasts Croydon over delay in housing homeless family

The mother made a homeless application to the council in April 2010 after the brutal attack in her home.

But the council only offered her bed and breakfast accommodation, despite the fact that government guidance says temporary accommodation is inappropriate for homeless families.

The mother complained that the bed and breakfast accommodation was dirty and dangerous for her children and moved out as a result. But the council failed to find the family an alternative, leaving them “sofa-surfing” for a period of nine months following the attack.

Local government ombudsman Jane Martin warned that frontline staff at Croydon Council failed to consider other housing options for the family, even after the mother had told them how masked men had forced their way into her home, punched and kicked her, attacked her with a hammer and held a knife to her throat.

She ordered the council to apologise to the family and pay the mother £2,500 compensation for the delay in trying to find them suitable accommodation.

Martin said: “I have seen no evidence that anything other than bed and breakfast was considered. I recognise that the council is a large authority and that its homeless team is under pressure.

“However, the council is subject to government guidance which clearly states that bed and breakfast accommodation is not suitable for homeless people with families except as a last resort and then only for a period not exceeding six weeks.”

Martin also ordered the council to review its homelessness application process and policy and said frontline staff need training, on whether “an applicant has particular circumstances which would warrant something other than bed and breakfast accommodation being offered in the first instance”.

Croydon Council apologised over the delay in finding the family accommodation. Hannah Miller, executive director for adult services, health and housing at the council, said the authority has already started to improve staff training and review its homelessness policy and practice.

“Like many local authorities, Croydon is currently experiencing high levels of homelessness and a serious shortage of temporary accommodation,” she said. “In the past 12 months we have received more than 2,200 homeless applications and placed 1,470 households in temporary accommodation.

“Despite the high caseloads, it is important that we undertake our assessment process properly in all cases and ensure that there is consistency of approach among housing officers.

“Clearly, expected standards were not adhered to in this case. We have therefore taken steps to improve the consistency of our approach to managing homeless applications.

“These include recruiting permanent staff to reduce the reliance on temporary staff, retraining existing staff, introducing an online self-help tool so customers get advice early, and implementing new procedures so customers’ personal needs are always taken into consideration when deciding the suitability of emergency accommodation.”