Council criticised by ombudsman over treatment of homeless family

Barnet: A recent report has put Barnet Council in hot water for how they handled a homeless family’s situation. The family, which includes a mother and her three young kids, was placed in unsuitable housing multiple times.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found that the council didn’t just mess up once; they kept putting the family in places that weren’t fit for them. After declaring themselves homeless in September 2023, the family was put in emergency B&B accommodation for six weeks, which the ombudsman deemed inappropriate for families.

In October, the council offered a new place to the mother, known as Miss B, but it had serious issues like no electricity or heating. By January, the kitchen ceiling had collapsed, and the family had to go back to emergency B&B housing.

The ombudsman said the first property was a bad choice from the start. They also pointed out that the council shouldn’t have ended its relief duty. The B&B they moved to in January didn’t even have cooking facilities, making it tough for Miss B to care for her baby.

Eventually, in late March, the council offered a self-contained place, which Miss B accepted. But by then, they had already spent way too long in B&B housing—over ten weeks, which is beyond the six-week legal limit.

In response to the complaint, the council paid Miss B nearly £900, acknowledging the distress caused. They were also told to apologize and provide staff training to prevent this from happening again.

A spokesperson for Barnet Homes admitted they fell short this time but emphasized the ongoing housing crisis in London. They assured that no households have been in B&B accommodation beyond six weeks recently.

It’s a tough situation, and the council is trying to learn from this experience to improve their services.