Mark Whitehead 01 August 2024

Lewisham apologises over family placed in poor accommodation

Lewisham apologises over family placed in poor accommodation image
Image: Nigel J. Harris/shutterstock.com

Lewisham Council has apologised for placing a family in such poor accommodation that a child had to go to hospital.

The London borough has agreed to pay her more than £14,000 after the local government ombudsman ruled it had handled the mother's case badly.

The ombudsman said the council had failed to properly consider the mother's priority on its housing register for permanent social housing despite the fact that she was disabled and pregnant at the time.

It failed to properly consider her human rights or its duties to her under The Equality Act, the ombudsman said, and did not consider or respond to her concerns about accommodation being close to a perpetrator of domestic abuse towards her.

The family lived in unsuitable accommodation for two years and faced continued instability, with frequent short term moves between multiple bed and breakfasts, often with no notice.

A council spokesman said: 'We have accepted the ombudsman’s recommendations in this case and apologise unreservedly to the resident and her family.

'We expect our housing, whether managed directly by us or leased from the private sector, to be properly maintained, and we are sorry this was not the experience of this family.'

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Creative Producer

Mansfield District Council
£34,434 - £39,152 per annum (pay award pending)
The Creative Producer will lead the Development Team Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
Recuriter: Mansfield District Council

Apprentice (Income Team)

Ashfield District Council
£10.85 per hour for the first 12 months then NLW
Ashfield District Council are looking an enthusiastic individual to join our busy Income Team Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
Recuriter: Ashfield District Council

Senior Engineer - Technical Enquiry Management (Traffic Management and Safety)

Derbyshire County Council
Grade 12 £44,433 - £47,925 per annum
Are you ready to take a leading role in managing technical enquiries and delivering safer, more efficient highways? Matlock, Derbyshire
Recuriter: Derbyshire County Council

Service Manager - Property and Investment

Ashfield District Council
£55,620 - £57,869 per annum (pay award pending)
As Service Manager – Property and Investment, you will be the Council’s professional lead on for commercial property and investment. Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
Recuriter: Ashfield District Council

Electrician (CDC)

City Of Doncaster Council
Grade 8, £34,434 - £38,221 (pay award pending)
We also carry out reactive electrical repairs, which includes fault finding of commercial/industrial and domestic properties Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Recuriter: City Of Doncaster Council
Linkedin Banner