Council to apologise for length of time disabled child was left in unsuitable temporary accommodation

The council agreed the property was unsuitable and offered other accommodation, but “ultimately agreed all were unsuitable for her needs”.

The mother complained to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in February 2024 and was eventually offered a more suitable property in August.

The subsequent investigation found the council took too long to find the family suitable alternative accommodation. It also found the council did not have sufficient regard to the public sector equality duty when considering the family’s need for alternative accommodation, given the son’s disabilities.

Amerdeep Somal, the local government and social care ombudsman, said: “Manchester City Council had a duty to find this family suitable temporary accommodation. And while I appreciate this family’s specific needs meant it may have been more difficult to find them a property, I cannot accept they are so unusual as to warrant such a long wait.

“This has had a significant and detrimental effect on the family: the mother could not get a good night’s sleep as she had to share a room with her son, while the son was at constant risk of injury from using the stairs.

“I am pleased the council has latterly accepted my findings and has now agreed to put in place the recommendations I have made.”

The council agreed to apologise to the mother and pay her £3,600 for the 18 months the family spent in unsuitable accommodation.

It also said it will review its current procurement procedure and produce an action plan to increase the supply of different types of temporary accommodation suitable for people with disabilities and complex needs.

A spokesperson for Manchester City Council said: “We are working hard to prevent homelessness and ensure that where people do become homeless in this city, they are housed in suitable temporary accommodation while a permanent settled home is sought.

“This effort is taking place in a challenging national context, with high numbers of people with complex needs presenting as homelessness, a strained housing market and a scarcity of suitable available accommodation after 14 years of austerity, benefit changes and other policies which had stoked the issue under the previous government.

“While progress is being made, we accept that there were shortcomings in Miss B’s case. It took too long to rehouse her and her sons once it had been identified that their accommodation was unsuitable. We will be apologising to her personally and making a payment to her in recognition of this, in line with the ombudsman’s recommendations.

“Building on work already well underway, we will also produce an action plan to increase temporary accommodation including for those with disabilities and other complex needs.

“As part of this, we will establish a regular temporary accommodation transfer panel, chaired by our head of homelessness.”

The council will use the panel to closely consider any cases where current temporary accommodation has been identified as unsuitable and seek to secure alternative accommodation within 12 weeks, wherever feasible, to meet specific and often highly complex needs.

Earlier this year, Manchester City Council brought its homelessness assessment service back in-house after a legal challenge by a law firm.