Council failed tenant with mental health issues
Tandridge District Council has been fined by the Ombudsman over its handling of the case
At a glance
Tandridge District Council has been fined over its treatment of a tenant with mental health issues
The ombudsman ordered the council to pay the woman £1,000
The authority says it has learned lessons and is improving staff training
- Published
A council has been ordered to pay compensation by a watchdog after it "failed" a woman with poor mental health.
Three different officers from Tandridge District Council in Surrey dealt with the woman, but the ombudsman said “none took appropriate action”.
One housing officer asked the council tenant if an attempt to take her own life had been "accidental", the ombudsman's report said.
The local authority, which was ordered to pay £1,000 to the woman, said it had learned lessons from the case, with staff receiving extra training.
According to the ruling, the council, in its role as landlord to the resident, sent an email that was "accusatory and lacked respect", turned up unannounced with police and described as "unrealistic" a request not to contact the resident by phone.
The ruling said the council did not meet its duties under the Equality Act or its own safeguarding policy.
''Undertaken improvements'
Richard Blakeway, housing ombudsman, said: "At the heart of this case, there were three different officers involved, but none took appropriate action.
"Failure to appropriately respond to the resident's requests for reasonable adjustments or to act in accordance with its own safeguarding policy caused serious detriment."
The district council said: “We have learnt several lessons from this case and have since undertaken many improvements to ensure that our internal processes are as robust as possible."
The improvements included refresher training for staff on safeguarding, vulnerability, equality and diversity.
If you, or someone you know, have been affected by mental health issues, please visit BBC Action Line to find information on organisations that can help.
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