Abused homeless woman 'failed by Oadby council'

Oadby and Wigston Borough Council was rebuked for rejecting the woman's homelessness application

A council has been criticised for refusing to find accommodation for a mother fleeing domestic violence.

Oadby and Wigston Borough Council was rebuked for rejecting the woman's homelessness application on the grounds she lived in a different council area.

An ombudsman probe said the authority failed to help the woman, who worked in the borough and had lived there before.

The council, which insists another authority was responsible, said it acted lawfully.

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The woman had been living in another council area when she approached the Leicestershire authority for help to house herself and her children last May.

Despite the woman's connections to the borough and risk of domestic violence in the other area, the council refused to take her homelessness application, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The council placed the responsibility on another authority to assess and accommodate the family.

The family lived for five weeks in the other council's area.

Oadby and Wigston Borough Council then accepted the application and housed them in temporary accommodation, which the woman said was unsuitable due to her son's medical needs.

The family has since moved to privately rented accommodation.

An ombudsman probe found the council failed to help the woman, who was fleeing domestic violence

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found fault with the way the council dealt with the family and said its reasons for not accepting the application were flawed.

It said the authority should apologise and pay £500 to the woman for "distress" and "injustice" caused.

The ombudsman added it should retrain staff to identify which applications should be accepted.

Ombudsman Michael King said: "It is important for councils to be aware of their homelessness obligations and properly assess when they have a duty towards people.

"It is not enough to pass the responsibility on to other councils simply because the person has applied to two separate councils for help."

The council has not accepted it has any responsibility to the woman.

It is due to decide whether to accept the findings, take action or consider legal action against the ombudsman at a meeting later on Tuesday.