Oadby council defend staff in abused homeless woman row

Oadby and Wigston Borough Council was criticised for not accommodating a mother fleeing domestic violence

A council has defended its staff after being criticised for refusing to accommodate a homeless mother fleeing domestic violence.

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

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

Councillors said they "fully supported" the actions of its housing officers.

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

Despite her connections to the borough, and risk of domestic violence in the other area, the authority refused to take her application.

The council put the responsibility on another authority to accommodate the family, who lived for five weeks in the other council area.

An ombudsman probe found the council failed to help the woman

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said the council should apologise and pay £500 to the woman for "distress" and "injustice" caused.

This was rejected by councillors who met to discuss the issue.

They said the woman would have been in "no better position" had they accepted her housing application.

At that time they had no temporary accommodation available, and said she would have been housed in a bed and breakfast or hostel, outside the borough, in the other authority's area.

The council said when a home they considered suitable became available in the borough, it was offered to the woman but she turned it down.

The family has since moved to privately rented accommodation.

Councillor Bill Boulter, chairman of the service delivery committee, said: "Very reluctantly, the council finds itself at odds with the ombudsman decision and members have decided not to implement the recommendations."