Lambeth council has, once again, been named in a Housing Ombudsman monthly report on severe maladministration.
In this case, the ombudsman cited a case it reported a year ago in which a Lambeth council tenant was “decanted” from their home to “temporary” accommodation for three years.
The resident was originally moved from her property for major works with little discussion or consultation, the ombudsman said.
The council could not provide any formal information to show it had explained the terms and conditions of the “decant” to the resident. Its proposed length, identified through paperwork, was six months.
Despite this, the resident remained in temporary accommodation at the time of the ombudsman’s decision, nearly three years later.
The resident was subjected to many delays and ignored for months running into years. The ombudsman ruled there was “severe maladministration” in the council’s handling of necessary repairs, in its response to complaints, and in its record keeping.
The ombudsman ordered Lambeth council to pay the resident compensation of more than £4,000. The average compensation award from the ombudsman in 2022 was just over £500.
The resident had originally been expected to live in temporary accommodation with no floor or window coverings and had to ask for storage facilities as no account had been taken of the significantly smaller size of the accommodation compared to her existing home.
Lambeth council placed her belongings “a significant distance” from her temporary home and did nothing to help overcome the issues to accessing them. Neither did it offer to replace goods, nor compensate her for the expense, despite the delay being its responsibility.
The ombudsman ordered the council to draw up procedures to manage its temporary decant process to make sure residents are well informed before being decanted.
These changes include the council considering regular reviews of the circumstances of residents and updates to them throughout the decant.
Responding, the council said providing safe, decent homes for tenants is its priority and, “where any problems are brought to our attention, we are committed to dealing with them quickly and effectively”.
It apologised for the problems this resident experienced and fully accepted the ombudsman’s decision after it was published last September.
“We have complied with all his orders and recommendations – including apologising, paying compensation and addressing the work required,” said the council.
It said it would learn from such cases, and has worked intensively with the Housing Ombudsman and with residents to improve the way it responds to complaints.
“Despite continuing reductions in government funding over recent years, Lambeth has invested hundreds of millions of pounds in improving our council homes and estates. We have also awarded 10 repair and maintenance contracts to new providers as part of our drive to improve standards and services for council tenants,” the council said.
“We have also implemented a number of improvements aimed at all staff responsible for handling complaints, including dedicated complaints officers, extra training, increased monitoring of remedies, and retrospective case reviews.”
The council said it is currently auditing and reviewing its decant procedures, with plans to enhance its IT systems to enable it to track and monitor decant cases more effectively.
“These wide-ranging changes will bring the lasting improvements required, and it’s clear they are already having an impact. Through continuing to work closely with the Housing Ombudsman, and listening to our residents, we believe the service we offer to everyone will continue to improve,” the council said.
Other landlords with a significant local presence named in the ombudsman’s report include Peabody and Notting Hill Genesis.
Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said the term “decants” is itself “crude, dehumanising and stigmatising language for what can be a difficult and emotional process for any person”.
Throughout the report, “the human cost of temporary moves is laid bare,” he said.
“There are cases where residents have spent months or years in temporary accommodation, sometimes bumped between different hotels, with experiences of financial hardship and difficulties coping with medical conditions. In some instances, children are not appropriately safeguarded.
“You can see every case the different ways the resident was simply not heard. It is a sombre read.
“Providing temporary housing is something almost every landlord will need to do at some stage. Every week there will be successful temporary moves. Given the costs that can be involved in this process, it is important to get it right.
“Landlords should use this report to improve services for residents who may be required to move due to works or other circumstance.
“With the incoming legislation from Awaab’s Law, this learning is even more strategically important for senior leaders to grasp.”
