National Ombudsmen
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Councils risk compounding problems for victims of domestic abuse if they do not follow proper process, Ombudsman says
Victims of domestic abuse are sometimes being let down by councils using an outdated and too narrow definition of what abuse means, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has warned.
In a new guidance document, aimed at improving councils’ awareness of their duties to victims when providing housing and homelessness support, the Ombudsman is urging councils to reassure themselves that they are looking at people’s cases through the lens of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which created new duties and powers for councils to help victims.
The Act introduced a statutory definition of domestic abuse, and also amended the definition of priority need for homelessness, to include people homeless because of domestic abuse. However the Ombudsman has seen cases where councils have failed to recognise the abuse people have suffered because it was not physical. In other cases councils have not accepted homelessness applications from people escaping abuse in a different area because of overly strict applications of a local connection criteria.
The Ombudsman’s report includes anonymised case studies based on the experiences of real people who have come to the Ombudsman with their complaints, and the lessons other councils can learn from their experiences.
Other common issues highlighted in the case studies include councils not applying the right test to see if a person is homeless, or not providing interim accommodation despite the low threshold being met of a ‘reason to believe’ someone is homeless because of domestic abuse.
Cases have also included advice for councils’ administration of people’s homelessness applications, including carrying out proper risk assessments, keeping the suitability of accommodation under review and the importance of communication and good record keeping.
Ms Amerdeep Somal, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:
“People who have been subject to domestic abuse are some of the most vulnerable people in society – often escaping out of their area for fear of being pursued by their perpetrators – and often need a significant amount of support and understanding from the councils they approach for help.
“Councils need to make sure they are carrying out their duties to victims properly, regardless of the type of abuse they have suffered. Denying people’s experience can undermine their trust in the council at a time when they most need advice and support.
“By drawing on these real life experiences of domestic abuse in relation to housing decisions, we hope councils will digest our advice and check whether their own services could be improved.”
