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Tower Hamlets council left a vulnerable man with significant care needs unsupported when he was made homeless, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.

The man, who has disabilities and complex physical and mental health needs, told the council he was being made homeless. The Ombudsman has found the council’s housing and adult care services teams did not do enough to support the man over a significant period of time.

The man received a care package from the council, but the Ombudsman found no evidence the adult social care team had liaised with the housing team about this for an extended period during which the man was homeless.

As a result of this lack of joined-up support, the significant gaps in his care package and the unsuitable interim and temporary accommodation provided, the man spent several weeks sleeping in his car and eventually ended up in hospital.

The Ombudsman’s investigation found the council did not identify accommodation for the man on the day he was evicted, so a housing charity found him and his carer somewhere to stay overnight.

Throughout the time the man was homeless, the council placed him in accommodation that was unsuitable for a number of reasons – some did not have suitable washing facilities, so his care workers were unable to help him wash properly, or kitchen facilities where he could make his own food. This flexibility was vital as the man had medication that needed to be taken with meals.

Another accommodation was not secure, so the man felt he had no  choice but to sleep in his car overnight for safety. This meant he could not use a machine he needed to help with his breathing and, because of his continence issues, he regularly soiled himself because he did not have easy access to a bathroom or help to change continence pads.

Some accommodation was so far away from Tower Hamlets that his care workers were unable to carry on supporting him.

On one occasion the council did not remind the man that his period in one interim accommodation was coming to an end and needed rebooking. As a result he had to leave that accommodation on the Friday and no other accommodation was made available until the Monday. That weekend he had to sleep in his car, did not receive any care calls and was unable to take his medication.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Ms Amerdeep Somal said:

“This case is an awful example of the dire consequences of council departments not working together properly to support the most vulnerable members of their communities.

“It should have been quite apparent that this would not be a simple case, and the council needed to take action when the man first approached it for help and should have planned ahead for when he had to leave his permanent accommodation.

“However, it only acted after the man had been evicted. Even then the support offered to him simply did not meet his needs, and instead put his welfare at risk.

“When dealing with complex cases like this, councils need to have the channels in place to assure themselves they are meeting their duties to both house and care for disabled people who call on them for assistance.

“I hope the changes I have asked Tower Hamlets council to make will ensure other homeless people with complex needs get the help and support they are owed.”

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman remedies injustice and shares learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the council has agreed to apologise to the man and pay him a combined £11,728 for the failures identified in the report. It will also liaise with the man about appropriate action to take about other costs the man accrued when he was homeless.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council will remind staff of their duties towards homeless people, particularly those with complex support needs.

Related Content : London Borough of Tower Hamlets (23 012 189)