By Gavin Mackintosh-
Redbridge Council has been ordered to pay thousands of pounds in compensation to two families for high level negligence that led to a marriage breakdown and caused another family enormous stress and discomfort.
The Council was forced to pay £4,500 in compensation to both complaining families , after subjecting them to “considerable discomfort” in temporary accommodation. The Eye Of Media.Com has learned.A series of recklessly negligent conduct by Redbridge Council led to unnecessary delays in the required action by the council to accommodate the needy families as demanded by their circumstances.
The identity of both families cannot be disclosed at their request, but both complainants claimed to have suffered high inconvenience from the experience. One of the families told The Eye Of Media.Com that they were relived at the verdict, adding that the experience has caused them ”serious psychological and emotional setbacks”.
Expressing her relief at the verdict she told The Eye Of Media.Com ; ”money cannot fully make up for the totality of negative emotions and stress we felt at the time, but it provides some consolation and contributes to a new set of positive emotions. At least, it is justice of some sort”.
MARRIAGE BREAKDOWN
One of the complaining families blamed the length of time in a B&B accommodation for their marriage collapsing. Another family was left stuck in cramped , rodent-infested rooms six months after the council agreed the accommodation was not good enough. All that was expected of Redbridge Council was for them to act professionally and move the families to better accommodation because of their needs and circumstances. How a family could have been left in rodent-infested rooms is shocking.
The awfully slow process taken by the Council to act appropriately has caused them nearly £5,000 in fines.
COMPENSATION
The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) ordered the council to pay out £4,500 compensation in damages after upholding complaints from two families. One of the complainants said their family was kept in cramped, rodent-infested rooms six months after the council agreed the accommodation was below standard.
Another family comprising of a husband , wife and their three children -ages 2, 11 and 14 said their inadequate accommodation was responsible for the eventual breakdown of their marriage.
They lived in a B&B for more than eight months after a landlord seized their privately rented property.
One was without a bed in the accommodation, whilst an absence of internet access and studying desk or chair to use prevented another child from doing their homework.
At one stage, the council offered the family temporary accommodation in Canterbury but the mother said it would damage her family’s life.
The LGO concluded that the family experienced “considerable inconvenience and discomfort”.
In the second scenario, the family made up of a man and wife with three children aged two, four and six were cramped in a small accommodation. Their request for an urgent change in accommodation fell on deaf ears. One of the children suffered from learning difficulties and autism, and a doctor had confirmed that the cramped accommodation was worsening the boy’s eczema and preventing him from sleeping.
The family, who had been granted asylum, were homeless after moving from northern England. They had been offered accommodation in the other side of London because there was nothing available in the borough. However, the accommodation was too small for the family and their needs and the council should have responded promptly to this.
The father wrote to the council demanding larger accommodation. The council admitted the accommodation was inadequate after two months of the family residing there, but it took them 8 months to take action and move them. A doctor said the cramped accommodation was causing the boy’s eczema to worsen and preventing him from sleeping.
The father also complained about rodents in the room, torn mattresses, damp and the smell of drugs.
Despite telling the council that the mattresses were torn on December 19 2016, they were not replaced until at least January 2017. The family’s MP also told the council rodents were entering the family’s room.
The council instructed the managing agents to take care of the issue but no action was taken until February 2017, four months after the first request.
The family was in the accommodation for eight months, even though the council accepted the accommodation was not good enough after just two.
FAULT
It is against the law to keep a family in temporary accommodation for more than six weeks.
The LGO said the council “was significantly at fault” for leaving the family in unsuitable accommodation for so long. The admission of fault by the council shamefully exposes their high incompetence level. Incompetence of this nature should not be seen in councils, they should be a lot more professional and competent than this. Failings like these go to show that many individuals placed in charge of various segments in Councils and indeed many professions, are simply not good enough for their posts.
Incompetent managers should be removed from occupying posts they simply don’t have the skills, diligence, and empathy to hold. Redbridge Council could have avoided this entire shame by operating competently and effectively, instead they have been forced to pay a needless and avoidable fine of £4,500.
The Eye Of Media.Com has approached Redbridge Council for comment.