Council criticised after domestic abuse housing failure, Ombudsman finds
South Gloucestershire Council criticised for failures in domestic abuse housing case, Ombudsman finds
South Gloucestershire Council has been found to have left a domestic abuse survivor and her child without stable housing after wrongly applying homelessness rules, according to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
The mother, who fled abuse in 2023, sought help when she was told to leave a refuge but was refused support despite a risk assessment showing she faced serious danger. The council cited a lack of local connection and directed her back towards the area she had fled.
The Ombudsman said the council misapplied legal duties designed to protect victims, dismissed professional challenges and closed the case without resolving her housing situation.
Ombudsman Amerdeep Clarke said the family was put at risk and warned the failures could reflect wider issues in how similar cases are handled.
South Gloucestershire Council has accepted recommendations, apologised, and agreed to pay £1,000 compensation, along with additional staff training on domestic abuse cases.