Brighton & Hove City Council: the register
Ruling 25 005 498
Folio 84
Finding: Fault found
- Finding recorded by the ombudsman
- Upheld
- Service
- Housing: Homelessness
- Council
- Brighton & Hove City Council
- Body
- Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
- Decided
- Summary
-
Mrs X complained the Council failed to offer suitable interim accommodation and appropriate support when she was fleeing domestic abuse. We find the Council at fault for failing to provide interim accommodation and a delay in processing Mrs X’s application. This is fault which meant Mrs X and her child were left without suitable accommodation for 4 months. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment to Mrs X.
Summary as published by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Remedies
Words in quotation marks are quoted from the ombudsman’s decision.
States worked out on 9 October 2026.
The ombudsman publishes no entry for a remedy.
| Ordered | Outcome publishedThe ombudsman publishes no entry for a remedy. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | What was ordered | Deadline | Payment | Date | Entry | Payment |
| 1 | ApologyApologise to Mrs X for the injustice caused by the faults identified. We publish guidance on remedies which sets out our expectations for how organisations should apologise effectively to remedy injustice. The Council should consider this guidance in making its apology.Deadline as worded: Within one month of the final decision |
Deadline passed 1 May 2026. Outcome not published. | None | No outcome published by the ombudsman | ||
| 2 | PaymentMake a symbolic payment of £800 in recognition of the Council’s failure to provide Mrs X with interim accommodation between January and June 2025.Deadline as worded: Within one month of the final decision |
Deadline passed 1 May 2026. Outcome not published. | £800.00 | No outcome published by the ombudsman | ||
| 3 | PaymentMake a further symbolic payment of £300 in recognition of the injustice caused by the delay in processing Mrs X’s application, the loss of records between November 2024 and February 2025, and the delays in complaint handling.Deadline as worded: Within one month of the final decision |
Deadline passed 1 May 2026. Outcome not published. | £300.00 | No outcome published by the ombudsman | ||
| Stated payments ordered | £1,100.00 | Outcomes published by the ombudsman: none | ||||