Brighton & Hove City Council: the register
Ruling 25 014 445
Folio 16
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
-
Miss X complains the Council failed to properly deal with her daughter’s homelessness application. We find failings in the Council’s consideration of the suitability of interim accommodation, its handling of the referral process and its complaint handling. The Council has agreed to apologise, make payments to Miss X and her daughter, and make service improvements.
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 Miss X and Miss B for the faults identified in this decision. 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 when making the apology.Deadline as worded: within four weeks of my final decision |
Deadline passed 7 September 2026. Outcome not published. | None | No outcome published by the ombudsman | ||
| 2 | PaymentPay Miss X £100 to recognise the frustration and avoidable time and trouble she has been put to as a result of its poor complaint handling;Deadline as worded: within four weeks of my final decision |
Deadline passed 7 September 2026. Outcome not published. | £100.00 | No outcome published by the ombudsman | ||
| 3 | PaymentPay Miss B £150 to recognise the avoidable uncertainty and distress caused by failing to notify her of the outcome of the referral and its failure to properly consider and record the suitability of the interim accommodation it offered.Deadline as worded: within four weeks of my final decision |
Deadline passed 7 September 2026. Outcome not published. | £150.00 | No outcome published by the ombudsman | ||
| 4 | Service changeRemind relevant housing officers of the requirement to notify applicants of the outcome of section 198 referrals and to properly record how the suitability of interim accommodation has been considered in light of an applicant's individual circumstances.Deadline as worded: within eight weeks of my final decision |
Deadline passed 5 October 2026. Outcome not published. | None | No outcome published by the ombudsman | ||
| Stated payments ordered | £250.00 | Outcomes published by the ombudsman: none | ||||