Council criticised over failure to support homeless teenager
A homeless Islington teenager has been “lost in the system” after council officers failed to support her when she called on them for help, the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman has said.
An investigation by the LGO found that the London Borough of Islington failed to separate the teenager’s need for help from her mother’s homelessness application, and wrongly told her it owed her no duty.
The Ombudsman said the teenager and her mother had initially been placed by Islington in a neighbouring borough when they approached the council as homeless.
“But when officers decided the mother was intentionally homeless, the council failed to recognise its separate duties to the girl,” the LGO noted.
Islington told the family they should access children’s services at the neighbouring borough, even though it may have owed a duty under housing legislation.
The Ombudsman’s investigation found Islington at fault for failing to provide services to the teenager when she was at risk of homelessness as it should have carried out an assessment to find out what duty it owed her.
Since the LGO’s investigation, Islington has tried to contact the teenager to offer her assistance but has been unable to do so. The teenager’s whereabouts are currently unknown.
Following publication of the report Islington agreed to try to contact the teenager and offer to carry out an assessment of her needs in conjunction with its housing department. The council had taken this action but had been unable to contact the girl, the LGO said.
It added that if Islington believes the neighbouring council is responsible for the teenager under the Children Act 1989, it should work with it to resolve any disputes. “The teenager should not be disadvantaged by any disagreements and the council should provide any necessary services until the disputes are settled.”
The council has paid the girl £400 via a relative for the distress caused as a result of its failure to support her.
Islington has told the Ombudsman it has held a complaint learning meeting and disseminated the learning across the department.
Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: “Islington council’s failures in this case have led to a situation where there is genuine concern for the welfare of this young person, as the council can no longer get in contact with her.
“Councils need to recognise the separate duty they have towards children when their parents are made homeless.
“I welcome the steps Islington council has already taken to share the lessons that can be learned from this investigation with its staff to help ensure this situation cannot arise in future.”
