A South London family will receive nearly £5,000 after Kingston Council was found at fault for leaving them in a single hotel room for nine months. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman criticised the council for the excessive time taken to repair their flooded temporary home, failing to offer suitable alternative housing, and poor communication.
Ombudsman findings
The report stated that the failings caused the mother, referred to as Ms B, and her three children the injustice of unsuitable accommodation and avoidable distress. The unsuitable conditions likely worsened the health of one child, who has autism and epilepsy.
The council moved the family into the flat as temporary accommodation in 2019. It suffered flood damage in 2023 caused by leaks from two flats above, which Ms B had repeatedly reported to the council. A housing officer found a leak from one of the flats was getting worse in October 2023 and raised concerns for Ms B’s children, resulting in the family being moved into a hotel.
Unacceptable living conditions
The watchdog ruled the flat had been unsuitable for the family to live in from mid-August onwards. Ms B had to share a room and bathroom with her three children in the hotel. The council booked breakfast and evening meals for the family, but the hotel did not have cooking facilities and she had to ask staff to warm bottles for her youngest children. The family relied on sandwiches or takeaway food for lunch.
Asbestos found in flat
The watchdog found the council was too slow to identify a leak from one of the flats, which meant Ms B experienced greater inconvenience than necessary before she had to leave. All three flats contained asbestos building materials, which complicated and delayed repairs. The ombudsman also said the hotel was unsuitable as the family had to share a single room, with cramped living conditions likely making her disabled child’s health issues worse, and it had no cooking facilities. There was no evidence the council considered the suitability of the hotel for the family.
Delayed repairs and compensation
The watchdog also found the council at fault for how long it took to repair the flat, which was not ready for the family to return to until July 2024. When Ms B returned, she found water was still entering from above. This was fixed in August 2024. The report stated: “I considered the flooding caused to Ms B’s flat would always have caused her distress, even if there was no fault in how the council or its contractor responded to it. Ms B faced understandable worry at the potential health impacts of water entering her flat. She faced damage and loss to her property and possessions. And she had the upheaval of moving out of the flat.”
The council agreed to apologise to Ms B and pay her £4,800 for the injustice she was caused. A Kingston Council spokesperson said: “We remain committed to ensuring our residents have safe, warm and secure homes. We acknowledge the Ombudsman’s findings and accept that, in this case, our service did not meet the standards expected. We are sorry for the impact this had on Ms B and her family. We have accepted the Ombudsman’s recommendations and are using this as an opportunity to learn and improve. The actions we are taking will help strengthen our services and ensure a better experience for residents in the future.”
