Waltham Forest Council has agreed to pay £1,600 to a domestic abuse victim after a watchdog found he had been left homeless for five weeks.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said the man first asked the council for help in January, saying he could no longer live with relatives who were abusing him, and for a second time in February.
The council only acted in mid-March after legal action was threatened, offering hotel accommodation but no further action when the man said his abuser knew where he was staying.
Ms Amerdeep Somal, of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: “Waltham Forest Council let this man down when he approached it for help.
“This should not have happened, and I am pleased the council has acknowledged the gravity of its errors and accepted the recommendations I have made. I hope other survivors of domestic abuse will be treated better in future.”
Councillor Ahsan Khan apologised, telling the BBC that the council took on board the report’s findings, and would “ensure we use these to improve the service we provide for residents in the future”.
The council has not yet responded to The Independent’s request for comment.
During his stay at the hotel, the council also failed to confirm a booking which again left him homeless for three nights, the report said. The man said he was assaulted during these three days.
The man also lost his possessions because the council refused to store his belongings without a payment of £500 up front, which he could not afford, the investigation found.
The investigation criticised the council for the three-month delay in accepting that it had a duty to support him with housing, as well as finding that the council failed to consider the man’s vulnerability and the suitability of the hotel accommodation.
The council agreed to apologise and pay the £1,600 to the man, the report said.
It has also agreed to review its housing policies and improve how it handles cases involving vulnerable people.
