UNITED KINGDOM: Ombudsman finds vulnerable child placed at risk by Lewisham Council’s flawed homelessness policy

UNITED KINGDOM: Ombudsman finds vulnerable child placed at risk by Lewisham Council’s flawed homelessness policy

Published August 29, 2025

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in the United Kingdom has found that Lewisham Council placed a seriously ill child at risk because of a flawed homelessness policy that delayed action until it was too late.

The case concerned a young, immuno-compromised child in South London who required safe accommodation free from damp and mould, without shared facilities, and located within Lewisham to remain close to hospital during two years of treatment. Despite the council’s own assessment recognising these urgent needs, the family was left in unsuitable private accommodation until just a week before bailiffs were due to evict them.

The council’s policy at the time stated it would not intervene until a week before eviction, warning families that if they left earlier, they would be deemed “intentionally homeless” and therefore ineligible for help. This left the family exposed to court costs of more than £46 a day. When the council eventually acted, the only housing it could provide was in another borough, in damp and mouldy conditions. This prevented nurses from visiting the child at home and forced unnecessary travel to hospital, heightening the child’s risk of harm.

Following investigation, the Ombudsman concluded that Lewisham Council took 13 months too long to provide interim accommodation and failed to handle the family’s complaint properly. The Ombudsman described the council’s approach as “brinksmanship” that placed a severely ill child in grave danger and compounded the family’s distress.

In response to the findings, Lewisham Council has agreed to:

• Apologise to the family and pay £9,440.24 to cover avoidable rent arrears, court costs, and distress.

• End its flawed policy of waiting until bailiff action before offering interim housing.

• Review all open cases where applicants in priority need remain after expiry of an eviction notice, and act on them appropriately.

• Provide guidance and training to staff to prevent recurrence.

• Develop better processes for planning future accommodation needs, particularly for vulnerable applicants requiring housing within the borough.

This case illustrates the important role of the Ombudsman in safeguarding the rights of vulnerable people, holding public bodies accountable, and ensuring policies and practices are aligned with the principles of good administration and human dignity.