After launching an investigation, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) said that it had “serious concerns” about the way Brentwood Council had been managing its homelessness service.
Over a six-month period, the watchdog found that the council closed 216 out of 326 cases despite these applicants meeting the threshold by which it had a legal duty to make inquiries.
In all, it was found to have made a proper decision in just 22 cases.
The LGSCO found that the council required far more information at the earliest stage of the application process than it needed to make an initial assessment.
This included asking for bank statements and a five-year address history.
The local authority was also found to have set an arbitrary limit to the time it should take people to make their applications, and closed their cases if they failed to provide all information, or did so after the deadline had passed.
Ombudsman Amerdeep Somal said that the watchdog’s findings suggested that the council “has been artificially restricting numbers by putting unnecessary barriers in the way”.
Brentwood Council has now apologised for the failings identified with “the past triage process”.
Ms Somal added: “Councils have a duty to assess whether people are homeless, but this duty arises when they have reason to believe an applicant might be homeless or threatened with homelessness. Not when they decide the applicant has jumped through all the right hoops.
“In some cases, this has left particularly vulnerable people, such as those threatened with domestic abuse, or those who are rough sleeping, being dismissed without proper consideration.
“This overly-rigid approach amounts to gatekeeping – and it is likely the council has been failing in its duties to the people most at risk in the borough.”
Jonathan Stephenson, chief executive of Brentwood Council, has said that a review of its homelessness service has already been carried out, and a “range of measures to improve the triage process” implemented.
He added: “We have addressed the issues raised in the report and have actioned the report’s recommendations.
“We are committed to offering help, advice and assistance to our vulnerable homeless and those at risk of homelessness, in line with our duty and legislation.”
