Annex A
EXAMPLES OF
POOR PRACTICE
AND WHERE
THE DIRECTORATE
HAVE INTERVENED
A local authority housing officer had advised
a private rented sector tenant to stay in the accommodation (sit
tight) and wait for an eviction notice or the bailiffs to arrive
before they can be considered as homeless.
— The advice from a best practice point
of view was In this instance the local authority should have acted
immediately and negotiated with the landlord on the tenant's behalf
and certainly not waited until the very last minute, which can
cause undue stress.
A local authority bringing to an end the homelessness
duty to a teenage mother who refused an offer of accommodation
that she deemed unacceptable.
— The duty should never have been brought
to an end because she deemed the offer unsuitable. The offer clearly
was unsuitable as it was too far away from her support networks
(family), which were vital in this instance and which most likely
would have resulted in loss of tenancy.
A seventeen year old being told to attend mediation,
knowing that once the mediation was finished that person would
be 18 and therefore not in priority need.
— Finally, whilst mediation has proved
very successful in preventing homelessness for youngsters, the
17 year old should have been kept informed at all times of the
process and what the implications would be once they had turned
18.
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