Housing Ombudsman finds severe maladministration against Stevenage Council

Article summary

The Housing Ombudsman Service has found severe maladministration for how Stevenage Council failed to repair or replace a disabled resident’s faulty door entry system. The Ombudsman has reported that due to the fault, a fire brigade had to attend alongside an ambulance to gain access to the resident on a number of occasions. The Ombudsman has highlighted that the resident continuously raised the issue over 18 months and this has left the resident feeling like ‘his life did not matter’. In its investigation, the Ombudsman also found that there was no indication the Council considered the resident or its obligations under the Equality Act 2010. It has ordered a director of the landlord to apologise to the resident, review its handling of complaints more generally, review its handling of this specific complaint and to pay £1,250 in compensation.