BASINGSTOKE and Deane Borough Council has been found to have wrongly refused a homelessness application from a woman fleeing domestic abuse with her child.

Earlier this year, a complaint was made to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman which reads: "Ms X complains that the council wrongly refused to accept a homelessness application when she was fleeing domestic abuse.

"Ms X says that as a result she and her young child had to live between friends and family for several months."

A decision was made on February 24 that the council had indeed wrongly refused the application, and the council apologised to the victim and made a 'symbolic payment' of £300.

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The Ombudsman's final decision reads: "Ms X complains the council wrongly refused to accept a homelessness application from her when she was fleeing domestic abuse.

"The council is at fault as it wrongly refused to accept a homelessness application from Ms X and failed to offer interim accommodation to her.

"As a result, Ms X and her child lived between family and friends for longer than necessary.

"The council has appropriately remedied some of the injustice to Ms X. It has also agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment of £300 to Ms X to acknowledge the distress caused."

In the report, a recommendation was made that the council's cabinet approve an amendment to the Council’s Housing Allocations policy (also known as its scheme of allocations) and create new delegated powers to the director of resident services, in consultation with the cabinet member for residents’ services and housing, in respect of future minor changes to the policy.

This recommendation was discussed at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, July 16.

In the meeting, Cllr Laura James said: "We welcome the feedback from the Ombudsman, I'm keen to take steps to put our schemes right as soon as possible.

"These changes are in line with the Government's guidance which will ensure that victims of domestic abuse are able to move into social housing from a refuge or other forms of temporary accommodation.

"It has been estimated that an increase of up to 10 applicants who may not have been deemed to qualify, will now qualify.

"We are on course to obtain DAHA (Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance) accreditation in November and we are also into year three of our white ribbon accreditation.

"We now have an online hub for residents and it gives them a domestic abuse directory.

"We have a unique arrangement with [Hampshire County Council] to deliver bespoke support and resources to Basingstoke residents experiencing domestic abuse. We now have specialist support advocates and an additional domestic abuse worker in post, located within the housing team."

Council leader Paul Harvey added: "This is hugely important.

"It's sad that we have to have these services in the first place but it is an issue that needs to be dealt with and we are dealing with it as an authority in so many different ways.

"The entire council has taken this as seriously as it needs to be taken."

The cabinet agreed to approve the recommendation.