Council Found to Have Failed Woman Fleeing Domestic Abuse
Housed her and her child in a tiny room when she was pregnant
Picture: AI Generated
February 16, 2026
A woman fleeing domestic abuse had to live in a tiny room with her two children for a month after giving birth, due to Wandsworth Council errors. A watchdog investigation found the borough delayed moving the woman into suitable temporary accommodation after she gave birth to her second child.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said the council also failed to respond to concerns raised by the woman, named Miss X, and her social worker in the months leading up to the birth. The authority agreed to apologise and pay Miss X £750 after the investigation.
The council moved Miss X into emergency accommodation in another borough on August 28, 2024, after she fled domestic abuse. She was pregnant and had a child under the age of two.
Miss X and her social worker repeatedly raised concerns to the council about the suitability of the room, its size and how she would cope when she gave birth over the next few months. But the watchdog found no evidence the council considered these concerns until December 23.
While the ombudsman said it was likely the council would have found the accommodation suitable until Miss X had given birth, if it had properly considered this, it would have decided the room was unsuitable once she had her second child. The report said she suffered an injustice by having to stay in such a small space for almost a month with two children.
The ombudsman also raised concerns the council did not consider the circumstances under which it was appropriate to enter Miss X’s room, as she claimed the male landlord entered without notice while she was partly dressed.
The report said: “I recognise the council carries out occupation checks and tells homeless applicants it has the right to enter the accommodation. However, in this case the council knew Miss X had fled domestic abuse and was therefore vulnerable.
“I would have expected the council to take that into account when arranging accommodation checks. The council says it tells its officers to knock loudly on the door before accessing accommodation but Miss X says that did not happen in this case.”
When Miss X returned home from hospital after giving birth in January 2025, she discovered the property did not have any heating or hot water. She claimed the council did not provide her with a heater until she contacted the fire brigade, but the ombudsman said it could not verify this.
The council placed Miss X in alternative temporary accommodation on February 3.
The watchdog told the council to apologise to Miss X and pay her £750 for failing to respond to her concerns in 2024 and delaying moving her into alternative accommodation.
It told the authority to provide officers with guidance on suitability issues they should consider when allocating emergency accommodation, and on access arrangements when the person has fled domestic abuse.
A Wandsworth Council spokesperson said, “We take our responsibilities towards vulnerable residents incredibly seriously and we are committed to providing safe, secure housing for those that need it. We are sorry for the distress this individual experienced and have offered an apology, and paid the compensation in full. We are committed to learning from this experience to improve our processes and ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
Charlotte Lilywhite - Local Democracy Reporter