Colchester Council paid autistic tenant £500 after home row

The Colchester Borough Homes tenant, named only as Mr X, raised several concerns during a complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Mr X said his property, which he moved into in October 2018, was having a “detrimental effect” on the health of his wife and now four-year old child.

Colchester Council’s cabinet is due to hear about complaints made to the Ombudsman over the past year when it meets on Wednesday.

Unsuitable - Mr X claimed his property in Colchester was unsuitable for his and his family's needs (Image: Newsquest)

Points of improvement to its social care duties will be discussed, using Mr X’s case as an example.

Mr X said two years after moving into his council-owned flat it was facing issues with “damp and dust” which aggravated both his wife and child’s asthma conditions.

The complainant also alleged the property did not have enough space for him to self-regulate as an adult with autism as it did not have a garden.

When he contacted the council, the father was told he did not provide evidence to show the property was unsuitable.

Improvements - Mr X's case is expected to be discussed during a meeting of Colchester Council's cabinet on Wednesday (Image: Newsquest)

However, in January last year Mr X’s GP said “his mental health is suffering with the stress” the situation was causing.

His child’s pediatrician also said the youngster, then aged three, would benefit from more space and access to a garden.

When the Ombudsman was contacted, an investigation found the council was initially only supposed to offer Mr X a property with a private garden.

But this necessity was scratched off the council’s requirements list without telling Mr X and without any explanation.

Home - Mr X and his wife were housed in Colchester after becoming homeless (Image: Newsquest)

The probe also found “inconsistencies” in how town hall staff understand autism, causing Mr X “upset and distress”.

The council was found to have been at fault for misclassifying autism and failing to understand Mr X’s additional needs.

It subsequently paid the complainant £500 and wrote a letter of apology to him.

A Colchester Borough Homes spokesman said it has accepted the findings.

“While there was no finding of maladministration by the Ombudsman, we are committed to continuing to improve our communication with our customers and learning from any issues and complaints that are raised,” he added.