Mr X complained that his computer equipment, which had previously been provided following the Council’s assessment of his needs, was no longer fit for purpose. The Ombudsman noted that Mr X had mentioned that he was also homeless and no longer resident in the Council’s area due to his safeguarding concerns about them, but was seeking a reassessment of his needs.
The Ombudsman was concerned that there was a lack of clarity around whether Mr X intended to return to the Council’s area and correspondingly whether there was a duty to assess him and consider his homelessness. The Ombudsman considered that it was reasonable for Mr X to confirm his intention about returning to the Council’s area, before considering whether there had been maladministration by the Council.
The Ombudsman considered that the matter was open to early resolution, once this had been confirmed by Mr X. This would confirm whether the Council had a duty towards Mr X. If it did, the Ombudsman was pleased to note that the Council agreed within 8 weeks to commence a reassessment of Mr X’s needs (including communication needs) and as part of this, consider his homelessness status.