Liverpool council apologises for treatment of homeless man who needed surgery - pay £2.6k in compensation

Liverpool City Council have apologised and paid out £2,6000 in compensation after a man who needed surgery was left living on the streets for six months during the pandemic despite repeated calls for help.

The man, who had deteriorating mental health and a medical condition requiring an operation, became homeless in June 2020 and contacted the council. He reportedly made two more calls to the council, which were not officially registered by the local authority.

He remained on the streets until December 2020, when his sister took him to another council area and he was given accommodation, but away from his children in Liverpool.

The man eventually received the operation he needed in April 2021 after the case had been “wrongly closed in March 2021” by Liverpool council, who later offered him a place in a hostel following the surgery, which he refused because he felt too vulnerable.

A report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said the council did not do enough to help despite being contacted numerous times, including by Merseyside Police. They also determined that had action been taken upon initial contact “he would not have had to live on the streets”.

The council was order to apologise and pay the man, who now lives in private rented accommodation, compensation of £2,600.

Anne Marie Lubanski, Liverpool’s Director of Adult Care and Health and Homelessness, said: “We have apologised personally and paid him compensation for the avoidable distress and risk of harm, and the time and trouble he spent pursuing the complaint.

“We have learned lessons from what went wrong and have reviewed our procedures for homelessness referrals and reminded staff of our duty to support homeless people in a timely manner.”

The full report can be read at https://www.lgo.org.uk/decisions/housing/homelessness/22-003-417