The local government watchdog has rapped Rochford District Council and recommended it pay £750 to a family that faced being homeless.

The ombudsman found the council guilty of maladministration causing injustice after investigating a complaint and has recommended the council review its homelessness arrangements.

Commenting on the findings, councillor Maureen Vince, vice-chairman of Rochford Council's Community Services Committee, said: "A lot of changes have taken place in the last two years and our staff are committed to providing the best service they can.

"But the demand for housing in Rochford is considerable and we now have one of the smallest stocks of council housing in the country, so there are bound to be difficulties in helping such people."

The family, which has not been named, faced eviction in 1997 and applied to the council, but failed to submit a homelessness application.

The council stated that it was satisfied that the family was threatened with homelessness and in priority need.

But the council believed it had done its duty for the family when they rented a property in the private sector, and it did not take details of their income to determine whether it was affordable.

The family moved in May 1998 to a second floor maisonette which they said was unsuitable because one of the family members has a spinal condition which makes it difficult for her to climb stairs.

The ombudsman has recommended the council make a total payment of £750 to the family, £250 of the sum to account for their time and trouble in complaining to the ombudsman. The sum has yet to be approved by the council.

He added that the council arrangements for dealing with the homeless or those threatened with homelessness should be reviewed.

Graham Woolhouse, head of housing, health and community care for the council, said: "Some mistakes were made with this case in 1997 which are to be regretted but since then the council has undergone a major reorganisation of the management of its services, there has been additional staff training and procedures have been changed."

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