At least from this article Somerset appear to believe that
it doesn’t have to obey the law.
Somerset County Council to cut £900k from its homeless
programme - 4 November 2015 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-34719594?SThisFB&post_id=10153581589642289_10154059495427289
“Housing support for homeless adults and ex-offenders is to
be stopped by Somerset County Council, despite fears it will put more people on
the streets.
The county council has voted to cut almost £900,000 from its
homeless programme from next April.”
“Housing support for
homeless adults and ex-offenders is to be stopped by Somerset County Council,
despite fears it will put more people on the streets.
‘The reality of it is we will not be able to support people
who are in the community to prevent them becoming homeless,’ said Justin
Roxburgh.
But the county council said it has no legal responsibility
to provide 'this support' for ex-offenders or those at risk of homelessness.
As soon as someone is homeless (and that includes ‘sofa-surfing’)
the legal responsibility kicks in - Shelter - Homelessness: Are you eligible
for help? http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/homelessness/help_from_the_council_when_homeless/eligibility_for_assistance
So by this councils’ logic it wants to save money by waiting
for people to become homeless and THEN housing them rather than preventing them
from becoming homeless. This shows a complete lack of ethics, logic, common
sense, and systematic thinking.
The above is likely to result in legal, and regulatory problems
that lead to suffering and extra costs as happened with their Childrens’ Services -
Somerset child protection services rated inadequate 5 August
2013 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-23573465
Somerset County Council child protection plans 'inadequate'
- 14 January 2014 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-25725963
Somerset children's services boss Peter Lewis loses job 17
October 2014 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-29656979
Somerset County Council called to meet government over
children's services 31 October 2014 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-29845183
Somerset's children 'not well served', Ofsted says 26
November 2014 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-30196933
Somerset children's services still 'inadequate', Ofsted says
27 March 2015 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-32085372
Somerset Children's Services get £6m for extra staff - 14
May 2015 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-32721974
Can Somerset council not pass on lessons learned from one
department to another?
It isn’t OK to save money by failing to provide services to
people who are entitled to them; nor is it OK to put stupid bureaucratic
barriers in front of people who are to access them. This is an issue for a
different but nearby council -
Paralympian Sophie Kamlish told to 'prove disability' for
bus pass - Bath and North East Somerset Council - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-34733630
"Sophie Kamlish represented Great Britain at the 2012
Paralympics, and won a bronze medal at the IPC World Championships in France in
2013
A Paralympian athlete was told by a local authority that her
prosthetic limb was not proof of her disability.
At least this council limited the damage by sorting this out
that same day.
If a council commission a service and it goes wrong, the council has responsibility - as indicated by the example below -
Councils reminded they can contract out services, but they cannot contract out accountability - 8 October 2015 - http://www.lgo.org.uk/news/2015/oct/councils-reminded-contract-services-cannot-contract-accountability/
"The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) is reminding councils that although they can contract out services, they remain responsible for the quality of any service those contractors provide, and for addressing any complaints users of services may have. This accountability remains irrespective of whether the provider is a private company, a third sector organisation or another publicly-funded body.
A complaint about Somerset County Council was brought to the LGO by the mother of a young adult with Asperger’s Syndrome and hearing difficulties after an inaccurate assessment of the man’s needs left him without direct support payments for 14 months."
If a council commission a service and it goes wrong, the council has responsibility - as indicated by the example below -
Councils reminded they can contract out services, but they cannot contract out accountability - 8 October 2015 - http://www.lgo.org.uk/news/2015/oct/councils-reminded-contract-services-cannot-contract-accountability/
"The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) is reminding councils that although they can contract out services, they remain responsible for the quality of any service those contractors provide, and for addressing any complaints users of services may have. This accountability remains irrespective of whether the provider is a private company, a third sector organisation or another publicly-funded body.
A complaint about Somerset County Council was brought to the LGO by the mother of a young adult with Asperger’s Syndrome and hearing difficulties after an inaccurate assessment of the man’s needs left him without direct support payments for 14 months."
