When the victim requested a female caseworker instead it took the council more than seven weeks to make the change, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

Barnet Council has agreed to review procedures that saw a male officer allocated to a female victim of domestic abuse for more than seven weeks.

The review comes in response to an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

In its decision, reached on 16th Febraury, the ombudsman also found the local authority had caused a woman “distress” after misleading her about her eligibility for a specialist domestic abuse floating support officer.

The ombudsman’s decisions followed a complaint made by a woman, referred to only as ‘Miss X’, who made a request for the support officer in October 2024 while living in a refuge as a domestic abuse victim.

The ombudsman found that the council “misled Miss X about her eligibility”, saying they would request a floating domestic abuse officer for her once she left the refuge.

However, it wasn’t until March the following year that the local authority eventually told her she would be ineligible for such support. This, said the ombudsman, “raised Miss X’s expectations and caused her distress”.

Separately, the council assigned Miss X a male outreach officer despite the fact she had experienced male domestic abuse. When she made a request for a female officer it took the council more than seven weeks to make the change.

The ombudsman found the local authority at fault for this delay, saying: “Given the council knew Miss X had experienced domestic abuse I would have expected it to change the caseworker before it did so.”

In its decision on the case, the ombudsman ordered the council to “apologise to Miss X for the distress she experienced due to the faults identified” as well as issue £100 in compensation.

In response to questions from the Local Democracry Reporting Service (LDRS) a spokesperson for the council confirmed these remedies had now been issued.

They said Barnet Homes, the local authority’s housing organisation, “accepts the decision of the ombudsman and its recommendations in relation to this case”.

The spokesperson added: “We strive to provide high standards of service to our customers but in this instance our we have fallen short of these standards.”

They also said the council would “review its procedures on allocating male officers to female victims of domestic abuse, and vice versa”.

The LDRS asked the local authority why it took a complaint for the council to review a policy of allocating male officers of female domestic abuse and vice versa.

A spokesperson for the local authority responded, saying: “Supporting residents who have experienced domestic abuse is an area where sensitivity, consistency, and clarity are essential, and we are committed to ensuring our frontline practice reflects this.

“A review of frontline services is being carried out, and we are committed to ensure the preferences and lived experiences of victims and survivors are considered promptly, particularly where the gender of an officer may affect a person’s sense of safety or wellbeing.

“Managers have been reminded to consider individual needs and preferences wherever possible and to make reasonable adjustments to support residents.”

The ombudsman’s report also says the local authority has “offered a renewed consideration of Miss X’s circumstances to determine whether she now qualifies for the domestic abuse floating support or an appropriate specialist external service”.

The LDRS asked the council if this review had occurred and, if so, what the outcome was.

The council spokesperson responded, saying: “In line with the ombudsman’s orders, we completed a further risk assessment with the resident and it was confirmed she did not meet the eligibility threshold for the Domestic Abuse Floating Support service; however, in acknowledgement of her wider support needs she was referred to third-party support services including domestic abuse resettlement support, Early Help Children’s Services, and the welfare benefits team, in addition to providing advice and signposting in relation to debt support and housing-related concerns.”

Support for victims of domestic abuse in Barnet, including an “in person one-stop-shop for all ages and genders”, is available. For more information:
Visit barnet.gov.uk/children-and-families/domestic-abuse/help-victims-domestic-abuse

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