A watchdog has ordered a council to pay compensation after it "failed" a woman with poor mental health.
The woman was dealt with by three different Tandridge District Council officers in Surrey, but according to the ombudsman, "none took appropriate action.".
According to the ombudsman's report, a housing officer reportedly asked a council tenant if a suicide attempt had been "accidental.".
The local government, which was ordered to reimburse the woman for £1,000, claimed to have learned from the situation and given staff members additional training.
The council, acting as the resident's landlord, was found to have sent an accusatory and disrespectful email, showed up at the resident's door unannounced with police, and deemed the resident's request to refrain from being contacted by phone as "unrealistic.".
According to the ruling, the council was in violation of both its own safeguarding policy and its obligations under the Equality Act.
The housing ombudsman, Richard Blakeway, stated: "At the center of this case, three different officers were involved, but none took appropriate action.
Failure to act in accordance with its own safeguarding policy or to appropriately respond to the resident's requests for reasonable adjustments resulted in serious harm. ".
According to the district council, "We have taken a number of lessons from this case and have since implemented many improvements to ensure that our internal processes are as reliable as possible. ".
Refresher training for staff on diversity, equality, and vulnerability was one of the improvements.
Please visit BBC Action Line to find information on organizations that can help if you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues.
