Vulnerable people in temporary housing away from Brighton and Hove need someone to keep an eye on them, councillors were told.
Clare Whitworth asked Brighton and Hove City Council to appoint a lead person for vulnerable people to make sure that the various agencies who should look out for them are collaborating.
Councillors applauded Ms Whitworth after she made her comments as a “bereaved family member”, leading a deputation on behalf of five other people at a meeting of the full council on Thursday (1 February).
Care leavers, abuse survivors, people with mental health problems and drink and drug addicts have been housed in Eastbourne and should have weekly wellbeing checks, Ms Whitworth told the meeting.
But from Wednesday, December 7, 2022 to Wednesday, January 11, 2023, no wellbeing visits took place because staff were on leave, with no one covering their absence.
During this period, a homeless person in temporary housing died.
Ms Whitworth said that while housing provided somewhere to live, it did not meet people’s basic needs.
She said that 40 residents had to share just one microwave to cook, spurring people to buy expensive prepared food.
There was no washing machine in the Eastbourne housing, leaving people with nowhere to wash clothes and bedding.
Moving to Eastbourne also meant that people were discharged from their Brighton and Hove GP.
Ms Whitworth said that there was no training on how to treat bereaved families when a loved one died and their rooms needed to be made available.
She said:
“To receive a phone call within 24 hours of a devastating, shocking death of a 25-year-old we will never get back – however much I speak up, he’s never going to come back – to be told his things are going to be removed from that room without giving families the choice – we pushed for it – to remove the few belongings and dignity that person left, is heartless.
“I don’t know what the timescale would be but more than 24 hours.”
Labour councillor Tristram Burden, who chairs the council’s Adult Social Care and Public Health Sub-committee said that a referral had been received by the Safeguarding Adults Board last February.
Tristram Burden Queens Park Labour
Councillor Burden said:
“Your concerns are heard by the safeguarding partnership of Brighton and Hove and we will work together to learn from the review which is being completed independently.
“Safeguarding adult reviews provide a vital opportunity to improve how agencies work together, sharing what we learn and ultimately enhancing how we safeguard adults at risk of abuse and neglect.”
He offered to keep in touch with Ms Whitworth on what was learned and what could be done to improve.
A safeguarding review is under way.
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