Dear Mr Figueira,

Thank you for your request dated 3 February 2025, asking for information that we hold as follows; please see our responses below in blue:

  1. How many formal complaints in the past five years have been filed against Barnet Homes regarding housing allocations negatively impacting an applicant’s health, medical stability, or access to treatment?
    • Please provide a yearly breakdown of these complaints.
    • If no data is recorded, please confirm why Barnet Homes does not track this information.

In the last five years – 2019-2024 we received 715 complaints against the Housing Options service. As we do not record instances of housing allocations negatively impacting an applicant’s health, medical stability, or access to treatment on the database when complaints are recorded, we are not able to provide this information without a manual search of files.

 

Refusal Notice

s12 (cost of compliance exceeds appropriate limit)

 

The data you have requested is substantial; we would have to manually inspect 715 complaints and even if we said that would conservatively take 5 minutes each, this would take over 60 hours to gather this data. We therefore would reasonably estimate that this exercise would take in excess of 60 hours to complete for one member of staff, and are refusing it on that basis.

  1. How many applicants in the past five years have had housing offers withdrawn, reconsidered, or reassessed due to new safeguarding evidence or updated medical information?

In the last five years – 2019-2024 we opened 13,433 applications for housing assistance. As we do not record instances of housing offers being withdrawn, reconsidered, or reassessed due to new safeguarding evidence or updated medical information on the database, we are not able to provide this information without a manual search of files.

 

Refusal Notice

s12 (cost of compliance exceeds appropriate limit)

 

The data you have requested is substantial; we would have to manually inspect 13,433 cases and even if we said that would conservatively take 5 minutes each, this would take over 1000 hours to gather this data. We therefore would reasonably estimate that this exercise would take in excess of 1119 hours to complete for one member of staff, and are refusing it on that basis.

 

  1. If an applicant provides medical evidence that relocation would endanger their recovery, disrupt ongoing medical treatment, or place them at risk, what internal policy does Barnet Homes follow in response?
    • Please provide copies of all relevant policies and procedures.  

All customers that approach Housing Options as Homeless are holistically assessed and potential suitability requirements are captured. All assessments and placements are in line with the Barnet Allocations scheme and the Temporary accommodation Placement Policy – attached.

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  2. How does Barnet Homes ensure that relocation does not disrupt access to essential specialist care, ongoing treatment, or established local support networks?

 

All customers that approach Housing Options as Homeless are holistically assessed and potential suitability requirements are captured. All assessments and placements are in line with the Barnet Allocations scheme and the Temporary accommodation Placement Policy – attached.

  1.  
    • Has Barnet Homes ever conducted any internal assessments or impact studies regarding the medical and psychological risks of forced relocation?

Barnet Homes participated in a UK-wide research project conducted by Shelter in 2023, whereby Shelter surveyed TA residents across the UK to understand their experience of living in TA. 159/1,112 of Shelter’s survey respondents had been accommodated by Barnet Homes in TA. The full report from Shelter is available here.

Property Allocations & Refurbishments

  1. How many applicants have been housed in 3, 4, or 5-bedroom properties in Barnet in the last 12 months?
    • Please provide a breakdown by property size (3, 4, or 5-bed).
  1. Of these applicants, how many were:
    • Already in suitable accommodation at the time of allocation?

31

    • Not at risk of homelessness when they were allocated a property?

25

  1. How many 3, 4, and 5-bedroom properties have been refurbished in the past year and made habitable?

A total of 61 void properties underwent refurbishments from April 24 to date.

    • Please provide details on the number of properties per bedroom size.

The property sizes of these were: 54 3xbeds and 7 x4beds. 61 in total. Please note that no 5bed properties were void during this time.

  1. How many 3, 4, and 5-bedroom properties are currently under refurbishment?

15x3beds and 2x4bed properties are currently under void refurbishment.

    • What is the expected timeframe for completion of these refurbishments?

5 of the above properties are due to be completed end of February 2025, 5 of the above properties are due to be completed mid March 2025.

    • If no timeframe exists, please provide the reason for delay or uncertainty.” 

The remaining 5 properties are currently undergoing structural works.

Your Rights

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been handled, you can request a review by emailing Talk2Us@barnethomes.org and marking it as an appeal for the attention of the Data Controller. There is no charge for making an appeal.

After this, if you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint, you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner:

Kind regards,

Carly Williamson

Complaints and Information Manager