Councils slammed over boy’s tent life

Kent County Council and Dover District Council have been criticised by local government ombudsman Anne Seex for their “inexcusable” handling of the teenager’s case.

She said the failures of the two local authorities could have “tipped him into a spiral of drug use and crime” and caused him physical and mental ill-health.

The investigation found he spent nine months sleeping in a tent, sometimes in snowy conditions, in various parts of rural Kent, or on friends’ sofas.

He sold or gave away most of his possessions to pay friends who let him stay.

His tent was vandalised, his feet were often wet, and he lost weight and developed a chest infection.

In her report published yesterday, Ms Seex said Kent County Council failed to assess the “remarkably determined and resilient” boy, referred to only as “J”, as a child in need and accommodate him.

Dover District Council failed to accept him as homeless and provide suitable temporary accommodation or contact Kent children’s services about him.

Ms Seex said: “These failures are inexcusable. They happened after important court rulings had clarified the roles and responsibilities that housing authorities and children’s services authorities have to homeless children of 16 and 17.”

She added: “J was remarkably determined and resilient in the face of crushingly difficult circumstances and was well supported by the youth centre.”

The report said the boy became homeless at 16. As a younger teenager, he had been taken into care by Kent County Council and placed with foster parents. He returned to his mother but she told him to leave when he objected to her relationship with a drug user. He applied to Dover District Council for housing but was turned away.