Mum wins £4,000 council payout over family move

A mum of two has been paid £4,000 compensation by a council after it relocated her and her family from north west London to Berkshire.

Janelle Clarke said her children were faced with a four-hour journey to and from school after Redbridge Council moved her from Harlesden to Slough in November 2022.

Ms Clarke said she felt "empowered" by the compensation, adding it was "a great victory for my family".

A spokesperson for Redbridge Council apologised and said the authority had reviewed its internal processes for assessing property suitability.

Ms Clarke, who lived in Harlesden for eight years before the relocation, took Redbridge council to court in December 2023 for indirect discrimination.

"Winning this settlement really allowed me to think bigger, and I can do anything to come out of my situation and help my family," she sad.

The family currently still lives in Slough, and Ms Clarke, who cannot work due to mobility issues including scoliosis, said she was "grateful to be housed".

But she said Slough was "not really my community" and the family want to move back to London.

Her son, who is autistic, attends a special needs school and her daughter, who wants to be a doctor, attends Michaela Community School in Wembley.

Ms Clarke said her children had to leave for school at 05:00 BST every morning, and she was trying to support them and stay positive.

"Despite the journey, [my daughter is] going to school and she's still succeeding," she said.

"Redbridge is a big, powerful organisation [compared to] a mum with disabilities with two children so the eviction really affected me.

"The end goal is to go back to the community we lived and loved for such a long time."

The Redbridge Council spokesperson said there was "a huge demand for housing" that the council works hard to meet, but admitted the accommodation provided to Ms Clarke was "unsuitable".

"We have reviewed our internal processes for assessing the suitability of these properties to ensure the accommodation we provide in future meets the high standards we expect," they said.

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