ICAB – Minimising disruption amidst uncertainty for a London family

On 31^st January, a large West London Housing Association contacted ICAB’s accommodation team about an emergency decant that was required for a resident and her 12-year-old son. The property had suffered major structural damage, and was uninhabitable.

The Housing Association initially spoke to Brandon, one of ICAB’s claim handlers, and the claim was passed to the priority team.  It was vital that the temporary accommodation was local, as it had to be close to both the resident’s work and her son’s school because she didn’t drive. The decant was swiftly arranged, and the family was booked into a local Novotel the next day.

It was unclear at the outset how long the repairs were going to take, so the Housing Association extended the hotel every few weeks up until early April. ICAB worked with the Housing Association regularly over this time, ensuring all extension information was passed onto the resident in a timely manner so there was no disruption to their stay.

However, due to the ongoing nature of the works, at the end of March, the Housing Association instructed ICAB to look for a serviced apartment.  This would be a more practical solution for a family, offering greater independence, with cooking and laundry facilities.  The search was duly carried out by the accommodation team, using ICAB’s trusted list of providers and an apartment was booked from 14^th April to 23rd May.

In mid-May, the Housing Association gave authorisation to extend the apartment for another month, but the apartment provider advised the ICAB team that there was already a prior booking in place, and it wasn’t possible to extend the booking. This potentially meant more upheaval and stress for the family. It was particularly stressful for the resident’s son, as he was about to sit exams, and the uncertainty of the accommodation meant it was hard for him to prepare and revise for them.

ICAB’s claims handler Obeid, understood the urgency of the situation, and reassured the resident, working tirelessly to find another local serviced apartment that would suit the family’s needs.  A suitable property was found, and booked from 22^nd May. This meant that the family was settled safely into the property during the lead up to exams.

The whole experience was difficult for the family – being displaced from one’s home is never easy, especially when it’s an emergency, and there is no end date in sight. The whole ICAB team, and especially Obeid who took over the claim at a crucial point, went the extra mile to ensure there was minimal disruption.  Both the resident and Housing Association provided a glowing testimonial: