Staff working for the London borough claim inexperienced recruits are encouraged to put people off seeking council help

An east London council has left homeless families living in hotels for six months because its housing service is “near collapse”, according to a number of staff members who work there.

The Observer understands from multiple employees that Tower Hamlets council employs inadequately trained staff to work in the department, and that these workers have been issued with scripts to use on the phone to try to put homeless people off seeking council help.