A domestic violence victim has received a pay out of over a thousand pounds after a social worker handed over sensitive information to her abusive ex-husband.

This comes as the victim, known only as Ms B, filed a complaint with the Ombudsman after Dorset Council ‘failed to properly acknowledge the impact on her’ of a social worker revealing confidential information in a report it sent to her then husband in 2018.

Ms B was in an abusive relationship and the information that was handed to her then husband resulted in further targeted abuse and subsequently, flashbacks and panic attacks.

The information in the social work report, which was hand-delivered to the home of Ms B which she shared with her former husband, included that her former husband had been a perpetrator of violence towards her, and to children who had lived in the house in the past and to children currently living in the family home.

Read more: Florist Floral Couture by Jay celebrates being one of UK's best

In a report from the Ombudsman, it explains how Ms B said the social worker told her over the phone that she had hand-delivered a copy of the report to the family and that she felt ‘extremely distressed by this’ and rushed home to try to stop her husband seeing it but was too late.

In 2019 and 2020, Ms B made a complaint to the council about its breach of her confidential information which resulted in an apology from a senior manager and an agreement that it would be made clear to staff that this could not happen again.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman were then contacted by Ms B, following this an insurance claim was pursued against the council. Which saw Dorset Council insurers say they were ‘not liable’ and no compensation would be paid, but offered a goodwill payment of £120 towards counselling.

Following further enquiries from the Ombudsman, the council agreed to pay Ms B a total of £1,750. £1000 to recognise the severity of the avoidable distress caused, £500 to recognise the risk of harm and £250 to recognise its poor handling of the complaint.

Read more: Two traveller encampments in Weymouth handed eviction notices from Dorset Police

A Dorset Council spokesperson said: “This complaint relates to an event in Dorset County Council in 2018 and predates the establishment of Dorset Council in 2019. However, Dorset Council have engaged with the complainant and the LGO to ensure any learning from this every unhappy and unacceptable error is undertaken.

“The council accepts that there was fault in disclosing the information described and that this caused the complainant distress and potential risk and has made a written apology and financial acknowledgement of the impact caused at the level recommended by the LGO. We are very sorry for the avoidable distress caused.”