Laura Winham, a 41-year-old woman with schizophrenia, was found dead in her Woking council flat after three years. The inquest revealed significant failings by Woking Borough Council and other agencies to support her. The council expressed its condolences and acknowledged these failures, committing to improving its housing services. The discovery of her body highlighted the importance of better oversight for vulnerable tenants to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
The tragic events that led to her death and the missed opportunities to discover her body should never have been allowed to happen," said Louise Strongitharm, the council's strategic director for communities.
Woking Borough Council accepts the coroner's findings and those of the Surrey Safeguarding Adult Review, which identified failings within our housing service alongside shortcomings by other agencies. For that we are truly sorry.
The inquest heard how Ms Winham's body was 'mummified and almost skeletal' when it was found at her council flat in Devonshire Avenue.
Ms Winham was a vulnerable woman with schizophrenia who had twice been sectioned and had cut ties with her family because she thought they were trying to harm her.
Collection
[
|
...
]