Wolverhampton supported housing provider guilty of withholding care for vulnerable people

Phoenix Supported Housing, provides accommodation on behalf of Wolverhampton Council, which brought the prosecution against the company at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Phoenix directors Davinder Chall, 41, and Kimberley Bethell, 38, based at All Saints Road, Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to several charges relating to a property and tenant on Park Street South, Wolverhampton.

Between January 2023 and February 2023, they challenged their tenant, whom they were paid to care for due to their vulnerable nature, by neglecting and harassing them.

Prosecutor Mark Jackson said: “This was a complicated case which is unusual in its nature for this court. We have accepted the defendants’ pleas and other charges will be on the docket.”

A third principal Sanjeev Jangra, 41, who is a teacher based in Saudi Arabia, pleaded not guilty and the prosecution offered no evidence as he was out of the country when the crimes were committed.

Mr Jackson said: “We are pleased that Mr Jangra was teaching in Saudi Arabia when this happened.”

Phoenix are paid hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ cash to provide supported housing in HMOs in Wolverhampton. The company’s profit for 2022 was £249,974 and for 2023 it was £290,290

On Wolverhampton Council’s website, Phoenix Supported Housing promises to look after their tenants.

They boast: “We provide accommodation to anyone experiencing temporary or ongoing conditions in a harmful environment. We aim to provide immediate accommodation to those in need, enabling them to improve their situation in a safe and stable environment.

“Our ethos is that accommodation should be a home, not a home. We are intentional when considering living conditions and properties, ensuring that each accommodation is the right fit, carefully considering each individual’s unique needs. Ultimately, we focus on providing the best possible service.”

Recorder Marc Brown told Chall and Bethell: “You will have to return to this court to be sentenced. I note that you have previous good character, but I will want to read the pre-sentence reports on both of you.’

Chall and Bethell will be sentenced on December 19 at Wolverhampton Crown Court. They could be sentenced to up to two years in prison.