Camden Council actions may have contributed to woman's death, inquest finds

An inquest has found that Camden Council's handling of an "extremely vulnerable" woman's release from prison may have contributed to her death. Colleen Madden, 31, was placed alone in a hotel in King's Cross by the council on 13 January 2025, hours before she died. The inquest, held in October 2026, concluded that the council's actions, along with those of other agencies responsible for her care, may have contributed to her death.

Vulnerability and assessment concerns

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Ms Madden, who was born and raised in Camden, had a history of ADHD, trauma, learning disabilities, homelessness, substance dependency, and a significant brain injury sustained in 2018. She had been released from HMP Bronzefield for the fourth time in five months on 13 January 2025. Following her release, she presented to Camden's adult social care services, which conducted what the coroner described as an "inadequate and confused assessment". That same evening, the council placed her in an interim hotel in King's Cross without any support arrangements.

Ms Madden was found dead on 16 January 2025. Medical evidence suggested she had died shortly after arriving at the hotel. Social workers attempted to visit her on 15 January, but her body was not discovered until police gained entry to the room the following day.

Inquest findings and agency failures

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Assistant Coroner Melanie Lee concluded at the inquest that Ms Madden was "let down" by multiple agencies in what she termed a "chain of missed opportunities". The coroner stated that Ms Madden "deserved and should have been given something better". Camden Council faced criticism for placing her in "unsuitable accommodation in an unsuitable location". The coroner suggested that had the council fulfilled its statutory duties, Ms Madden might not have died in the circumstances she did.

A safeguarding inquiry commissioned after her death noted the emotional toll repeated recalls to prison had on Ms Madden. The review highlighted that her "rapid" recalls, often due to aggressive behaviour in bail hostels, were not consistently viewed through the lens of trauma.

Communication and coordination issues

The inquest revealed a breakdown in communication and coordination between agencies. In September 2024, the council's housing department deemed Ms Madden lacked capacity to make a homelessness application, shifting the duty to accommodate her to adult social care. While adult social care accepted responsibility, this was not clearly communicated in writing, leading other agencies to believe the duty had been rejected. The Probation Service requested a Care Act assessment in late December 2024, but the prison failed to act before her release. The Prison and Probation Ombudsman stated it referred Ms Madden's case to the council in December, but the council had no record of this referral.

A brief interaction with social workers on 31 December 2024 assessed Ms Madden as having mental capacity, but this did not explore potential fluctuations or cognitive impairment from her brain injury and substance dependency. Camden did not send a representative from adult social care to an urgent pre-release meeting on 10 January 2025 due to short notice, with the council stating the prison had only revealed her impending release very late. Consequently, social care services booked her into a temporary hotel for one week.

Family and council response

Ms Madden's family expressed their grief and stated they felt she had become "little more than an administrative task, with no one taking responsibility for her needs". They highlighted the need for proper training for those working with vulnerable adults. Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, representing the family, stated the inquest exposed "repeated failures to assess, coordinate and plan for the safe release from prison of an exceptionally vulnerable woman whose risks and support needs were well known."

A spokesperson for Camden Council stated: "Our deepest sympathies remain with Colleen's family and friends following her tragic death. Ensuring vulnerable residents are supported and safeguarded is a responsibility that we take extremely seriously." The council added that it will "carefully consider" the coroner’s findings to identify further gaps in support for prison leavers and vulnerable residents, and to improve staff training. Camden Council said it has since improved support for prison leavers and information sharing between the council, probation services, and partner agencies, progressing an action plan overseen by CSAB.