Islington London Borough Council (22 007 259)
Overview:
Summary
Summary: During the course of another investigation, we became aware the Council has a backlog of complaints waiting for investigation at stage two of its corporate complaints procedure. Currently, 44 people have open stage two complaints and have been waiting longer than the Council’s policy of 20 working days for a response. 23 of the 44 have been waiting between six months and one year. The delays are likely to have caused frustration and uncertainty and, in some cases, mean the substantive issues complained about remain unresolved.
Finding
Fault found causing injustice and recommendations made.
Recommendations
The Council must consider the report and confirm within three months the action it has taken or proposes to take. The Council should consider the report at its full Council, Cabinet or other appropriately delegated committee of elected members and we will require evidence of this. (Local Government Act 1974, section 31(2), as amended).
In addition, to remedy the injustice caused by the faults identified in this report, and prevent them occurring again, the Council has agreed to take the following actions.
Within one month of the date of this report the Council will write to each of the 44 people it has identified to apologise for its delay responding to their stage two complaints. The apology will:
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explain they have been identified following an investigation by us into another case;
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set out the steps the Council has taken to reduce its stage two complaints backlog, including the steps it took following an earlier draft of this report; and
- include that, once they receive the stage two response, they have the right to complain to us if they remain dissatisfied with the Council’s response to the substantive matter they complained about. It will say that if we choose to investigate the main issue they complain about, we can also consider the Council’s complaints handling and any payments for delay it has already made.
Within three months of the date of this report the Council will update us on the backlog for stage two complaint responses and its timeliness.
Ombudsman satisfied with Council's response: 12 July 2023.