Man left street homeless by Waltham Forest council for five weeks A domestic abuse survivor was street homeless for five weeks, despite asking London Borough of Waltham Forest for help, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found. The man asked the council for help in late January and said he could no longer live with relatives who were abusing him. The council did not act, and the m ...

Private housing disrepair This fact sheet is primarily aimed at people living in private rented accommodation who have reported disrepair to the council and are considering making a complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. My private rented property is in disrepair. Can the Ombudsman help me? In some cases, yes. But first you will need to contact the council to give it the opp ...

Monthly News July 2021 28 Jul 2021 Ombudsman annual review highlights widening cracks in council complaints systems 23 Jul 2021 Council to look again at summer-born children’s school start date requests 20 Jul 2021 Disabled boy missed out on education and support because of poor council practice A West Sussex boy missed out on vital support because the county council decided he had the ‘wrong’ ty ...

Family left in unaffordable flat after council denies right to appeal homelessness decision A father who gave up his life abroad at short notice to look after his children was denied his housing rights by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigation has found. The man had been living and working abroad when the courts removed his children from ...

Domestic abuse victim not supported properly by Wandsworth council when she became homeless The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is highlighting the importance of councils considering the exceptional circumstances of people fleeing domestic abuse when assessing their housing needs, following a complaint about London Borough of Wandsworth. Following an investigation, the Ombudsman found ...

Councillor’s decision to put brakes on housing development flawed, says Ombudsman A Haringey man was left in limbo for six years while the council decided whether to buy his house and develop the land around it, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman heard. The man lives in a row of terraced homes which are part private-owned and part owned by the council. The council contacted the man in ...

Neighbour nuisance and anti-social behaviour This fact sheet is aimed primarily at people having problems getting the council to deal with anti-social behaviour near their homes and who may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. My neighbours are causing me problems with anti-social behaviour, and the council doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it. Can the Ombudsman help me? In m ...

Housing complaints by private landlords This fact sheet is aimed at private landlords who would like to complain about the actions of their local council. This factsheet provides a broad overview of the main types of complaint which we may consider. I am a private landlord and want to complain about the actions of my local council. Can the Ombudsman help me? In some cases, yes. There are several ...

Education other than at school This fact sheet is aimed at parents who are experiencing problems with their child being educated at other than at school and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. The council will not provide my child with home tuition. Can the Ombudsman help me? In some cases, yes. A child might receive tuition at home, rather than attending a school, if the chil ...

Council did not do enough to protect residents from noise pollution, Ombudsman says North Hertfordshire District Council has not done enough to protect neighbours from noise pollution from a nearby business, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found. When a neighbour complained that a business next door was causing noise nuisance from very early in the morning, the council investig ...