Service improvements

London Borough of Bromley

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2027

Find out more about service improvements

When we find fault, we can recommend improvements to systems and processes where they haven’t worked properly, so that others do not suffer from these same problems in future. Common examples are policy changes; procedural reviews; and staff training. Service improvements from decisions are published for 5 years and those from reports are published for 10 years.

Showing 1 - 10 of 86 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for London Borough of Bromley as a CSV file.

  • London Borough of Bromley (25 013 236)

    Category: Education Date: 12-Apr-2026

    Summary

    Mrs X complained that the Council failed to transfer her son’s Education, Health and Care plan when they moved out of the area. We have found that the Council was at fault. Mrs X’s son was without education for approximately one month. The Council has agreed to take steps to remedy his injustice.

    Service improvements

    Provide us with the outcome of its review of its procedures (as referred to in its complaint response), including any findings and recommendations.

  • London Borough of Bromley (25 010 419)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 14-May-2026

    Summary

    There was no fault in the way the Council investigated the complainants’ reports of anti-social behaviour (ASB) by their neighbours. However, the Council was at fault because it did not act upon a request for an ASB case review. It has agreed to apologise for this. The Council is also at fault because its case review policy includes an unlawful eligibility requirement. The Council has agreed to amend its policy, and provide guidance for staff about the ASB case review process.

    Service improvements

    the Council has agreed to review its ASB case review policy to remove the requirement for ‘no action’ to have been taken on an applicant’s complaints of ASB.the Council has agreed to circulate guidance to relevant staff, to advise them (a) to signpost complainants to the ASB case review process, if they make a clear statement they wish to apply for it, as well as offering any other assistance the complainant may reasonably require; and (b) that the Council has amended its ASB case review policy to remove the ‘no action’ requirement.

  • London Borough of Bromley (25 001 793)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 01-Apr-2026

    Summary

    The Council was at fault for delays to its temporary and full approvals of Mrs X as a kinship foster carer. These delays meant she missed out on fostering allowance and fees. The Council was also at fault for its policy on fostering fees, which did not meet its statutory duties to kinship carers. This caused injustice to Mrs X and others. The Council will now make payments to remedy the injustice of all those affected, including Mrs X, and will amend its policy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review its fostering fee rates and ensure they meet statutory expectations. In particular, it will focus on the disparity between the fostering fees mainstream and kinship carers receive for children aged 13 and over.

  • London Borough of Bromley (25 009 677)

    Category: Education Date: 25-Mar-2026

    Summary

    The Council was at fault for failing to provide Mrs X with the funds to commission her child, W’s, education for one term. It was also at fault for failing to include necessary information in W’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. The faults meant W missed out on education and caused Mrs X avoidable frustration. The Council will apologise, make a symbolic payment and amend its policy on EHC Plan personal budgets.

    Service improvements

    The Council will highlight to staff that section J of a child or young person's Education, Health and Care Plan must include the information required by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code. If the Council becomes aware that section J of a final Education, Health and Care Plan is not suitable, it must amend the Plan.The Council will amend its policy on Education, Health and Care Plan personal budgets and direct payments to reflect that it is responsible for deciding whether to agree direct payments. The Council will also amend the policy to represent the restriction created by clause 9 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 more accurately.

  • London Borough of Bromley (25 000 778)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 28-Jan-2026

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about a decision to charge a top-up fee for her mother’s care home placement. She said the organisations did not offer her mother a suitable alternative that was within budget. We found no fault with the organisations’ decision to charge a top‑up fee. We did find that Mrs X’s mother’s best interests were not considered sooner, after her capacity to understand decisions about her care declined. This meant top-up fees were charged for longer than needed. We recommended the organisations reduce the top-up fees they have invoiced for.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind staff of the need to consider mental capacity assessments and Best Interest decisions when there is a change in a person’s presentation.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 023 042)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 03-Mar-2026

    Summary

    We upheld a complaint made on behalf of Mr C, finding the Council delayed in carrying out an assessment of his social care needs. It also communicated poorly with him and his representative at times, while he waited for the assessment to begin. This caused injustice to Mr C as he did not receive the care and support he needed and he experienced unnecessary distress. The Council has accepted these findings and at the end of this statement we set out action it agreed to take to remedy that injustice and improve its service.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed that it would review its current practice and procedure for communicating with those waiting for social care needs assessment. It agreed this would cover providing information on likely waiting times, giving periodic updates and providing contact details in the event of any change in circumstances potentially making an assessment more urgent.The Council agreed it would review its current practice and procedures when social work staff were unexpectedly absent from work. It needed to ensure it had a process in place to respond to urgent contacts from users of the service, and non-urgent contacts where staff were absent for more than five working days.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 022 926)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 31-Mar-2026

    Summary

    The Council was not at fault for the action it took to meet Mrs X’s needs when she moved into its area. However, when she moved out of the Council’s area, it should have continued delivering her care until the new authority accepted responsibility. It did not do so, for which it was at fault. Mrs X suffered distress, which the Council has agreed to recognise with an apology and a symbolic payment. It will also take steps to improve its service.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind its social care officers and managers of its duty (under paragraph 19.77 of the care and support statutory guidance) to continue delivering care to someone while a dispute about their ordinary residence is being resolved, if it was delivering care to them on the date the dispute arose.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 020 888)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 06-Oct-2025

    Summary

    Mr X, complained of the Council’s handling of his mother’s, Mrs X’s, care package. The Council provided Mrs X with a copy of the financial assessment letter including the personal budget without delay so it was not at fault. It also cancelled the care package when requested without fault. However, the Council was at fault for overcharging Mrs X for the hours of care she received and failed to provide Mrs X with a copy of the estimated personal budget. The Council has agreed to reimburse Mrs X the money it overcharged her by to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to remind the relevant officers to ensure an estimated personal budget is shared with the person at the start of the care and support planning process.The Council agreed to review how it ensures care visits are charged in line with what is recorded within the support plan

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 019 703)

    Category: Benefits and tax Date: 07-Oct-2025

    Summary

    We have found fault causing injustice. The Council delayed and mishandled Mr X’s Single Person Discount application, proceeded to summons while eligibility for a backdated discount was unresolved, and communicated inconsistently, giving incorrect information about court costs and failing to follow recorded communication preferences. This caused avoidable distress and time and trouble, and the Council has agreed to our recommendations.

    Service improvements

    Review and, where necessary, update its guidance and procedures to ensure recovery action is paused while discount/exemption applications are under consideration, that any court costs are reviewed promptly where later decisions extinguish or reduce liability, and that these steps are clearly communicated to taxpayers.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 019 317)

    Category: Housing Date: 10-Nov-2025

    Summary

    Mr X complained that the Council failed to ensure the temporary accommodation it provided him with, remained available to him, failed to provide him with suitable alternative accommodation and failed to safeguard his personal data. There were some faults by the Council which caused injustice to Mr X. The Council will take action to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    By training or otherwise, remind relevant staff of the Council’s overarching responsibility of providing temporary accommodation to applicants under the main housing duty. This includes having oversight of the management of the properties where the Council secures the temporary accommodation through a registered provider / property letting agency.Ensure the Council issues formal offer letters including details of the right to seek suitability review of the accommodation, when the Council has to move an applicant from temporary accommodation to new temporary accommodation even in an emergency.Ensure the Council discharges its duty by completing suitability assessments before interim or temporary accommodation is offered to an applicant.•remind relevant staff that where the Council owes or has owed the main housing duty to an applicant, the Council has a duty to protect the applicant’s personal belongings if there is a risk it may be lost or damaged in situations.

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