London Borough of Camden
Annual statistics ?Find out more about annual statistics
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Complaints upheld
84% Complaints upheld by London Borough of Camden
84% of complaints we investigated were upheld.
This compares to an average of 85% in similar authorities.
16 upheld decisions
View upheld decisionsAdjusted for London Borough of Camden's population, this is
7.3 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.The average for authorities of this type is
8.2 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.Statistics are based on a total of 19 investigations for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Compliance with Ombudsman recommendations
100% of cases were successfully implemented by London Borough of Camden
100% of cases we were satisfied the Council had successfully implemented our recommendations.
This compares to an average of 99% in similar authorities.
Statistics are based on a total of 14 compliance outcomes for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council
0% Complaints with satisfactory remedy provided by London Borough of Camden
In 0% of upheld cases we found the Council had provided a satisfactory remedy before the complaint reached the Ombudsman.
This compares to an average of 12% in similar authorities.
0 satisfactory remedy decisions
Statistics are based on a total of 16 upheld decisions for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
View all satisfactory remedy decisions
Annual letters
We write to councils each year to give a summary of the complaint statistics we record about them,
and their performance in responding to our investigations.
Public reports ?Find out more about public reports
In the last nine years, the Ombudsman has published the following public interest reports against London Borough of Camden
London council set to learn from how it handled COVID business grants
Camden Council has agreed to reconsider how it will deal with businesses that missed out on COVID grants following an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Camden’s poor complaint response prompts further Ombudsman investigation
London Borough of Camden failed to carry out a recommendation to apologise to a man for its poor handling of a complaint, until the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman chased it for a response.
Service improvements ?Find out more about service improvements
Since April 2018, the Council has agreed to make the following improvements to its services following an Ombudsman investigation. We list up to 10 cases below – click ‘view all’ if there are more.
Case reference: 23 011 115
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- The Council will remind relevant officers of the need to check that measurements for non-emergency property repairs have been submitted and that this information is checked when residents ask for progress updates. This will help to ensure that any errors in submitting measurements are identified quickly.
- The Council will remind relevant officers and managers they can exercise discretion to speed up non-emergency property repairs if the reason for any delay is down to error by the Council. This will help to ensure repairs are completed as quickly as possible.
Case reference: 23 010 491
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- The Council will issue written reminders to relevant officers to ensure they fully address all the issues raised in a complaint within the timescales set out in the complaints policy.
Case reference: 23 009 245
Category: Environment and regulation
Sub Category: Antisocial behaviour
- Review its policy to ensure it makes reference to a right of appeal, as set out the ASB case review guidance.
Case reference: 23 008 825
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- The Council has agreed to share a copy of this decision with staff in the relevant departments toidentify learning from this complaint.
- The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff to check for and respond to duty to refer forms.
- The Council has agreed to provide training or guidance to relevant staff on the duty to make inquiries andaccept any resulting homelessness duty regardless of the applicant’s existingtenure if it has reason to believe they might be homeless or threatened withhomelessness.
- The Council has agreed to produce information or guidance for homeless applicants who are also securetenants in social housing setting out their housing options and theimplications for their tenancy of pursuing a homeless application.
Case reference: 23 007 708
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- The Council has agreed to remind its housing staff that where they decide to depart from a legal duty, such as treating an applicant as not in priority need for housing when it has reason to believe they are, that it send this decision to the applicant in writing and seek their agreement.
- The Council has agreed to remind its housing staff to record notes from its phone conversations with housing applicants on the same day as the conversation occurs to ensure reliability.
- The Council has agreed to demonstrate it has taken steps to improve its capacity to respond promptly to homeless applicants and ensure it does not miss important information through messages.
- The Council has agreed to demonstrate that it has looked into what led to its delays in the following areas and considered how to prevent these occurring in future:• processing the initial homelessness application;• deciding it owed a relief duty; and• deciding it owed a main housing duty.
Case reference: 23 007 488
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- The Council will review how it deals with requests to review housing priority decisions. It should provide an updated action plan showing the actions it is taking to reduce delays and how this will be monitored.
Case reference: 23 006 728
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- The Council should review its housing allocations process to ensure measures are in place for progressing medical assessments in a timely manner and for ways to deal with any delays.
Case reference: 23 005 209
Category: Other Categories
Sub Category: Other
- The Council should review the information it provides in response to complaints that are not covered by its complaints procedure to ensure it provides an adequate and accurate response.
Case reference: 23 003 910
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- Review its template letters for housing register application decisions to ensure the Council provides a clear explanation of how applicants can seek a review of those decisions and to ensure the letters comply with the requirements set out in paragraph 5.23 of the statutory guidance.
Case reference: 22 016 407
Category: Transport and highways
Sub Category: Parking and other penalties
- The Council will remind staff in its call centre(s) that: they should signpost people to the corporate complaints procedure if they think the service user might have a complaint;
- they should ask if that service user needs any reasonable adjustments in order to make their complaint; and,
- that the Council’s equality duty is anticipatory: staff should not wait for the person to ask for a reasonable adjustment.
Last updated: 4 April 2015