Advice on comparing statistics across years

In 2022-23 we changed our investigation processes, contributing towards an increase in the average uphold rate across all complaints. Consider comparing individual council uphold rates against the average rate rather than against previous years.

In 2020-21 we received and decided fewer complaints than normal because we stopped accepting new complaints for three months due to Covid-19.

London Borough of Croydon

Annual statistics ?Find out more about annual statistics

  • Complaints upheld

    83% of complaints we investigated were upheld.

    This compares to an average of 77% in similar authorities.

    57 upheld decisions

    Adjusted for London Borough of Croydon's population, this is
    14.6 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents
    .

    The average for authorities of this type is
    8.3 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.

    View upheld decisions

    Statistics are based on a total of 69 detailed investigations for the period between 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023

  • Compliance with Ombudsman recommendations

    98% 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 45 compliance outcomes for the period between 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023

  • Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council

    In 16% of upheld cases we found the Council had provided a satisfactory remedy before the complaint reached the Ombudsman.

    This compares to an average of 15% in similar authorities.

    9 satisfactory remedy decisions

    Statistics are based on a total of 57 detailed investigations for the period between 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023

    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.

View annual letters

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 Croydon

A four-year-old child was placed at risk of gang violence because Croydon council did not do enough to check on them and their mother when their uncle was released from prison and allowed to live with them, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has criticised London Borough of Croydon for failing to provide respite care for the mother of a disabled teenager because it would cost too much.

A vulnerable young woman trying to overcome severe mental health problems has been put at significant risk of self-harm, after the organisations which should have looked after her failed multiple times to provide specialist aftercare services.

London Borough of Croydon has agreed to review its services to homeless families in temporary accommodation, after a mother had her complaint upheld by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

A Croydon family was left to live on a building site for nearly two years after their local council failed to pay an agreed grant on time, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.

London Borough of Croydon did not do enough to support a man with Autism, and his mother who looked after him, an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is urging councils to place children at the centre of decision making in cross border child protection cases, after a suicidal teenager was left without appropriate support when she reported serious sexual abuse.

Croydon council failed to take into account a man’s life-threatening health conditions – despite receiving letters from his specialists – when it decided the type of homes he could apply for, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.

A young woman with life-limiting conditions has been unable to take part in some of her favourite activities for more than a year because London Borough of Croydon failed to support her and her father properly, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said.

A grandmother who was ‘stretched beyond maximum capacity’ after Croydon Children’s Services left her to look after her disabled grandson for two years without any respite, has had her complaints upheld by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

10

Public reports for London Borough of Croydon

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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: 23 005 264

Category: Benefits and tax

Sub Category: Housing benefit and council tax benefit

  • Provide training and guidance to staff to ensure that requests for benefit appeals to be passed to Tribunal are actioned.
  • Provide training and guidance to staff to ensure that complaints are responded to within the appropriate timescales in its complaint’s policy.

Case reference: 23 003 200

Category: Environment and regulation

Sub Category: Antisocial behaviour

  • The Council has agreed to remind its staff that deal with noise complaints and anti social behaviour that they should consider a range of evidence when assessing anti social behaviour and noise nuisance in order to come to a reliable decision and keep clear records of how they arrive at these decisions.
  • The Council has agreed to remind its staff that deal with noise complaints and Anti social behaviour that they should keep records of all visits and what was witnessed during the visits.
  • The Council has agreed to remind its staff that deal with noise complaints and anti social behaviour that they should send clear, detailed decisions to complainants explaining how the Council has decided whether anti social behaviour or noise nuisance has taken place and what evidence it relied on.
  • The Council has agreed to remind its staff that deal with noise complaints and anti social behaviour that if a resident says they are not managing to access a service, report issues, or communicate with the Council due to a health condition or disability, the Council has a duty under the Equality Act to enquire into the adjustments they are requesting and if they are reasonable, to put them place.

Case reference: 23 002 824

Category: Adult care services

Sub Category: Transition from childrens services

  • The Council failed to properly consider whether there was a need for a respite service when a child transitioned from children's to adult services. The Council will review with staff this complaint, the importance of following up respite where it has been requested and ensures staff have offered an assessment to carers where there may be a need.

Case reference: 23 002 793

Category: Environment and regulation

Sub Category: Licensing

  • The Council has agreed to explain how it will better monitor cases about unlicensed rental/ Houses in Multiple Occupation to prevent delay and inactivity.

Case reference: 23 001 336

Category: Housing

Sub Category: Homelessness

  • The Council will provide the Ombudsman with evidence it has arranged training for officers dealing with homeless applications on:what the code of guidance and law says in relation to assessing homeless applications;how to assess whether it is reasonable for an applicant to remain living in their accommodation;when a prevention duty is owed;when a relief duty is owed;when interim accommodation should be considered;when any prevention duty, relief duty and PHP should be reviewed; andthe need to issue decisions with appeal rights in writing and to ensure PHP’s are completed.
  • The Council will review the procurement policy to identify ways to expand the type of accommodation available to the Council to house homeless applicants to ensure there is sufficient self-contained accommodation available for applicants for whom shared accommodation is unsuitable.
  • The Council will remind officers of the need to carry out a suitability assessment before placing a homeless applicant in shared or other temporary accommodation.

Case reference: 23 000 827

Category: Adult care services

Sub Category: Charging

  • The Council has agreed to remind staff members who handle complaints that, where a joint complaint response is required from multiple service areas, it should ensure the Council’s response is complete before sending its response.

Case reference: 22 016 908

Category: Housing

Sub Category: Allocations

  • The Council will review its process for assessing housing register applications (including new applications, change of circumstances requests and review requests), and consider what further steps it can take to reduce current delays in addition to the implementation of its new database. This may include recruiting or redeploying and training additional staff to address the backlog. It will provide the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman with an action plan setting out the steps it proposes to take.
  • The Council will remind relevant staff of the need to issue housing register decisions in writing, with reasons and any rights of review or appeal.

Case reference: 22 015 442

Category: Housing

Sub Category: Other

  • The Council has agreed to share a copy of this decision with staff in the relevant departments to identify learning from this complaint and then ensure directors in the relevant departments to implement and track the lessons learnt.
  • The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff of the Council’s duties and powers to deal with anti-social behaviour and that the different standard of proof required to take civil action means the Council can act even if the police have not.
  • The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff of the low threshold triggering its duty to make inquiries into whether someone is homeless or threatened with homelessness and that an applicant can trigger this duty by approaching any department in the Council.
  • The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff that housing applications from existing tenants which indicate a need to move on reasonable preference grounds should be considered against the reasonable preference criteria and not only as a management transfer.
  • The Council has agreed to provide an update on its progress against the action plan it agreed following a previous investigation about its delays assessing applications to the housing register.

Case reference: 22 014 659

Category: Education

Sub Category: Special educational needs

  • Ensure the Council has procedures in place so its responses to our draft decisions have been considered and are robust.
  • Confirm the Council has procedures in place to ensure timely compliance with agreed remedies.

Case reference: 22 014 655

Category: Housing

Sub Category: Allocations

  • The Council has agreed to provide guidance or training to staff conducting reviews of medical assessment decisions to ensure decisions explain how the Council has reached its decision, with reference to the evidence and the allocations scheme.
  • The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff that if the Council will not be able to meet its 56-day timescale for responding to review requests, it should tell the applicant this before 56 days have passed.

112

Service improvements agreed by London Borough of Croydon

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Last updated: 4 April 2015

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