Service improvements

London Borough of Hillingdon

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023

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 12 cases with service improvements

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

  • London Borough of Hillingdon (22 006 823)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 19-Jan-2023

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council failed to properly investigate his complaints about antisocial behaviour and noise nuisance from his neighbours. We found fault with the Council for delaying its investigation into noise nuisance. We also found fault with the Council failing to investigate Mr X’s concerns about antisocial behaviour. The Council agreed to open an investigation into antisocial behaviour by Mr X’s neighbours, provide training to staff about investigating noise nuisance, apologise to Mr X and pay him £750 for the prolonged frustration, inconvenience and distress caused.

    Service improvements

    Provide training to staff about investigating noise nuisance about domestic noise. Namely, that domestic noise can still form a statutory noise nuisance if it unreasonably and substantially interferes with the use or enjoyment of a home,

  • London Borough of Hillingdon (22 003 847)

    Category: Housing Date: 31-Jan-2023

    Summary

    the Council was at fault in the way it managed Mr W’s needs as a vulnerable homeless man with unmet social care needs. This caused injustice because it prolonged his stay in emergency hostel accommodation and delayed the provision of practical support to meet his care needs. The Council has accepted my findings and agreed to provide a suitable remedy.

    Service improvements

    Review joint working arrangements and liaison between housing and social care officers who work with vulnerable homeless clients with social care needs to eliminate the delays and blockages which occurred in this case and which had a significant impact on Mr W’s wellbeing.

  • London Borough of Hillingdon (22 003 135)

    Category: Housing Date: 09-Jan-2023

    Summary

    Miss B complained the Council did not rehouse her and her child when they were threatened with eviction and did not provide suitable accommodation when they became homeless. Miss B said this caused her stress and anxiety. The Council was at fault for delays accepting the prevention, relief, and main housing duties; writing and sharing Miss B’s personal housing plan; offering her interim accommodation; and updating her. These delays raised Miss B’s expectations, caused distress and uncertainty, and led to lost opportunities. The Council will make a financial payment to remedy the injustice caused to Miss B and make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    Provide staff training on the Council’s homelessness duties. This should include the prevention, relief and main housing duties, what is required at each stage and timescales.Remind staff the code of guidance says councils should not consider it reasonable for homeless applicants to remain in a private tenancy up until the date the court issues a warrant for possession.Review its procedure for contacting people about their homelessness applications. Ensure the Council responds promptly to requests for contact and keeps people up-to-date.

  • London Borough of Hillingdon (22 002 318)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 09-Jan-2023

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council failed to investigate a noise nuisance from a neighbouring property and about poor communication. The Council was at fault for delay in deciding if the noise from pipes was a statutory nuisance and poor communication. The Council has already apologised about the delay in collecting the noise equipment and delay in responding to Ms X emails. The Council will apologise and pay Ms X £200 for the frustration and uncertainty caused by the delays. The Council will reinstall the noise equipment, decide if it is a statutory nuisance and remind staff about customer service response times.

    Service improvements

    The Council will revise its procedures to ensure it responds to enquiries when staff members are off sick or on leave.

  • London Borough of Hillingdon (22 001 996)

    Category: Housing Date: 26-Sep-2022

    Summary

    Mr B complained the Council failed to properly consider its homeless duty and his housing allocation applications. Mr B said this has prevented him applying for housing near to his family, affected his mental and physical health and caused him delay, distress and anxiety. We do not find fault with how the Council considered Mr B’s homeless application. However, we do find fault with how the Council considered Mr B’s housing applications. This caused Mr B uncertainty. The Council has agreed to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council will share this decision with staff members dealing with housing allocations to remind them of the need to consider applicants health issues and right of review.

  • London Borough of Hillingdon (21 016 938)

    Category: Housing Date: 29-Sep-2022

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council did not properly apply its social housing allocation policy or respond to her communications in good time. There was no fault in how the Council applied its allocation policy. However, there was fault in how the Council communicated with Mrs X which caused avoidable distress. The Council agreed to apologise and pay a financial remedy to Mrs X and review relevant processes.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review its processes for:considering allocation priority evidence from social housing applicants, to ensure relevant staff are aware of the process and expected timescales for completion; andresponding to emails from social housing applicants, to ensure that when staff members are absent or leave the Council’s employment, emails are responded to in good time by other appropriate staff.

  • London Borough of Hillingdon (21 016 677)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 19-Sep-2022

    Summary

    Mrs D complained the Council’s care provider failed to provide domiciliary care for her mother as agreed and to a suitable standard during a two-week period in late 2020. We found the care was provided as agreed in most care appointments. However, its carers arrived late on some occasions, and the total amount of care she received was of less duration than agreed. The Council agreed apologise to Mrs X and Mrs D, and reduce the outstanding care costs with £200 to acknowledge the limited loss of care support Mrs X experienced and the limited distress this caused her and Mrs D.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review its Care Provider’s process for managing late attendance at agreed care appointments and how this is communicated to the person receiving the care and their next of kin to avoid any uncertainty about the care provisionThe Council agreed to review how its Care Provider records late attendance and reasons for why care appointments lasted longer or shorter than planned, to ensure proper records are available when disputes about care provision is brought to its attention.

  • London Borough of Hillingdon (21 015 981)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 11-Sep-2022

    Summary

    Mr X complained about the Council’s failure to take action to remove abandoned vehicles parked outside his home. We have found the Council to be at fault because it took too long to progress the case. To remedy the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to Mr X and take action to improve the Council’s service.

    Service improvements

    Review the current position on site and contact the police again to determine what action can be taken. The Council should then contact Mr X to provide an update about what, if any, action the Council or the police intend to take.Share my decision with all relevant staff. It should also remind them of the need to progress cases and complaints in a timely manner, keep customers informed and maintain proper records.

  • London Borough of Hillingdon (21 015 857)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 13-Sep-2022

    Summary

    Mrs Y complained about her mother, Mrs X’s, social care and the Council’s safeguarding investigation. There was no fault in Mrs X’s care or how the Council carried out its safeguarding investigation. There was fault in how the Care Provider, acting for the Council, increased the top-up fees charged to Mrs X’s husband. The Council should apologise, refund the extra fees charged, review similar cases and review its policies.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review the top-up fees charged to residents by a local care home, since a change in ownership, where the Council was responsible for the placements. It should ensure any increases in top-up fees were made in accordance with statutory guidance and, if not, consider whether it should refund any extra fees charged.The Council agreed to review its policy for third party top-ups for care home placements to ensure that, where possible, top-ups are paid to the Council, rather than directly to care providers.

  • London Borough of Hillingdon (21 014 730)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 21-Jul-2022

    Summary

    Ms X complained about the Council’s decision to approve works to trees in a conservation area that she said were used by bats. We found the Council at fault in failing both to consult on the application or to make a written record of its decision reasons. These faults were unlikely to have affected the Council’s decision to not make a tree preservation order. The Council agreed to apologise to Ms X for the distress and frustration caused by the lack of information about its decision making. The Council also agreed to change its procedures to ensure in future it records the reasons for its decisions.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to change its practice and procedure when dealing with notices about tree works in conservation areas so it: - makes and keeps a written record of the reasons for its decisions on each notice; and - draws the notice applicant's attention to relevant wildlife protection legislation when it consents to tree works. The Council also agreed to write to relevant officers to tell them about the changes and the need to implement them when dealing with notices.

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