Service improvements

London Borough of Lambeth

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026

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 21 - 27 of 27 cases with service improvements

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

  • London Borough of Lambeth (24 009 839)

    Category: Benefits and tax Date: 18-Jun-2025

    Summary

    Mr Y complained on behalf of Mr X who owns a business. Mr Y complained about how the Council handled Mr X’s business rates account. There were some faults by the Council which caused injustice to Mr X’s business. The Council will take action to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to provide relevant business owners with clear, accurate and timely information about the six-month discretionary business rates relief deadline.

  • London Borough of Lambeth (24 009 793)

    Category: Education Date: 01-May-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about the Council’s decision to refuse her request for delayed entry to reception for her summer born twins. We found the Council was at fault because it failed to properly consider whether a delayed entry was in their best interests. This caused Mrs X distress and frustration. To remedy this injustice, the Council has agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment to Mrs X. It will also take action to improve its service.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind Panel members and staff who deal with deferred entry requests of the requirements set out in the Admissions Code and relevant guidance. It should also provide those staff with a copy of this decision statement.The Council will also take action to ensure decision letters include a meaningful analysis of why the Council has reached a decision about what is in the best interests of the specific child

  • London Borough of Lambeth (24 009 675)

    Category: Housing Date: 05-May-2025

    Summary

    Ms X complained about the Council’s handling of her homelessness application. She said the Council’s actions meant she and her family remained in unsuitable housing conditions for too long. Ms X says this negatively impacted hers and her family’s mental and physical health. The Council is at fault and has agreed to provide Ms X with an apology and a financial remedy, and to carry out service improvements.

    Service improvements

    Provide a written briefing to officers in its homelessness team regarding the importance of retaining accurate records of the actions/decisions taken by the Council regarding homelessness applications.Remind officers of the Council’s duty to make inquiries into what, if any, duties it owes someone contacting the council who gives a reason to believe they may be homeless or threatened with homelessness within 56 days.Remind staff of the Council’s duty to secure interim accommodation for an applicant whilst it carries out an assessment if there is reason to believe they may be eligible, homeless and in priority need.

  • London Borough of Lambeth (24 008 427)

    Category: Housing Date: 21-Apr-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained that the Council did not deal properly with her homelessness application. The Council delayed providing temporary accommodation, did not complete a suitability review, did not provide suitable accommodation and did not provide a proper complaint response. Miss X suffered delay and uncertainty. The Council should apologise to Miss X, pay Miss X £1750, review its processes and provide guidance to staff.

    Service improvements

    Review its processes to establish why Miss X was not provided with continuing interim accommodation up to 13 May, and provide an action plan identifying any necessary changes to ensure there is no repetition of these circumstances.Provide guidance to staff to ensure that homelessness applicants who the Council accepts a duty to provide interim accommodation for, are in receipt of a placement in such accommodation.Provide an action plan showing how all outstanding statutory reviews will be completed within maximum timescales.Provide guidance to staff to ensure that statutory reviews are completed within the maximum timescales.Provide guidance to staff to provide full and relevant complaint responses.

  • London Borough of Lambeth (24 006 914)

    Category: Housing Date: 05-May-2025

    Summary

    The Council was at fault for failing to provide Ms X with accurate advice and information about her housing options when she had to leave her home because of a risk of violence. The Council also failed to issue a homelessness decision giving Ms X a right of review and took too long to deal with her complaints. Ms X experienced significant and avoidable distress and uncertainty as a result. To remedy this injustice, the Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment and act to improve its services.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to share a copy of this decision with staff in homelessness, allocations, andtenancy management to identify the learning from this complaint.The Council has agreed to produce a protocol for joint working and information sharing among housing allocations, homelessness, and tenancy management, including what should happen when an existing tenant needs to leave their home or the borough. It will provide training to all relevant staff on the agreed procedures and include the protocol in any induction or training of new staff.The Council has agreed to review the factsheet previously produced for secure tenants who need to leavetheir homes due to risk of violence and update it as required. It will share this withstaff in homelessness, allocations, tenancy management and with any other relevantstakeholders, such as housing associations and tenancy managementorganisations. It will ensure the factsheet is accessible to the staff who need it andconsider publishing it on the Council’s website or otherwise publicising it totenants.

  • London Borough of Lambeth (24 003 551)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 29-Apr-2025

    Summary

    Ms X complains the Council failed to deal properly with the charges for her father’s care, including failing to take account of the fact he had dementia and his family could not access his money until after he died. The Council failed to deal properly with the charges for her father’s care. This resulted in it charging his estate legal costs and interest, despite having no policies for doing so. It also put Ms X to significant time and trouble in pursing the complaint. The Council needs to apologise and refund money to her father’s estate. It also needs to improve its working practices.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to:Identify the action it is going to take to ensure it communicates with people about the charges for their care;Introduce policies and procedures on charging legal costs and interest on unpaid care charges.

  • London Borough of Lambeth (24 003 541)

    Category: Housing Date: 30-Apr-2025

    Summary

    We have found the Council at fault for how it handled Miss X’s homelessness case and her request to be referred to another council. This caused Miss X avoidable distress and uncertainty and left her and her child in unsuitable accommodation. The Council has agreed to remedy Miss X’s injustice with an apology, symbolic payment and a backdated position on a transfer waiting list.

    Service improvements

    Demonstrate how, in the future, it will progress homelessness applications including better communication and timeliness of decisions.Demonstrate how in the future, it will keep the suitability of interim and temporary accommodation under review.

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