Service improvements

London Borough of Lambeth

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024

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 15 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 (23 015 219)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 20-Mar-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council’s process for updating a vehicle on a parking permit in her area is flawed as residents have to pay for visitors permits while the change takes place. Ms X also says the Council takes payment for the permit before receiving the evidence it needs to check the vehicle. Ms X says she received a Penalty Charge Notice in the period of the permit changing and she was confused why the Council follows the process it does. We find fault in the actions of the Council because its messaging was confusing, and in the process followed to update parking permits. The Council has agreed to apologise review its email template.

    Service improvements

    Review all email templates about the updating of parking permits.

  • London Borough of Lambeth (23 009 431)

    Category: Housing Date: 28-Feb-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council has delayed in deciding his homelessness application and housed himself and his family in unsuitable accommodation. This denied him the right to appeal the accommodation’s suitability and prevented him from joining the housing register. The Council’s delays in issuing a decision on Mr X’s homeless application and its failure to properly consider the suitability of the interim accommodation it provided is fault. This fault has caused Mr X an injustice.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to provide training/reminders to relevant staff of:•the importance of making suitably prompt enquiries and meeting statutory deadlines; and•the need to properly document decisions regarding the suitability of accommodation and to keep the suitability of accommodation under review.

  • London Borough of Lambeth (23 005 162)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 26-Oct-2023

    Summary

    The Council was at fault for refusing to investigate a complaint about its children’s services because of the passage of time. This denied the complainant their right to access the statutory complaint procedure and put them to unnecessary time and trouble. The Council accepts these findings. At the end of this statement, we set out action it has agreed to take to remedy this injustice.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed that it would brief those staff who consider complaints made under the statutory complaint procedure for Children's Services, to pay close attention to Government guidance supporting that procedure in two areas. First, when considering a complaint made by a child or young person about events more that 12 months previously. The Council must consider the individual circumstances that have led the complainant to make a late complaint, such as their age, potential vulnerability, ability to make a complaint at the time of the events and so on. Second, to be aware of guidance on 'financial redress', which should be considered where appropriate.

  • London Borough of Lambeth (23 004 285)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 08-Jan-2024

    Summary

    Mr C complained on behalf of Miss B that the Council had failed to consider her complaint about children’s services through the statutory complaints procedure, delayed in communicating with her, been unclear about which process it was using and agreed to a remedy which it did not implement. We found significant fault by the Council. It has agreed to complete a proper stage two investigation, apologise to Miss B and pay her £500. It has also agreed to review its complaints procedure for the future.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to carry out a comprehensive review of the operation of the statutory complaints procedure to ensure:1.people are not denied the opportunity to use the procedure where legal action has been threatened but not pursued. I would suggest it considers introducing a timeframe after which it will accept a complaint if court proceedings have not started; 2.the consideration of whether to accept late complaints is done in accordance with the statutory guidance; and3.complaints staff are aware that when the Council agrees to our recommendations, we expect the Council to implement them within the specified timescale or come back to us explaining why it is not now possible.

  • London Borough of Lambeth (23 002 932)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 18-Jul-2023

    Summary

    There was fault by Serco which acts for the Council. Serco’s crew overfilled Ms X’s bin with waste from other properties, which broke the lid when emptying the contents into the lorry. The Council then wrongly said Ms X was responsible for overfilling and refused to give her a new bin for free. It also failed to review Ms X’s videos. The Council will apologise, make a symbolic payment and instruct Serco to stop using one bin to collect waste from other properties.

    Service improvements

    The Council will instruct Serco to stop the practice of putting other people's waste into one bin so it overflows, especially in relation to this complaint, but in other cases as well.

  • London Borough of Lambeth (23 001 217)

    Category: Benefits and tax Date: 09-Aug-2023

    Summary

    The Council failed to amend a Council Tax bill to add a single person discount when first asked. The Council’s response to queries about a deceased person’s account was slow and after the final bill, it made a change to the account which cannot be explained. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment for distress and complete a review of its actions to prevent future problems. This will remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    Conduct its own review into the cause of the delay and evidence how it will avoid such issues reoccurring in future.

  • London Borough of Lambeth (22 016 295)

    Category: Housing Date: 23-Nov-2023

    Summary

    Ms X complains that the Council provided unsuitable temporary accommodation when she became homeless and failed to consider her medical needs when considering her housing priority. The Council is at fault for delay in carrying out a suitability assessment of Ms X’s temporary accommodation and delay in considering her request for a review of her housing priority. These faults caused distress to Ms X which the Council has agreed to remedy by apologising and making a payment of £500 to Ms X.

    Service improvements

    Reviews its procedures to ensure officers consider the suitability of interim, temporary or permanent accommodation at the point of offer and record this decision. This is to avoid the need for the Council to carry out a suitability assessment in response to an applicant’s request for a suitability review when the request is lodged within 21 days. This is also to ensure the Council does not insert an additional stage into the review process.By training or other means, ensures officers recognise a request for a review of homelessness decisions, including requests for a review of the suitability of temporary and permanent accommodation, and direct them to the appropriate officers to carry out the reviewDraw up or provide its action plan, with clear timescales, for reducing the delay in carrying out suitability assessments.Amend its template letters to ensure the Council includes details of how applicants can seek a review of the Council’s decision on their housing priority band

  • London Borough of Lambeth (22 014 738)

    Category: Housing Date: 17-Jul-2023

    Summary

    Ms B complained that the Council has failed to provide her with suitable temporary accommodation and failed to carry out a review of the suitability of her current hostel accommodation. We found fault with the actions of the Council. The Council has agreed to provide Ms B with suitable temporary accommodation, pay her £2,600 and review its procurement process to increase the supply of different types of temporary accommodation.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to produce a policy or procedure explaining how the priority transfer list works, including the criteria for being placed on the list, the criteria for priority within the list and how temporary accommodation is allocated within the list.The Council will carry out a review of its procurement of temporary accommodation and identify ways of increasing the supply of different types of temporary accommodation suitable for families. This could form part of the independent external review referred to in the decision.

  • London Borough of Lambeth (22 013 128)

    Category: Housing Date: 13-Jul-2023

    Summary

    Mr X complained that the Council failed to deal effectively with a mice infestation in his homelessness temporary accommodation. We found the Council was at fault in failing to take action to resolve the matter. In recognition of the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to apologise to Mr X and make a payment to him. It has also agreed to take action to ensure the infestation is eradicated.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review any similar problems being reported about properties it uses for temporary accommodation that are managed by the same agent.The Council will issue a reminder to relevant staff to ensure they are aware that the Council is ultimately responsible for the actions of landlords/agents of temporary accommodation.

  • London Borough of Lambeth (22 013 092)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 21-Jun-2023

    Summary

    Miss X complained about how the Council supported her daughter to move between foster home placements. There was fault in how the Council supported Y to move between foster care placements and how it applied the statutory complaints process. This caused avoidable distress and uncertainty for Miss X and Y. The Council agreed to fully apologise, pay a financial remedy and issue reminders to its staff.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to remind relevant staff of:the importance of clear communication with children and families during moves between foster care placements;the need to record important information about communications with young people in vulnerable circumstances; andthe circumstances in which an early referral to the Ombudsman is appropriate under the statutory children's complaints procedure and that, unless these are met, complainants are entitled to go through all stages of the process.

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