Service improvements

London Borough of Merton

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022

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 - 6 of 6 cases with service improvements

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

  • London Borough of Merton (21 005 278)

    Category: Benefits and tax Date: 27-Mar-2022

    Summary

    Miss J complains about how the Council has dealt with her council tax support award. She says the amount it paid her was wrong. And it confused matters by changing an earlier discretionary decision to write off an overpayment. The Ombudsman’s decision is we will not look at whether the amount of council tax support was correct, as Miss J can appeal that issue. But we have upheld the complaint, as the Council’s administrative error led it to errors on Miss J’s council tax support account, that it then took some time to rectify.

    Service improvements

    The Council has written a new procedure in response to the complaint. This sets out what to do on its housing benefits administration system when there are multiple changes of universal credit.

  • London Borough of Merton (21 004 099)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 07-Jan-2022

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about the support and actions of the Council in relation to a child in need who lived with them. She also complained that reports the Council wrote for the courts were flawed and contained false allegations about her. We found the Council was at fault for not considering the complaint through the statutory children’s complaints process.

    Service improvements

    Use this case as an example, to ensure staff dealing with complaints are aware of the circumstances when the statutory complaints process should be used for children’s social care services complaints.

  • London Borough of Merton (21 002 909)

    Category: Planning Date: 21-Mar-2022

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council failed to take action when he reported his landlord had erected a temporary structure in front of his property without planning permission. Mr X further complained about the way the Council handled his complaint about the matter. There was no fault in how the Council responded to Mr X’s report against his landlord. There was fault in the way the Council communicated with Mr X about the matter which the Council has agreed to apologise for.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide evidence of the improvements it states it has made in complaint acknowledgement, tracking and response as a result of a complaint about a planning enforcement matter.

  • London Borough of Merton (20 013 681)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 27-Oct-2021

    Summary

    Mr and Mrs X complained the Council delayed in how it responded to their request for financial support as adoptive parents. We find the Council was at fault. That has caused Mr and Mrs X avoidable distress and frustration. The Council has offered a financial remedy and to review its guidance on adoption allowances. We are satisfied this remedies the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review its Guidance on Adoption Allowances and Support to ensure it is clear on the financial support that is available and when.The Council agreed to brief relevant staff including those in the Adoption Agency of the procedure for requesting financial support.The Council agreed to remind all staff on the complaints team that any complaint about a child or any children’s services must be reviewed to ensure the correct procedure is followed.

  • London Borough of Merton (20 007 386)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 10-Aug-2021

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council moved her aunt, Ms Y, into a residential home without notifying her or her husband Mr X. Mrs X further complained that when Ms Y later died in hospital, the Council again failed to inform her family. Mrs X said because of this she and Mr X lost the chance to say goodbye to Ms Y or help with her funeral arrangements, which caused them significant distress and upset. There was fault when the Council failed to notify Mr and Mrs X after Ms Y moved into residential care and did not follow the correct process when it cleared Ms Y’s home of its contents. The Council has agreed to provide an apology and remind its staff of the importance of the contacting next of kin when a service user is moved into residential care. This is a satisfactory resolution which addresses the fault identified.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind staff of the importance of notifying next of kin when a person is moved into residential care.

  • London Borough of Merton (20 004 448)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 29-Jun-2021

    Summary

    Ms X complains the Council failed to assess her father’s (Mr Y’s) needs properly, failed to identify an indicative personal budget or agree a final budget. The Council failed to meet Mr Y’s needs after his capital fell below £23,250 and failed to assess the risk to him from moving to another care home. This left him paying for his own care when the Council should have been helping to fund it. It should refund Mr Y, apologise to his daughter and pay her financial recompense.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to identify the action it needs to take to make sure it: a) does a person-centred risk assessment before deciding someone’s needs can be met at another care home; b) provides people with indicative personal budgets; c) responds to requests for information about third-party top-ups for care home fees; d) does not delay in sending people a care and support plan.

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