London Borough of Newham
Annual statistics ?Find out more about annual statistics
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Complaints upheld
77% Complaints upheld by London Borough of Newham
77% of complaints we investigated were upheld.
This compares to an average of 85% in similar authorities.
23 upheld decisions
View upheld decisionsAdjusted for London Borough of Newham's population, this is
6.4 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.The average for authorities of this type is
8.2 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.Statistics are based on a total of 30 investigations for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Compliance with Ombudsman recommendations
95% of cases were successfully implemented by London Borough of Newham
95% 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 21 compliance outcomes for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council
22% Complaints with satisfactory remedy provided by London Borough of Newham
In 22% of upheld cases we found the Council had provided a satisfactory remedy before the complaint reached the Ombudsman.
This compares to an average of 12% in similar authorities.
5 satisfactory remedy decisions
Statistics are based on a total of 23 upheld decisions for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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.
Reports ?Find out more about reports
In the last nine years, the Ombudsman has published the following reports against London Borough of Newham
No reports published
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: 24 006 067
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Transport
- The Council will:-a) review the Council’s policy on how it considers people who have hidden disabilities but can go out if accompanied to ensure it is in line with DfT guidance and the Council is not fettering its discretion;
- b) review procedures to ensure appeal outcomes are properly reasoned; and
- c) review why there was a delay in dealing with the appeal and produce a plan about how it intends to reduce future delay.
Case reference: 24 005 884
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- The Council has agreed to review the liaison arrangements with managing agents to ensure it is aware of any repair issues that are ongoing, especially where buildings are owned by a third party, to ensure the Council is meeting its repair duties.
Case reference: 24 003 799
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- The Council will remind the front-line special educational needs staff and their managers of the Council’s absolute duty to ensure delivery of special educational provision included in children’s EHC Plans and the need to act without delay when schools cannot secure the full therapy package included in children’s EHC Plans. The Council should provide us with evidence it has completed this action.
Case reference: 24 002 528
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- Share learning from this decision with the homelessness prevention and assistance service.
- Provide internal staff training to the homelessness prevention and assistance service about when the Council’s interim accommodation duty arises. Pay attention to the different thresholds outlined in Chapter 15 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities.
Case reference: 24 002 314
Category: Children's care services
Sub Category: Looked after children
- the Council will issue guidance to complaint staff to ensure that they understand the discretion under the Children Act complaints procedure to investigate historic complaints out of time and that they must show how they have considered this discretion.
Case reference: 24 001 585
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- Ensure the Council assesses and make its decisions in a timely manner about what duty it owes to applicants who are either threatened to be homeless or are homeless.
- Remind relevant staff of the importance of reviewing the duty it owes applicants when there has been a change to their homeless/housing situations in line with the code of guidance. The Council should also ensure it issues applicants with its decision letters to notify them of the duty accepted or ended and the applicants review rights.
- Train relevant staff on the use of the Council’s new information and communication technology system for creating and monitoring personal housing plans. The Council should also remind relevant staff of the importance of creating a robust, specific and realistic personal housing plans for applicants. It should ensure the plans are reviewed regularly especially when there has been a change in the applicant’s housing situation. This will allow the Council and the applicants focus on steps required to help secure their accommodation.
- Remind relevant staff of the importance of adhering to the Council’s complaints procedure.
Case reference: 24 000 018
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- Remind staff that the Housing Act 1996 does not limit the number of homelessness applications that can be made and that applicants can apply to more than one local authority at the same time.
- Remind staff to ensure they consider contacts from applicants about dissatisfaction with a priority band decision as potential review requests, not only as complaints.
- Remind staff to ensure the Council’s decision/notification letters to applicants clearly explain the right to request a review, including timescales, and also provide clear grounds for the decision.
Case reference: 23 020 975
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- The Council agreed to deliver a briefing to all housing caseworkers who assess homeless applicants to reinforce advice in the Government code of guidance on the correct approach to take when the homeless applicant has received a Section 21 Housing Act from their landlord. In this case the Council had failed to follow that advice leading to unnecessary distress and costs for the complainant.
- The Council agreed to also introduce a procedure to review on a regular basis all cases where it has accepted it owes the prevention duty to homeless applicants. This is so it can avoid drift in cases and make timely decisions on ending that duty and / or setting out what further duties it may owe to the applicant.
Case reference: 23 019 061
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Other
- The Council will issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they are aware they must review a service user’s care and support plan every 12 months.
Case reference: 23 018 409
Category: Children's care services
Sub Category: Disabled children
- The Council will remind staff dealing with complaints of the importance of following the statutory complaints procedure in relation to section 17 matters.
Last updated: 4 April 2015