London Borough of Sutton
Annual statistics ?Find out more about annual statistics
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Complaints upheld
80% Complaints upheld by London Borough of Sutton
80% of complaints we investigated were upheld.
This compares to an average of 85% in similar authorities.
16 upheld decisions
View upheld decisionsAdjusted for London Borough of Sutton's population, this is
7.6 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 20 investigations for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Compliance with Ombudsman recommendations
100% of cases were successfully implemented by London Borough of Sutton
100% 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 13 compliance outcomes for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council
13% Complaints with satisfactory remedy provided by London Borough of Sutton
In 13% 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.
2 satisfactory remedy decisions
Statistics are based on a total of 16 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 Sutton
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: 24 008 763
Category: Education
Sub Category: School transport
- The Council has changed the wording of its letters acknowledging receipt of second stage appeals. The letters now give more details about how an appellant can let the Council know if they wish to present their case to a panel.
- The Council has had discussions with appeals panel clerk and panel members “to ensure clarity of proceedings and considerations”.
- The Council has developed a template to record detailed notes of appeal hearings.
- The Council has developed a template agenda for appeal hearings and panel deliberations.
Case reference: 24 000 097
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- The Council will ask the organisation that delivers its homelessness service to remind its staff that they must issue decision letters when the Council no longer owes an applicant a housing duty.
- The Council will work with the organisation that delivers its homelessness service to identify what steps it should take to reduce the delays in making housing decisions should it in future experience staff shortages.
Case reference: 23 021 101
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- The Council has agreed to take steps to ensure it issues all homelessness decision letters promptly.
Case reference: 23 019 659
Category: Children's care services
Sub Category: Child protection
- The Council agreed to ensure officers are reminded of the need to promptly clarify, and set out to involved parties, when a private family arrangement is in place and to give information about its implications.
Case reference: 23 018 267
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Charging
- Review the Council’s systems and practice to ensure it completes financial assessments and consider the 12-week property disregard requests (where applicable) in a timely manner.
- By training or other means remind relevant staff they must issue service users and/or their representatives with written record of the financial assessment outcome at an early stage which clearly sets out their assessed contributions towards their care and details of how the payments will be made.
- Remind relevant staff of the importance and need to issue care cost invoices to service users and/or representatives in a timely manner and as soon as practicable after they start receiving care.
Case reference: 23 014 280
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Assessment and care plan
- The Council has agreed to consider introducing some form of systemised monitoring to ensure that when requests for an assessment are made, the Council makes a timely decision (ideally within four weeks) as to whether it will carry out an assessment, who will do it and the timeframe for doing it. The monitoring should continue to ensure the assessment is then completed in a timely manner.
Case reference: 23 001 017
Category: Environment and regulation
Sub Category: Drainage
- Provide evidence the Council has agreed to provide complaints handling refresher training to its staff
Case reference: 23 000 904
Category: Children's care services
Sub Category: Other
- The Council will review its processes for investigating complaints under the children's statutory complaints procedure to consider whether any service improvements are required to ensure it completes investigations within the statutory timescales. The Council should provide us with the evidence it has complied with the above actions.
Case reference: 22 017 725
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Charging
- The Council has agreed to take action to ensure officers give proper consideration to exercising its power to make discretionary property disregards.
Case reference: 22 015 893
Category: Environment and regulation
Sub Category: Refuse and recycling
- The Council has agreed to provide guidance to relevant Council staff, and to the enforcement agency, to ensure they are aware of and understand the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs guidance on the use of fixed penalties for domestic waste receptacle offences.
- The Council has agreed to provide guidance to the enforcement agency explaining the purpose of an FPN and that it does not carry a right of appeal.
Last updated: 4 April 2015