London Borough of Tower Hamlets (21 006 765)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 05-Apr-2022

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to follow its policy to collect contaminated recycling within 48 hours. Mr X also complained the Council’s definition of contaminated waste is too wide. The Ombudsman found fault with the Council. The Council agreed to the Ombudsman’s recommendation to create a policy for contaminated recycling waste, complete a period of monitoring of Mr X’s block of flats recycling collections, apologise to Mr X and pay him £150 for the frustration and inconvenience caused.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets (21 006 705)

Statement Upheld Allocations 10-Apr-2022

Summary: Ms C complained the Council failed to rehouse her despite her urgent need to move, misunderstood the occupational therapy recommendation, failed to consider her medical evidence, denied offering her a property when it had done so, delayed considering her complaint, failed to properly address the complaint and wrongly amended her bidding date. There was some miscommunication about the occupational therapy recommendation but that did not affect Ms C securing a property and there were issues not addressed in the complaint response. There is no evidence of fault in the rest of the complaint. An apology and payment to Ms C is satisfactory remedy.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets (21 002 656)

Statement Upheld Council house sales and leaseholders 12-Apr-2022

Summary: Mr X complains the Council delayed responding to his request for a review of its decision not to pay solicitor’s costs. He also says the reasons the Council gave were incorrect. He says it has caused financial loss and time and trouble. We consider there is fault by the Council in its decision making, and avoidable delay. We have recommended a remedy.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets (21 010 079)

Statement Upheld Safeguarding 18-Apr-2022

Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to notify her it had started a safeguarding in respect of her father and failed to complete the investigation and explain the reasons for this decision. The Council closed the safeguarding investigation prematurely in error, which is fault. It has now completed a retrospective safeguarding investigation reaching a decision that is unlikely to have been different even if it had been completed sooner.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets (21 013 391)

Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 26-Apr-2022

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council delayed paying housing benefit to which he was entitled. We are satisfied the Council has paid the benefit and it has agreed to pay Mr X £100 to remedy any injustice caused by the delay.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets (20 011 417)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 05-May-2022

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to respond to his concerns about the care of his two children, who were in foster care. The Council was at fault for failing to follow its safeguarding procedures and for failing to tell Mr X the outcome of its investigation. This has caused Mr X avoidable uncertainty and put him to avoidable time and trouble. We are satisfied with the Council’s proposed remedy. The Council agreed to apologise and make a personal remedy payment to Mr X and act to prevent recurrence.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets (21 004 446)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 16-May-2022

Summary: Miss B complained the Council did not provide suitable temporary accommodation between June 2020 and July 2021. She also complained the Council delayed contacting other councils to source suitable temporary accommodation. We found the Council at fault for delays offering Miss B suitable temporary accommodation and responding to her complaint. The Council will apologise and make a financial payment to remedy the injustice caused to Miss B and her child by its delays.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets (21 013 094)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 29-Jun-2022

Summary: Ms C complains the Council wrongly pursued arrears for home care charges and reneged on an agreement to fund residential care. The Council was at fault for charging for home support services without a financial assessment, delayed in completing a financial assessment and failed to consider community based alternatives for Mr D earlier. To remedy the complaint the Council has agreed to waive some home support charges, pay Ms C £300 in acknowledgement of the time, trouble and stress the Council’s faults have caused her. It will also review procedures and remind staff about the importance of completing financial assessments as early as possible.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets (22 003 938)

Statement Upheld Allocations 02-Aug-2022

Summary: Mr X complains the Council excluded him from its housing register because he was of no fixed abode. If we were to investigate it is likely we would find fault in the way the Council dealt with Mr X’s application. Therefore we have invited the Council to remedy the injustice to Mr X and it has agreed to take the action we recommended. Further consideration of the complaint would not be proportionate.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets (21 008 298)

Statement Upheld Child protection 23-Aug-2022

Summary: Mrs C said the Council was at fault for failures during its investigation of child protection concerns about her unborn child. Mrs C’s complaint was investigated under the statutory complaints procedure for children’s complaints which upheld some of her claims. We agree that the Council was at fault for failures during the investigation. The Council has agreed to make a payment to Mrs C to acknowledge her distress. It has already made service improvements.