Service improvements

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

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 - 7 of 7 cases with service improvements

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

  • London Borough of Tower Hamlets (21 006 331)

    Category: Housing Date: 29-Mar-2022

    Summary

    Mr X complains the Council rejected his application for the housing register and did not correctly apply its allocations policy. This meant his application was refused rather than assessed. The Ombudsman finds fault with the Council for how it handled communication about Mr X’s application and his complaint. The Council has agreed to pay financial remedy in recognition of the distress caused to Mr X and consider service improvements. The Ombudsman does not fault with the Council for how its allocation policy was applied.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to review how it ensures all applicants are informed of the outcome of their application for the housing allocations scheme and any appeal rights in a timely manner.The Council will review how it considers complaints where third parties are acting on behalf of the CouncilThe Council has agreed to communicate with staff from the Council and agencies acting on its behalf about which roles each party are responsible for and how to manage communication going forward.

  • London Borough of Tower Hamlets (21 005 000)

    Category: Housing Date: 26-Jan-2022

    Summary

    Mr B complained about the way the Council dealt with his housing application following a relationship breakdown. We found that the Council delayed in responding to Mr B’s application and review request, failed to advise him correctly in respect of his housing application, failed to assess his housing situation when he presented as homeless on two occasions in 2019 and failed to offer clear advice on progressing his housing application. This has caused Mr B significant frustration distress and time and trouble. The Council has agreed to pay Mr B £500, to arrange a housing interview with him to progress his housing application and to ensure all housing staff are aware of the content of the housing allocations policy and the Council’s legal duties in respect of homelessness.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to ensure all housing staff are aware of the Council’s legal duties in respect of homelessness and the content of the Council’s housing allocations policy.

  • London Borough of Tower Hamlets (21 004 400)

    Category: Housing Date: 05-Jan-2022

    Summary

    Miss A complains the Council did not suitably consider her medical needs when deciding to deny her medical priority for housing allocations. This meant she has not received the correct allocation and has caused significant distress. The Ombudsman finds fault with the Council for how it reached the decision not to award medical priority. The Council has agreed to pay a financial remedy for the distress caused and reassess Ms A for medical priority.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind staff the importance of suitably considering all information on an application for the housing register with medical priority.

  • London Borough of Tower Hamlets (21 002 904)

    Category: Housing Date: 25-Mar-2022

    Summary

    Mr C complains the Council failed to respond to his housing register application in a timely manner. He complains the Council failed to fully consider whether he should be awarded priority on medical or overcrowded grounds. We find the Council at fault. This caused Mr C distress and uncertainty. To remedy the injustice, the Council has agreed to apologise to Mr C, make him a payment and review its decision. The Council has also agreed to make several service improvements.

    Service improvements

    Within three months of my final decision, the Council has also agreed to:- circulate guidance to staff on the need to provide clear reasons to applicants on medical priority decisions, which explains how it has weighed any conflicting evidence from applicants or health professionals involved with the applicant’s care and its own medical advisers. The Council should review any template letters to ensure there are clear directions on when it is necessary for staff to include such reasons;- circulate a reminder to staff on the need to consider whether an applicant has a housing need under its allocations scheme and may qualify for Band 2, Group B priority while an applicant has not proven a local connection; and,- share this decision with relevant staff.

  • London Borough of Tower Hamlets (21 001 003)

    Category: Housing Date: 20-Jan-2022

    Summary

    Ms B complained about the Council’s response when she approached them as homeless because she was at risk of domestic abuse. We found fault with the Council. The Council agreed actions to remedy the injustice to Ms B.

    Service improvements

    • Provide the Ombudsman with a copy of the Council’s domestic abuse policy and procedure for domestic abuse homelessness applications/assessment.• Provide the Ombudsman with evidence of the housing officers domestic abuse training. Both the content and schedule.

  • London Borough of Tower Hamlets (20 008 411)

    Category: Housing Date: 19-Sep-2021

    Summary

    Mr X and Mrs X complained the Council did not properly assess their family’s health needs when considering their housing application. The Ombudsman finds the Council was at fault for not increasing their banding after it decided they were homeless. However that did not cause Mr and Mrs X an injustice. It also incorrectly told them they were not on the Housing Register when it responded to their complaint. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr and Mrs X for avoidable confusion and distress that caused. It has already proposed further training for staff about prioirty banding.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind staff to tell homeless housing applicants they should make an application to join the Housing Register if the Council makes a homelessness decision so it can award the correct priority banding.The Council has agreed to remind staff to review existing applicants banding on the Housing Register when the Council has made a homelessness decision in the applicants’ favour.

  • London Borough of Tower Hamlets (20 007 009)

    Category: Housing Date: 21-May-2021

    Summary

    The Ombudsman found fault on Mr Q’s complaint about the Council’s failure to respond to correspondence about his housing application. It delayed acting when told of his change of address. It also failed to respond promptly to his review request and failed to explain it was for the complaints process, not the review process. There was no fault in its housing banding decision. The agreed action remedies the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review its processes to ensure the reason for the delay in dealing with the change of address form is identified and steps are taken to avoid any future possible repetition.The Council agreed to review its processes to ensure applicants are clearly told what is and what is not reviewable and what may come within the complaints procedure instead.The Council agreed to review why the complainant was not told about the non-reviewability of his request for 6 months and make sure it cannot be repeated in the future.

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