London Borough of Waltham Forest (21 004 840)

Statement Upheld Other 07-Apr-2022

Summary: Mr X complained he was excluded from the Council’s Rapid Employment Service. He also complained the Council’s investigation of his complaint was flawed. The Ombudsman found no evidence the Council excluded Mr X from its service. The Ombudsman did find fault in the Council’s record keeping and in the complaint process. It agreed to apologise to Mr X.

London Borough of Waltham Forest (21 019 118)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 24-Apr-2022

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because the Council has agreed to take the action we recommended to resolve the injustice it caused her as a result of its failure to accept a homeless application.

London Borough of Waltham Forest (21 015 188)

Statement Upheld Other 25-Apr-2022

Summary: Miss X complained about the Council’s lack of support with her homelessness after she fled domestic abuse. The Council was at fault. It did not make proper enquiries about her situation, nor assess whether the private rented property she later found was affordable, nor send her a formal letter ending its housing duty after the tenancy started. It was also at fault for not communicating properly about the financial support it could provide and a delay in providing it. It should apologise, pay Miss X £1,800 to remedy the period she was in unsuitable accommodation, and take action to prevent recurrence.

London Borough of Waltham Forest (21 010 743)

Statement Upheld Other 24-May-2022

Summary: Mr and Ms X complained the Council carried out a marriage ceremony instead of the civil partnership ceremony they had requested. The Council was at fault when it carried out the wrong ceremony and later provided Mr and Ms X with an incorrect version of events. It has agreed to make Mr and Ms X a distress payment and if they submit a divorce or annulment application within 18 months of the date of the ceremony, refund the fees relating to the previous ceremony and pay the court fee.

London Borough of Waltham Forest (21 018 528)

Statement Upheld Other 25-May-2022

Summary: We uphold Ms X’s complaint, the Council failed to consider her complaint within its children statutory complaints’ procedure. The Council has agreed to complete the stage two without further delay.

London Borough of Waltham Forest (21 013 962)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 08-Jun-2022

Summary: Mr B complains the Council leaves his wheeled bin blocking his garden path. Mr B does not have an assisted bin collection and so the Council is not required to return the bin to a specific location. The requirement is to return the bin to within the property boundary, and the garden path meets this requirement. The Council has tried to meet Mr B’s preference, but sometimes fails to do so. I find the Council at fault for not explaining the service requirements to Mr B and not managing his expectations; the Council will apologise.

London Borough of Waltham Forest (21 014 404)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 26-Jun-2022

Summary: Mr X complained that Council delays meant he missed out on a COVID-19 business grant. The Council was at fault for delays in dealing with the business rates registration, for which it has apologised. The Council has also paid a sum equivalent to the grant Mr X missed out on, which provides an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused by the delay.

London Borough of Waltham Forest (21 012 998)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 30-Jun-2022

Summary: Miss X complained the Council’s bin collection crews regularly failed to empty her household waste and recycling bins. The Ombudsman considers found fault causing injustice when the Council’s contractor missed several collections.

London Borough of Waltham Forest (21 015 032)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 31-Jul-2022

Summary: The Council is failing to meet all Ms C’s eligible adult social care needs as an adult with a learning disability. This failure is negatively affecting Ms C’s relationship with her child and places a burden on her parents to provide constant support. The Council will apologise, make a symbolic payment, meet with the family, arrange appropriate support, and review its processes to improve future service.

London Borough of Waltham Forest (21 009 309)

Statement Upheld Allocations 02-Aug-2022

Summary: There was no fault in how the Council assessed Mr X’s medical priority for housing. The Council was at fault for reducing Mr X’s priority on its housing register in July 2021. The Council also failed to consider whether Mr X was homeless or threatened with homeless. The Council has agreed actions to remedy the injustice this caused Mr X and improve its service.