Service improvements

London Borough of Waltham Forest

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026

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 - 6 of 6 cases with service improvements

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

  • London Borough of Waltham Forest (25 006 518)

    Category: Housing Date: 18-Feb-2026

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council failed to properly support her homelessness application after she received a Section 21 notice from her landlord. The Council failed to properly assess if it was reasonable for Miss X to remain in the property and delayed progressing the prevention duty to the relief duty. This is fault and caused undue distress, uncertainty and time and trouble to Miss X. She also incurred court costs as a result of the Council’s delays. The Council agreed actions to remedy the injustice.

    Service improvements

    • Remind staff to assess whether it is reasonable to continue to occupy accommodation through staff communications.

  • London Borough of Waltham Forest (25 000 811)

    Category: Housing Date: 28-Nov-2025

    Summary

    Ms D says the Council delayed responding to her complaint and incorrectly removed her from the housing register. I have not found fault in the decision to remove Ms D from the housing register but there have been delays by the Council. It has accepted there is fault and offered to pay Ms D redress.

    Service improvements

    remind officers to send written decision letter when remove an applicant form the housing register

  • London Borough of Waltham Forest (24 016 101)

    Category: Housing Date: 12-Oct-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained about how the Council responded to her homelessness. She said the Council failed to address the risk to her and her children and placed her in unsuitable accommodation. Miss X also complained the Council placed her in the wrong housing band. The Council was at fault for failing to deal properly with Miss X’s homelessness. It should apologise to Miss X, make a symbolic payment to her, and provide information to its staff.

    Service improvements

    Share learning from this decision with the homelessness serviceReiterate good practice to its homelessness service, as outlined in its own policy, about housing options for survivors of domestic abuse and the Councils role in assessing risk and safety for survivorsReview actions taken by the Council that caused delay for Miss X in October 2023, in being placed in accommodation in a timely manner

  • London Borough of Waltham Forest (24 015 102)

    Category: Housing Date: 30-Jul-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council failed to provide her family with suitable temporary accommodation under its homelessness duties. The Council accepted fault when it investigated Miss X’s complaint, in that it failed to consider suitability of accommodation and took too long to respond to the complaint. The Council apologised and paid a financial remedy. After our investigation, it agreed to offer a further financial remedy for the injustice caused. It will also issue staff reminders and decide any changes needed to its processes to avoid the same faults in future.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to remind relevant staff of the need to check medical recommendations on file when making an offer of temporary accommodation to a homeless applicant. The Council must ensure any accommodation offered is in line with any recorded needs based on medical conditions or disabilities.The Council agreed to decide what actions it needs to take to change its processes or train staff, to ensure it checks temporary accommodation offered to homeless applicants already has adequate facilities to store and prepare food, before it moves in a family with children.The Council agreed to review how it confused two different complainants. It will decide what actions it needs to take to change its processes or train staff to prevent this in future cases.

  • London Borough of Waltham Forest (24 006 835)

    Category: Housing Date: 10-Jul-2025

    Summary

    X complained that the Council failed to properly respond to reports their rental accommodation suffered from disrepair and the landlord harassed and attempted to illegally evict X. We find the Council failed to properly consider its powers to tackle landlord harassment and retaliatory eviction, which caused X significant distress and risk of harm. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment to X and implement service improvements to remedy the injustice.

    Service improvements

    The Council was at fault in the way it responded to a complaint about landlord harassment. It has agreed to create and implement a policy regarding its powers to respond to complaints of harassment and illegal eviction and retaliatory evictions by private landlords. The policy should specify which team or teams are responsible for identifying potential victims, investigating, and providing information and advice.The Council was at fault in the way it recorded inspections of a privately rented house. It has agreed to put a plan in place to ensure an accurate record is prepared and kept of any inspection of aresidential premises, that includes a record of whether the Council considerany category 1 or 2 hazards exist. The plan will explain where the Council considers that a category 1 hazard exists; it musttake the appropriate enforcement action as laid out in section 5 of the HousingAct 2005.

  • London Borough of Waltham Forest (23 020 213)

    Category: Housing Date: 24-Sep-2025

    Summary

    Miss W complains about the Council’s handling of her need for rehousing following alleged acts of anti-social behaviour against her. She says the Council delayed in finding her alternative housing and, once it did make her an offer, that this was unsuitable for her household’s needs. We found the Council delayed in deciding whether to offer Miss W alternative accommodation. It also failed to appropriately consider and decide the matter of suitability, as well as her request for an internal review. The Council’s fault ultimately delayed Miss W being rehoused in suitable accommodation and meant her concerns about the property offered were never considered. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to remedy the significant injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review how it makes housing applicants aware of their review rights in cases of a one-time direct offer for rehousing, as well as how it assesses and records decisions about the suitability of accommodation before and after a property is offered. The Council will adopt measures to improve its service in these areas. This should include sending written information about an applicant’s review rights at the time of making a property offer, and when that right is engaged and expires.

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