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 - 10 of 14 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 (25 000 551)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 20-Jan-2026

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council delayed agreeing to fund a supported living placement, offered him three unsuitable options, failed to keep his representative up-to-date and refused to arrange a best interests meeting. The Council carried out the mental capacity assessment process properly but delayed consulting alternative placements, delayed recognising the placement Mr Y had identified was the only suitable placement and failed to keep Mr Y up-to-date. That caused Mr Y distress. An apology, payment to Mr Y and process changes are satisfactory remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will put in place a process to ensure oversight of adult social care cases when social workers are changed to ensure decisions are not delayed or the case left to drift.

  • London Borough of Waltham Forest (24 023 358)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 26-Aug-2025

    Summary

    We have upheld Mr B’s complaint about the Council’s delay to respond to his complaint regarding his late mother’s care charges and the support she received in a care home. The Council has agreed to resolve the complaint early by providing a proportionate remedy for the injustice caused. The Council will investigate Mr B’s complaint, apologise to him and pay him £150 for the frustration and distress caused. It will also provide training for its staff on its new software system to address any gaps in knowledge and minimise complaint handling delays.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide training to its officers so they are familiar with its new software system and address any gaps in knowledge in order to minimise or prevent complaint handling delays.

  • London Borough of Waltham Forest (24 023 123)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 25-Feb-2026

    Summary

    The Council was at fault. It delayed Mrs Y’s financial assessment and did not clearly explain Mrs Y’s care charges and initially overcharged her. It did not update Mrs Y’s care and support plan when there was a change in care hours agreed and it communicated poorly with a family member, Mrs X. The Council has already recredited payments it should not have charged Mrs Y. It will also apologise and pay a symbolic payment to Mrs X and Mrs Y to acknowledge the frustration, confusion and distress caused. The Council will review its services to prevent a repeat of the faults.

    Service improvements

    The Council will ensure there is clear information provided at the start of a care package. This will show how and when the Council will charge for care provision and when and why it will charge a variable amount for care provided. If the care package is variable this will be documented in the care and support plan.The Council will provide guidance to relevant staff to ensure where there is an agreed change in care hours the care and support plan is updated to reflect the change.

  • London Borough of Waltham Forest (24 021 867)

    Category: Education Date: 19-Aug-2025

    Summary

    Ms X complained that the Independent Admission Appeals Panel failed to properly consider her appeal for a school place for her child. There was fault in the way the Panel considered Ms X’s appeal and reached its decision. The Council will apologise to Ms X for the avoidable frustration and uncertainty caused by the fault, hold a new appeal hearing with new panel members and clerk and provide training or guidance on the statutory guidance for clerks and panel members.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide training or guidance to panel members and clerks to ensure they are aware of their responsibilities at stage one of the appeals process in accordance with the statutory guidance.

  • London Borough of Waltham Forest (24 016 161)

    Category: Education Date: 28-Sep-2025

    Summary

    Mr A complained on behalf of Mr B about the Council’s decision to cease Mr B’s Education, Health and Care Plan in 2020 and failure to support him to get back into education since then. We found the Council was at fault for the delay in the Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment process from March 2024 and records keeping around its decision for additional funding for Mr B’s social care support. The Council agreed to our recommendations on what to do to remedy the injustice its faults caused to Mr B.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review its process for documenting Panel decisions to ensure it is meeting the requirements of the best administrative practice.

  • 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 (24 015 775)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 17-Aug-2025

    Summary

    Ms C complains the Council has not provided support to meet her eligible care needs. The Council is at fault for failing to produce a support plan which identifies what services meet Ms C’s eligible needs. Because of these faults Ms C has the uncertainty that the reablement services offered by the Council will not meet her needs. To remedy the complaint the Council has agreed to apologise to Ms C, produce a support plan, and make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind relevant staff by a staff circular, team meeting or training; the importance of producing a support plan following a care needs assessment. This includes where reablement has been identified as appropriate to meet assessed eligible needs;The Council will remind relevant staff by a staff circular, team meeting or training, that if the Council intends to use reablement services to inform a care needs assessment, it should pause the assessment and resume once the outcome of the reablement is known.

  • London Borough of Waltham Forest (24 015 597)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 30-Jun-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council delayed carrying out a review of her carer’s assessment. We find the Council was at fault for its delay in completing the review. This caused Mrs X upset and frustration. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to make a payment to Mrs X and implement a service improvement.

    Service improvements

    The Council will issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they complete a review of a service user’s carer’s assessment within 12 months of the previous one. If there are going to be delays staff should keep the service user informed.

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