London Borough of Waltham Forest
Annual statistics ?Find out more about annual statistics
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Complaints upheld
96% Complaints upheld by London Borough of Waltham Forest
96% of complaints we investigated were upheld.
This compares to an average of 85% in similar authorities.
25 upheld decisions
View upheld decisionsAdjusted for London Borough of Waltham Forest's population, this is
9.1 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.The average for authorities of this type is
8.2 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.Statistics are based on a total of 26 investigations for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Compliance with Ombudsman recommendations
100% of cases were successfully implemented by London Borough of Waltham Forest
100% of cases we were satisfied the Council had successfully implemented our recommendations.
This compares to an average of 99% in similar authorities.
Statistics are based on a total of 20 compliance outcomes for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council
12% Complaints with satisfactory remedy provided by London Borough of Waltham Forest
In 12% of upheld cases we found the Council had provided a satisfactory remedy before the complaint reached the Ombudsman.
This compares to an average of 12% in similar authorities.
3 satisfactory remedy decisions
Statistics are based on a total of 25 upheld decisions for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
View all satisfactory remedy decisions
Annual letters
We write to councils each year to give a summary of the complaint statistics we record about them,
and their performance in responding to our investigations.
Reports ?Find out more about reports
In the last nine years, the Ombudsman has published the following reports against London Borough of Waltham Forest
Family left to sofa surf for 12 months after being ‘forgotten’ by Waltham Forest council
A Waltham Forest family had to sofa surf for 12 months because the local council forgot about them, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.
Service improvements ?Find out more about service improvements
Since April 2018, the Council has agreed to make the following improvements to its services following an Ombudsman investigation. We list up to 10 cases below – click ‘view all’ if there are more.
Case reference: 24 005 131
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- The Council has agreed to consider how it can make its processes quicker for providing homeless applicants with their first month’s rent and deposit, particularly given the competitive and fast-paced nature of the private rental market.
- The Council has agreed to investigate why the homeless person, in this case, was not told they had been automatically added to the housing register, or when their banding changed, and will take action to prevent recurrence of this fault in future.
Case reference: 24 004 818
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- The Council will remind relevant staff of the nee to properly explain the reasons for housing register review decisions.
Case reference: 24 003 751
Category: Children's care services
Sub Category: Other
- The Council will provide the Ombudsman with evidence it has completed a review of its parent/carer assessment process as recommended by a children's statutory complaint procedure investigation. The Council will identify any action it intends to take as a result of that review and a timebound plan of when it intends to complete the actions.
Case reference: 24 002 861
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- Look at what went wrong in this case and consider what changes the Council can make to: 1. Ensure it issues an amended Education, Health and Care Plan within 12 weeks of an annual review meeting.2. Ensure it has procedures in place to enable it to review and amend Education, Health and Care Plan’s by the statutory deadlines for children and young people who are at key phases of education.
Case reference: 23 020 327
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Residential care
- The Council will remind relevant staff to involve relatives in decisions regarding moving care home placements.
- The Council will review its procedures to ensure it provides in writing relevant information to the service user or their representatives when there is a change in funding arrangements for care home placements.
Case reference: 23 019 405
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- The Council will prepare an action plan to improve its record keeping within the Prevention and Assessment Service.
- The Council will send a full review of its complaint handling processes and system, carried out following the Council’s letter of 5 April 2024.
- The Council will ensure its Housing and Inclusive Economy Scrutiny Committee review this decision at the next available committee meeting.
Case reference: 23 016 128
Category: Children's care services
Sub Category: Other
- The Council will complete a review of its short breaks arrangements which was recommended by an independent panel investigating a children's statutory complaint. The Council will produce a timebound action plan for any improvements it intends to make as a result of the review.
- The Council will remind relevant officers that handle complaints that where a complainant has requested a stage three panel in the children’s statutory complaint process, the stage three panel should be held within 30 days and the Council should respond within a further 20 days.
Case reference: 23 012 930
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Domiciliary care
- The Council will remind all relevant staff of the need to ensure that all care plans are reviewed 6-8 weeks after they are signed off, and of its complaints policy timelines.
Case reference: 23 005 845
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Charging
- The Council reviewed its complaint handling procedure and provided training for its staff.
Case reference: 23 005 698
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- The Council has agreed to remind its Special Educational Needs and Disabilities staff that the Council is under a duty to arrange the provision in Section F of children and young people's Education, Health and Care Plans.
- The Council has agreed to demonstrate how it has improved its timeliness for investigating corporate complaints.
- The Council has agreed to set out how it will improve, or has improved, its systems for checking that actions arising from complaint investigations are carried out as agreed.
Last updated: 4 April 2015