Service improvements

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025

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 - 2 of 2 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council as a CSV file.

  • Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (24 006 677)

    Category: Housing Date: 21-Feb-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council has incorrectly assessed her priority on the housing register and failed to properly consider the extent of their overcrowding and how many bedrooms her family is short of their assessed need. The Council’s failure to have proper regard to the statutory overcrowding standards in this instance is fault. As is the significant delay in responding to Miss X’s complaint. These faults have caused an injustice. The Council has agreed to apologise to Miss X, make her a payment and re-assess her request for increased priority. It has also agreed to make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    Review the way it considers overcrowding and bedroom need, and ensures relevant staff are aware of and take account of the statutory overcrowding standards.Ensure relevant staff signpost complainants to the correct ombudsman.

  • Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (23 016 019)

    Category: Housing Date: 18-Aug-2024

    Summary

    The Council’s failure to decide whether it owed Mr X a homelessness duty in 2022 was fault. It failed to recognise that he was homeless because of domestic abuse and failed to provide interim accommodation. The Council has agreed to apologise, backdate Mr X’s housing application, make a payment and act to improve its services.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff of the low threshold to trigger the Council’s duty to make inquiries into possible homelessness and that where this threshold is met, the Council must issue a decision with a statutory right of review.The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff that inquiries into homelessness should include givingthe applicant the opportunity to provide relevant details and context.The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff that victims of domestic abuse may not disclose abuse directly or voluntarily and that officers should exhibit appropriate professional curiosity to explore the reasons for apparent reluctance or refusal to provide information.

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