Housing Ombudsman uncovers ‘culture of apathy’ at London council
Special investigation report finds a ‘distinct lack of ownership, accountability and intrinsic motivation’ when handling complaints
The Housing Ombudsman has uncovered a 'culture of apathy' at the London Borough of Haringey.
Following a special investigation – initiated by concerns about the landlord’s approach to leaks, damp and mould – the Ombudsman made 77 findings across 32 cases, 18 of which involved severe maladministration, mostly for major repairs, damp and mould and complaint handling.
As a result, the Ombudsman identified eight key areas for improvement –
- leaseholders – handling of leaseholder complaints involving repair issues was extremely poor and the landlord was slow to support residents with insurance claims and placed undue onus on the resident to facilitate them resulting in financial detriment to leaseholders;
- disrepair – there were unreasonable delays in the landlord’s response to reports of disrepair, for example it would delay before inspecting a property after the resident reported a problem, then delay in carrying out necessary repairs, and would be unable to adequately explain the reasons for the delays;
- damp and mould – despite featuring in the Ombudsman's 2021 Spotlight on damp and mould, the council did not introduce a new policy until April 2023, and while the policy adheres to the report's recommendations, internal guidance still needs reviewing;
- vulnerabilities – the landlord was found to not always adhere to its own Vulnerable Residents Policy, and the Ombudsman therefore recommends that a review is carried out and vulnerability and safeguarding procedures are produced for housing management and staff;
- unreasonable behaviour policy – the landlord's aims to deal with customers fairly, proportionately, impartially and in an open manner were not reflected on the ground, and the Ombudsman therefore recommends that a new policy is created and a new monitoring process introduced to track progress;
- knowledge and information management – a concerning lack of key documents, jobs being raised and then left open, and a lack of learning was found alongside a cultural acceptance of poor practice including a lack of ownership, professional pride and accountability, and the Ombudsman therefore recommends that the council self-assess against the Spotlight on knowledge and information management;
- complaint handling – the council's approach was found to expose residents to delay, confusion, uncertainty and unfair treatment and was not in line with the Complaint Handling Code, and the Ombudsman therefore recommends that it updates its complaints policy, including the removal of ‘stage 0’ and a review of stage 3; and
- compensation – despite clear evidence of service failure and the associated time, trouble, distress and inconvenience, the landlord was not routinely offering compensation, and as a result the Ombudsman says that a new compensation policy is needed that is in line with the Complaint Handling Code and related guidance.
Commenting on his report, Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said –
'The findings in this report are stark, with failings across a range of areas which need prompt action.
The landlord recognises the current approach is not working for residents, services or its teams, and that the whole organisation needs to change its approach. There was frequently a loss of focus on achieving the right outcome for residents.
The senior leadership is to be commended for the focus it is bringing to improving housing management and starting to put in place the resources and structures to deliver change. We look forward to working with the landlord on these changes.
This report also offers salient lessons for other landlords, particularly councils.
This includes those planning to bring ALMOs back in house or where leaseholders form a significant part of its responsibilities. Too often leaseholders can be failed, with a lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities between landlord and leaseholder. These poor outcomes need to end.'
NB – in response, the London Borough of Haringey sets out the steps it plans to take to deliver on the Ombudsman's recommendations and says –
'We take the Ombudsman report very seriously and we are determined to learn from the findings to improve the services we provide to the residents of Haringey.'
For more information, see Ombudsman uncovers ‘culture of apathy’ at London landlord after special investigation report from housing-ombudsman.org.uk