The General Purposes Committee of Lambeth Council met on Thursday 22 October 2026 to discuss the council's performance in handling housing and adult social care complaints. The committee reviewed a summary of determinations issued by the Housing Ombudsman, noting that performance remains below expected standards, and discussed the ongoing Housing Transformation Programme aimed at improving services. They also reviewed a summary of determinations from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman concerning adult social care, noting that the number of upheld complaints remains low.

Summary of Determinations Issued by the Housing Ombudsman

The committee received a report detailing Housing Ombudsman cases from April to September 2026. It was acknowledged that housing performance and Ombudsman outcomes are currently below the standards expected by the council and its residents, with an increase in Housing Ombudsman enquiries and adverse determinations. These issues are attributed to long-standing challenges, particularly in repairs, complaint handling, and information management.

In response, the council has established a housing transformation programme, strengthened governance, and increased operational oversight. Janet Sharpe, Director of Housing Operations, introduced the report, highlighting that while performance is not yet at the desired level, the council is committed to learning from Ombudsman findings and improving resident outcomes.

During the discussion, councillors raised concerns about the effectiveness of the complaints handling system. One councillor noted receiving emails from residents stating that the complaints inbox was not taking complaints, and that stage one complaints were not always progressing to stage two. Ms Sharpe confirmed that the inbox had not been closed but acknowledged that a review of complaints was underway during the transition of services from the corporate complaints team to the housing directorate. She stated she would investigate any technical issues with the system.

Councillor Elliot, Cabinet Member for Housing, emphasised the value of complaints in improving services and expressed confidence that the ongoing transformation programme would lead to significant improvements within the next six to twelve months. He also addressed concerns about recurring issues like damp and mould, explaining that the council is working to ensure residents' concerns are listened to and that root causes are addressed, rather than just superficial fixes.

The report indicated that between April and September 2026, 140 cases were received by the Housing Ombudsman, with known outcomes for 57. Of these, 22 were classified as maladministration and three as severe maladministration. The total compensation paid out during this period was £56,846. Key themes leading to adverse findings included damp/mould and bathroom repairs, with severe maladministration findings leading to written apologies from senior staff and compensation payments.

The council is implementing a Housing Transformation Programme, with a focus on improving repairs performance and complaint handling. This includes redesigning front-door processes, transferring the Housing Complaints Case Management Team back into the Housing Directorate, and establishing weekly governance meetings to monitor progress. An SMS-based survey for residents using the Wates repairs service has been rolled out, with initial results showing a significant number of dissatisfied responses, which the council aims to address proactively to reduce formal complaints. A predictive model for damp and mould has also been developed to identify at-risk properties.

The committee was informed that the Housing Ombudsman had written to Lambeth Council in December 2025 as part of a formal paragraph 49 investigation into persistent themes in casework concerning complaints handling, repairs, and knowledge management. The council has developed a plan in response and is in dialogue with the Ombudsman, who has indicated they will share their concerns with the Regulator of Social Housing.

Adult Social Care Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Cases

The committee also reviewed a report on Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) cases for adult social care during the second quarter of 2026-2027 (July to September). Richard Sparks, representing the Assistant Director of Quality Assurance, introduced the report.

For this quarter, there were four references to cases being investigated by the LGSCO. Three of these cases were closed after initial enquiries with no findings of injustice or because they were outside the ombudsman's jurisdiction. One case, relating to the management of a complainant's mother's finances, remained open and an outcome was expected in the next reporting quarter.

The report noted that for the previous quarter (April to June 2026), three cases were closed after initial enquiries, and one case concerning the management of finances was under investigation. No financial implications arose from these complaints.

Councillor David Ford expressed a preference for these updates to continue being presented to both the General Purposes Committee and the Adults and Health Scrutiny Subcommittee, stating that the General Purposes Committee does not meet frequently enough to provide adequate oversight otherwise. Mr. Sparks apologised for not having seen this response previously and confirmed that the report would continue to be presented to both committees. The committee noted the report.