Council slammed by Housing Ombudsman for poor repairs and complaints handling

A special investigation by the Housing Ombudsman has exposed how Hammersmith and Fulham Council failed to provide adequate repairs and complaints handling to its residents, leaving them ‘feeling anything but secure in their homes’.

The report found that the council had a maladministration rate of 88% in 33 cases investigated, with 85 findings of fault and 138 orders to remedy the situation.

The investigation was launched last year after several cases of severe maladministration were brought to the Ombudsman’s attention.

‘Landlord appeared to be operating in crisis management mode’

Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman, said: “The landlord appeared to be operating in crisis management mode for a number of years.

“Central to this investigation is the handling the short-term impact of the removal of a contractor when some residents were living with unacceptable service failures that required redress. This provides cautionary evidence for other landlords.”

He added: “The human impact of multiple and repeated failures in service delivery is apparent throughout our report.”

He said that those failures led to residents ‘feeling anything but secure in their homes and on the streets’.

Report highlights two main areas of concern

The Ombudsman’s report highlights two main areas of concern: repair handling and complaint handling.

It revealed how the council did not meet emergency or routine repairs deadlines, sent wrong or incompetent contractors, did not update records properly, and ignored the needs of vulnerable residents.

It also reveals how the council’s complaints procedure was not compliant with the Complaint Handling Code, resulting in delays, errors, contradictions, and unfulfilled promises.

The council also failed to follow its own compensation policy, leading to discrepancies between initial offers and final payments.

‘Reiterate our deepest regrets to those residents affected’

Hammersmith and Fulham Council said: “We are truly sorry and reiterate our deepest regrets to those residents affected. We have apologised, compensated, and worked hard to rectify where we let people down.

“The Housing Ombudsman has recognised the transformational change we are making and our continued ambition to improve.

“We strive for consistently high-quality, fair, and compassionate services. We want everyone to have a safe, decent warm home in a diverse and thriving community.”