A special investigation by the Housing Ombudsman has revealed a ‘defensive complaints culture’ within Camden Council’s landlord services, including evidence of a dismissive approach to residents.
The investigation was launched after a ‘significant volume’ of severe maladministration findings against the council, with the Ombudsman investigating 57 complaints and making 124 findings of maladministration.
The main driver of complaints is the condition of council properties. Its repairs management suffered from record-keeping inaccuracies and gaps, ‘significantly contributing to failures in cases.’
The Ombudsman found that the council’s landlord services could ‘appear dismissive of resident complaints’ and highlighted a lack of policy regarding reasonable adjustments when it came to vulnerable residents.
A spokesperson for the council said the cases covered in the report are from 2022 or earlier, adding ‘since then we have changed and improved many aspects of our services.’
They continued: ‘We will go above and beyond the ambitions set out by the Ombudsman’s recommendations and we will ensure that considerations about our residents are at the centre of our work.’
