Croydon Council has been told by the Housing Ombudsman to use learning as a ‘springboard to deliver better services’ after severe maladministration findings.
The Housing Ombudsman has found severe maladministration in four cases involving the London borough.
The cases included the council’s mishandling of a kitchen and bathroom upgrade, and its response to allegations of anti-social behaviour, including indirect racial harassment.
The Ombudsman also found issues with the council’s handling of a noise complaint and a mutual exchange application.
Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: ‘The landlord should reflect on these four cases and continue to make significant improvements to its services, building on the orders we made. Complaints act as a mirror to services and its handling fell far below what residents would expect of their landlord.
A council spokesperson said: ‘We acknowledge that there were significant failures in the way we handled these cases and would like to offer our apologies to these residents for the difficulties they experienced.
‘We have embarked upon a transformation journey which seeks to improve the housing services we offer to our residents. The work carried out by the Housing Ombudsman continues to support us in this journey by highlighting areas for improvement.’
