THURROCK Council's record for dealing with complaints has been highlighted by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Michael King, who has written to its Chief Executive Lyn Carpenter expressing disappointment.

Mr King has also contacted council leader Cllr Rob Gledhill and the chair of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Graham Snell, outlining concerns about the authority's failure to respond properly to a number of complaints.

In the past year 12 complaints were acknowledged and investigated by the Ombudsman and nine of them were upheld. That percentage of failure is well above the national average.

The council's lack of investigation and poor complaint handling, including bad record keeping, misinformation and secrecy, is highlighted among the investigated cases. There is an implied criticism about a lack of transparency operated by the council in dealing with some complaints, with some instances of misinformation being given.

Even when a complaint was upheld, there were concerns about a lack of acceptance and compliance by the council which falls well below the national average. The ombudsman has pointed out: "In 86% of cases we were satisfied the council had successfully implemented our recommendations, compared to an average of 99% in similar authorities. 

Some details of upheld cases have been detailed on the Ombudsman's website (viewable via this link). One remains unpublished because to do so would lead to an unavoidable breach of confidentiality.

Three of the upheld complaints relate to failures in provision of waste collection service, including significant failures in assisted waste collection.

As well as dealing with the three specific cases the ombudsman has referred to a number of other complaints from residents that have been identified in the course of the investigation and says: "This suggests a systemic problem which has been ongoing for years."

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Deep-seated failures in the waste collection service led to the Ombudsman saying: "It is disappointing both our organisations have been put to additional time, trouble and resource in trying to resolve the matter."

Two complaints related to failures in the council's adult social care programme and both caused avoidable distress to families who, because of the council's blundering, were unable to visit or care for elderly relatives - both of whom have since died 

One investigation shows significant fault by the council in its management of the protection of an unnamed Grade II listed building the borough.

The case report offers a full description of the council's mistakes and lack of enforcement over a number of years going back to 2017 in detail and referring to further problems as far back as 2010.

Other complaints relate to a failure in a housing allocation banding and maladministration relating to the non-payment of a small business grant.

In some of the decisions the council has been found at fault an ordered to pay financial compensation to complainants.