Camden Council changes language on complaint acknowledgements

Camden Council has changed how it apologises to its housing tenants after a watchdog called it out for shifting the blame for failings onto residents.

The council was rebuked by the social housing Ombudsman last year for having a “defensive” attitude towards complaints while it left some residents waiting years for repairs.

In a report issued in November last year, Ombudsman Richard Blakeway urged the council to change the wording and tone of its apology — “We are sorry you felt the need to complain” — which he said was in danger of appearing insincere and “put the responsibility on residents for taking action instead of the council, as the social landlord”.

“It is easy to see why such an apology could be perceived to lack genuineness,” the Ombudsman said.

At a housing scrutiny meeting on Monday 15 September the council said it had stopped using the phrase several months ago and typically now responded to such complaints by saying: “Thank you for your complaint … and for taking the time to express your concerns.”

The Housing Ombudsman’s website advises landlords that a “good apology” is timely, empathetic, personal and sincere, while taking responsibility and expressing regret. Apologies “should include the reason the apology is needed and avoid shifting the blame or using passive, ambiguous or dismissive language”.

The Ombudsman’s findings came following a 2023 investigation which identified repeated failings by the council to properly maintain and repair its housing stock and make proper adjustments for vulnerable people.

In one case, a man with arthritis who relied on a service dog was repeatedly forced to climb the stairs in his council block due to the lift being out of service for most of the time he lived there. The Town Hall later moved him to a new permanent home.

Camden Council has emphasised that due to its ageing housing stock it expects to continue receiving a high volume of complaints in the coming years.

As is the case for other boroughs, it said, this was due to chronic under-investment and a “critical shortage” of affordable homes. But this week officers said the council had made “significant improvements” by investing more in the service since the watchdog’s investigation.

This includes launching a new repairs system, hiring and training more staff and making changes to how it monitors jobs, along with other measures to improve oversight and better engage with residents.

In July this year, Camden’s cabinet member for better homes, Cllr Sagal Abdi-Wali, met with Blakeway, who said he was satisfied that the council was acting on his advice.

On Monday, officers also reported that resident satisfaction over housing repairs had improved dramatically in recent months, after falling below the London and national average between November 2024 and January 2025.

Residents in the London Borough of Camden can complain about a council service online or by post.

Camden Council, Housing Scrutiny Committee, Monday 15 September 2025.

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