Key Points
- Significant Increase: Complaints and enquiries made to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman regarding Ealing Council rose by 20% in 2025–26, totalling 333 up from 278 the previous year.
- Formal Investigations: Of the cases investigated, 44 were formally reviewed, with 37 upheld (an 84.1% uphold rate) and seven not upheld.
- Comparative Performance: Ealing recorded 9.59 upheld complaints per 100,000 residents, remaining slightly below the London borough average of 10.2.
- Implementation Delays: The council completed 53.3% of the Ombudsman’s agreed recommendations within set deadlines, significantly below the London average of 65.1%.
- National Context: Complaints across England rose by 33%, with London boroughs seeing a 45% surge; housing issues dominated London complaints at 37%.
- Political Reaction: Opposition councillors from the Liberal Democrats and Green Party criticised the council’s service delivery, while the council highlighted recent internal reforms to improve complaint handling.
Ealing (Extra London News) July 17, 2026 – A newly published annual review has revealed a marked increase in public dissatisfaction with Ealing Council, as complaints escalated to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman by 20 per cent over the past financial year.
The figures, detailed in the Annual Review of Local Government Complaints 2025-2026, show that the Ombudsman received 333 complaints and enquiries regarding the Labour-run authority during the 2025-26 period. This represents a substantial rise from the 278 complaints recorded in the previous year. Of these interactions, 44 proceeded to formal investigation, resulting in 37 complaints being upheld—a decision rate that suggests systemic failures in specific service areas.
Why have complaints against Ealing Council increased?
The data reflects a broader trend of rising tensions between local authorities and their residents across England. As reported by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, complaints nationwide saw a 33 per cent increase, reaching a total of 27,625—the sharpest annual rise in over a decade. London boroughs were particularly affected, experiencing a 45 per cent increase in complaints, with housing issues accounting for 37 per cent of all concerns raised in the capital, a figure almost double the national average.
Amerdeep Clarke, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, emphasised the human cost behind these statistics. As noted in the official report, Amerdeep Clarke stated: “Behind every complaint we receive is a person who felt they had nowhere else to turn: a parent trying to get the right support for their child at school, an older person struggling to access the care they need, or a family facing the very real prospect of homelessness.”
Clarke added: “The sheer number of people coming to us this year tells us something important: increasingly residents feel they are not getting the help they are entitled to from their local council. Councils are under real pressure, and we recognise that. But everyone deserves to have their complaint heard fairly and the best councils use that learning to make a difference for residents.”
How does Ealing’s performance compare to neighbouring boroughs?
When measured against its neighbours, Ealing’s performance presents a mixed picture. While the absolute number of upheld complaints (37) matches that of the London Borough of Brent, Ealing’s rate of 9.59 upheld complaints per 100,000 residents remains slightly below the London borough average of 10.2. Similarly, its uphold rate of 84.1 per cent is lower than the London average of 88 per cent.
In comparison to other nearby areas, Hounslow recorded 26 upheld complaints, while Hammersmith & Fulham and Hillingdon both recorded 20, and Harrow recorded 18. When adjusted for population density, Hammersmith & Fulham recorded the highest rate of upheld complaints at 10.60 per 100,000 residents, followed by Brent at 10.48. Ealing follows at 9.59, while Hounslow (8.68), Harrow (6.65), and Hillingdon (6.08) reported lower per-capita figures.
However, a point of concern highlighted in the report is the council’s ability to implement remedial actions. Ealing Council successfully executed only 53.3 per cent of the Ombudsman’s agreed recommendations within the required deadlines. This lags behind the London average of 65.1 per cent and leaves Ealing as only slightly ahead of Hillingdon in this specific performance metric.
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What are opposition parties saying about the findings?
The release of these figures has prompted sharp criticism from opposition groups within the borough. Speaking to EALING.NEWS, Councillor Mark Sanders, the Ealing Liberal Democrats spokesperson for honesty and accountability, stated:
“Ealing Council continues to fail to deal with complaints in a timely manner, with only 11% of cases receiving a satisfactory remedy before they reached the Ombudsman. There is no excuse for this poor service.”
Echoing these concerns, Councillor Clare Welsby, group leader of the Ealing Green Party, told EALING.NEWS: “While recognising the pressures on Ealing Council staff working hard to do their jobs well, the experience of many residents is one of frustration and disengagement. Residents understand councils face financial pressures, but they also recognise that investing in resolving problems early saves money in the longer term and improves lives.”
Councillor Welsby further added:
“We believe Ealing Council should do more to find solutions at the outset, rather than allowing issues to escalate into formal complaints, Ombudsman investigations and other legal processes.”
How is Ealing Council responding to the Ombudsman’s report?
In response to the data and the criticisms leveled against the administration, an Ealing Council spokesperson provided a detailed statement to EALING.NEWS. The spokesperson maintained that the council views complaints as a constructive tool for governance, stating: “We take all complaints seriously and see them as an important opportunity to learn and improve services for residents. The Ombudsman’s figures relate to a wide range of council services and should be viewed in the context of the very large number of interactions we have with residents each year.”
Regarding the upheld complaints and the backlog in implementing recommendations, the spokesperson added: “Where the Ombudsman identifies fault, we carefully consider the findings and implement the recommended actions. We recognise there is more work to do to improve the timeliness of implementing recommendations in some cases and that our performance has not always met the standards we expect of ourselves.”
The council also detailed proactive measures taken to address the situation. According to the spokesperson, “Over the past year we have strengthened our corporate complaints arrangements, revised our complaints policy to align with the Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code, introduced faster response times for corporate complaints and strengthened oversight of Ombudsman cases.”
The council confirmed that internal governance has been bolstered to prevent future escalations. “Cases are now reviewed regularly by senior leaders and a dedicated complaints board provides ongoing oversight to ensure lessons are learned and improvements are delivered,” the spokesperson concluded. “While we are not satisfied whenever agreed actions are delivered later than planned, Ombudsman recommendations are implemented and we continue to strengthen oversight to improve delivery against agreed timescales.”
